Petanque Triples Play. Focus on Team roles. The Middle Part 1

Petanque Triples Play. Focus on Team roles. The Middle Part 1

We have already looked at the steady pointer role and the shooters part, this time we will look at the king (or Queen) of triples play, the middle.

The role of the steady pointer and focused shooter have been well covered but the middle player must be an amalgamation of the two. They must be able to point and shoot. They are the rock, the anchor, the triple teams are forged around.

It is really all down to phases of play and how ends progress with boule after boule thrown. In an attacking end your team may defend a boule 12 inches from the jack. It has held off 3 boule and this boule has been outpointed twice and your shooter has hit both boule. Well done. You have three boule left and the opposition have 1 boule which they use to outpoint your boule. The situation requires a shot and the in triples the player playing middle is the person for the job. A hit here will leave the pointer to place their last boule in and the middle will then follow with another point for three. This is a simplified position but the idea is to show how the middle must or can play two different boule, one shot and one point. A successful hit drives your team into the points. The shooters boule have done their job but only if they are backed up with more repeated play. This may seem obvious but it is the essence of the game, to get the advantage. Boule in hand and more boule than the opposition and the opposition using up their boule.

Let us turn it around. The pointer has pointed twice and the opposition has shot both boule. The middle now points hoping they will be into the area to draw the opposition’s middle to shoot. With the oppositions shooter out of boule you are testing their strength in depth. Middle against middle. It is a battle between similar chess pieces; the strongest middle player of both triples will take the crown.

A successful middle is the scrounger of the team. They must do whatever it takes to play successful boule. They must learn to point from the pointer, trying to follow their success or adapt from their failure. It may take us all one boule to learn how the piste reacts to a boule landing in the area you want to get to the jack. It maybe the solution to the bad reaction is to land in a different place. If this is a disaster it will be down to the middle of the triple to try and point successfully. Repeating the two previous boule will only end in disappointment. The boule must be played with the two bad boule in mind. If the middle was not paying attention it will be to the teams detriment.

The middle must have their eyes and ears open to combat the opposition, not only to correct a bad boule but also to repeat a good shot played by the pointer. Promoting front boule, trailing jacks back to long pointers boule. Splitting defensive boule away from the head. Pulling out a killer carreau. The middle needs to be versatile and be able to play every shot. Push shots, high lobs, sidespin in from the left and right. This player needs to be able to get their boule into a crowded head or play defensive boule to the back, side of the head. If the jack has jumped they may find themselves pointing to a jack 18 metres away. Yes the middle gets two parts. That's how important they are ! ...........