Longbeach Petanque

Club

A division of Mordialloc Bowling Club Inc.

The Longbeach Petanque Club Piste (pitch), located at the Mordialloc Bowling Club, has first class  playing facilities with seating alongside the playing area and overhead lighting.

The Mordialloc Bowls Club has excellent facilities to host and cater for all types of functions including business meetings, weddings and 21st birthday parties etc. We can even organise for your guests to play petanque or have a bowl on the greens before, during or after your function.

With plenty of off street parking available, a generously stocked Bar for all of your refreshment needs, ample kitchen facilities and plenty of room to setup for dining, dancing, presentations, etc.

Longbeach Petanque play Friday evenings from approx 6.00pm during daylight saving time.

New members welcome any time, come and give it a try! Absolutely no experience required, free try out.

Club subscription fee only per $55 year. For all inquiries ring Secretary on 9772 9019.

For all the latest news for members see the Long Beach Petanque Blog.

Or view the Victorian Petanque Alliance news section.

Download current Victorian Petanque Alliance calendar here.

Pétanque (pronounced: " petonk" is a form of boules where the goal is to throw metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (piglet). The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel, but can also be played on other surfaces. The name petanque is a derivation of the provençal word ped tanco and it means the feet together on the ground.

The player, while playing, should keep his feet together and on the ground. The boules can be delivered either from an erect position, a bending or a squatting position. Petanque is unique in that it is the only game of bowls that is practiced in a squatting position!

Key Benefits of the game of Petanque

  • Petanque can be played by people of all ages and fitness levels.
  • No great strength required.
  • Rules are easy to learn.
  • Can be played virtually anywhere.
  • Equipment is inexpensive.
  • No special clothing or footwear required.
  • Social & competition play available year round.

Rules Download current rules here

History

Pétanque is reputed to have been invented in 1907 in the village of La Ciotat near Marseille as a less physically-demanding form of Petanque. Physical effort was reduced by shortening the length of the pitch by roughly half and replacing a moving delivery with a stationary one. The name is derived from the term pieds tanqués, which in the Marseilles dialect of French means "stuck feet", because in Pétanque the feet have to remain fixed together within a (small) circle. It is of interest that this also means that handicapped people in wheelchairs can compete without any disadvantage. Pétanque has become so popular that the term Jeu de Boules (game of balls) is often used to refer to it, even though Pétanque is only one of several variants of boules. Many French villages have a special stadium for the game called a Boulodrome.

The international Pétanque federation Fédération Internationale de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal was founded in 1958 in Marseille and has about 600,000 members in 52 countries (2002).

The first World Championships were organized in 1959. The most recent championships were held in Faro, Portugal (2000), Monaco (2001), Grenoble (2002), Geneva (2003), Grenoble (2004), Brussels (2005), and Grenoble will host 2006. Fifty-three countries participated in 2004 and the number is growing every year.

Glossary of special terms

Like any sport, petanque has its own special vocabulary. The following are a list of common phrases with explanations.

  • To have the point: to have one or more boules placed closer to the jack than those of the opponent(s).
  • Pointing: to throw one's boule with the intent of stopping near the jack (also know as placing).
  • Shooting: to throw one's boule at one of the opponent's boules to knock it out of play. This is often done when the opponent has pointed his/her boule very close to the jack.
  • Lob: to throw one's boule in a high arc so that when it lands it only rolls minimally.
  • A carreau: a special feat in which the shooter knocks the opponent's boule out while leaving his boule at or very near the point of impact (pronounced car-o).
  • To fanny: to beat one's opponents 13 to 0.
  • To do the bec: intending to stop the boule near the jack by targeting another boule and hitting it.
  • Game on the Ground: meaning one team is lying in a match-winning position while an end is still in progress and will win unless their opponents change the situation.

For more Petanque resources & information see Petanque Australia:

http://www.petanqueaustralia.org/

and the online Petanque community.

http://www.petanque.org/