Equipment
HENRY DAVID THOREAU ONCE admonished his readers to "beware of all enterprises that require new clothes." You'll find that among the most appealing aspects of pétanque is its Thoreauvian disdain for special clothes and the requirement for a minimal investment in equipment. And that investment is often a once-in-a-lifetime purchase.
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The Pétanque America banner says all you really need are "dirt, balls, and a pig." Simple, right? There is a catch. To pass muster at FPUSA and FIPJP tournaments they must be the right kind of dirt, balls, and pig. Oh, and you'll need to be wearing closed-toed shoes as well.
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The DirtThe dirt or area upon which you play is called the terrain. The terrain is usually divided into several pistes, playing areas, often marked out with string for tournaments. Sometimes they are referred to as courts, or even lanes. The terrain can be a dedicated space exclusively for pétanque, borrowed from another sport (more than one club calls a baseball field home), or a multipurpose surface (park walkways, home to several clubs). It can be as plain as dirt, or top-dressed with anything from decomposed granite to crushed sea urchin shell. A number of sites have directions on how to build a court. The link below takes you to the All About Petanque page on the topic.
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The BallsWe play with metal balls called boules, which must measure between 70.5 cm–80 cm, or roughly three inches in diameter and must weigh 650g–800g, or approximately 1½ lbs. For FPUSA competition the boules must be on the FIPJP list of acceptable boules, they must bear the trademark of their manufacturer and their weight in grams must be engraved on them. Link to a downloadable copy of the FIPJP-approved list below.
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The PigPig, jack, cochonnet: different names for the same thing, the target ball toward which you aim your boules. Practice cochonnets are made of plastic or wood. Some are even magnetized. For FPUSA tournament play the only permissible cochonnet must measure between 29–31mm, or roughly 1¼ inch in diameter.
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AccoutrementsWhere do we begin? Boule rags, score keepers, circles…the list goes on. Some swear by them, others swear at them. Purists keep it minimal electing to scratch out the circle with a twig and carrying no more than a rag with their boules. Maximalists indulge in all the bells and whistles: scorekeeper apps, magnetic boule lifters, magnetized pigs and circles, etc. Patches, pins, and printed boule cloths are often collected as tournament swag. Most players assemble their gear from a variety of sources; regulation pigs and scorekeepers from an online retailer like Pétanque America, alongside chamois boule cloths and tape measures from their local hardware store. Whether you're a minimalist or maximalist, just do it with conviction and style and you'll be fine. Remember all you really need are dirt, balls, and a pig!
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