What is Pétanque? Google Doodle celebrates popular French sport
Have you ever played Pétanque? Well, if not, you can try your hand at the Google Doodle’s latest interactive creation that lets you play this 19th Century French outdoor game from the comfort of your own home.
According to Doodles Archive, Pétanque, a sport similar to bocce and lawn bowling, is more than just a leisure activity. This game is played competitively at regional, national and international levels throughout the world. The best players attend showcase events like the Mondial La Marseillaise in France and the La British Open in England. According to The Local, Pétanque may be associated with France but the International Federation of Pétanque and Provençal Game estimates that the sport, which has around 10-12 million players worldwide in 160 countries, is in fact most popular in Asia. FYI, Thailand currently holds second place in the Pétanque World Championships ranking. And an estimated 1.5 million Chinese children apparently play the game at school, as per the report.
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The history of Pétanque
The origin of the game dates back to as early as the sixth century, according to Petanque Australia. However, the current form of the game originated in 1907 in La Ciotat, in Provence, France, which is now know as the Jules Lenoir Boulodrome. In the new game, the length of the field was reduced by roughly half and a player no longer engaged in a run-up while throwing a ball but stood stationary in a circle. These rules were invented by Ernest Pitiot a local cafe owner. The changes came into existence when Ernest tried accommodating a French jeu provencal player named Jules Lenoir whose rheumatism prevented him from running before he threw the ball.
How to play Pétanque?
The rules of the game are simple. All you have to do is throw, toss, or roll your team’s metal boules closer to the target boule than the other team. Basically, the aim is to be the first player/team to score 13 points. According to thisispetanque, points are scored by having one or more of your boules closer to the target than those of your opponent, after all boules have been thrown. The game is played out over a series of rounds, often referred to as an end, with the scoring team of an end being first to start the next round. The goal might sound simple, but players can use a number of tactics to gain an advantage over their opponent. 'Shooting' is a popular strategy, often used at competitive levels, where players attempt to knock away an opponent's boule from the target.
As per The Local, Pétanque legend César Brauer known as 'César of Montelimar' won the first ever Pétanque World Cup in 1962 and 50 years later he competed in his last World Cup in 2013. He died in the year 2015.
