Marking the boule in Petanque

Marking the boule.

Many players are using plastic circles for more relaxed play as they are using the equipment on pistes that are traditionally difficult to draw your circle. These pistes have been constructed with a very compacted layer system and known as rolling or marble pistes by some. They are possibly the closest to the French market town pistes with a fine dusting layer over a very hard surface. The piste has two uses for a strong marker of both boule and circle. It is impossible to draw a circle with your feet or toe and certainly not your finger. A steel tipped circle marker is an option and they are available from all good petanque shops but why have one when you could just buy a circle?  The hard rolling piste has another danger not just breaking a finger trying to draw a circle. The fast pitches with boule rolling a long way means boule from another game being shot can come into your head without much warning and cause real problems if they hit a boule or jack in your game. Anything disturbed by the offending boule or boules can be place back in position but only if marked. Many players will agree where they were even if they are not marked. Some players will say “Oh that’s a shame” and take what ever they were given by the impact. Of course you know if they are at a disadvantage they will be much more reasonable about the situation. Funny that!

It may seem strange to be marking all the boule in a head as if real damage occurs it will take the judgement of Solomon to decide which boule was where! One boule moving is easy; four boule moving could cause real problems. Also remember these marks giving the position of boule need to be updated if the boule are moved by the boule in your game, nudges and shots will move boule in the head and so a gentle rubbing out of the mark with a new mark made takes some time but will be needed in only 1% of your games. If you can predict when that will be you will only need to mark your boule in that game, but as life is never simple it pays to be a quick judge of people and situations.