09.Jul.2008 BOCCE BASICS

• Egyptain carvings, dating back to 5200 BCE, portraying two boys playing a primitive form of bocce ball. Egyptains are widely believed to be the first to play this game, which they supposedly used rocks instead of balls. However, some sources claim bocce was started in Greece during sixth century BC.
• Bocce is a direct descendant of the Latin word “bottia” which means boss.
• Early Romans used coconuts to paly bocce and then carve balls made of olive wood. A notable player was Emperor Augustus.
• Umberto Granaglia, considered the greatest bocce baller, was named “Player of 20th Century” by the Confederation Mondiale des Sport de Boules. He was most recognized for Volo, the most technically skilled form of the game.
• Bocce became so popular that King Carlos IV and King Carlos V prohibited the game from being played because it supposedly interferred with military training. The Republic of Venice even introduced fine and imprisonment for those caught palying bocce in 1576.
• There is a cocktail named after the game. A bocce ball is made with orange juice, amaretto and club soda.
• Bocce is one of the newer sports of Special Olympics. It was introduced at the World Gamers in 1995. As of 2005, more than 90,000 Special Olympics athletes have competed in bocce annually.
• The small ball used in bocce is called a pallino, one ball, jack, cue or beebee. It varies in size, from 53 mm to 63 mm, but is usually white.
• The larger balls are actually called bocce balls. They are made of composition, wood or metal. The typical size ranges from 107 mm to 113.
• The object of the game is for one team to get as many of their bocce balls close to the pallina than the opposing team’s closest ball.