What is Pétanque?
The French game of pétanque dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, when it originated in Provence in its modern form. The game may be compared to other "boules" sports, like bocce ball or lawns bowling. These types of games have been played throughout recorded history, but few have attained the same long-term popularity as pétanque!
Pétanque is best played on a surface like dirt or gravel. The objective of the game is to score more points than your opponent, and these points are awarded based on how close your boules are to the target ball after all the boules have been thrown. Players may throw or roll their boules as close as possible to the target ball, or cochonnet. They can also try to use their boules to knock their opponent's boules farther from the cochonnet.