Buying boules

This page contains basic information about boules, information about what to buy and where to buy it, and recommendations for new and beginning players.
[Updated 2024-02-10]

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Information about ►types of boules ►sets of boules
►ONLINE VENDORS (where to buy boules)
Our recommendations for —
►boules for new or beginning players
►your first set of competition boules
►gifts for the petanque player in your life

RELATED POSTS
►How to select competition boules (size, weight, etc.)
►Make a throwing circle ►Make your own jacks ►Buy a tape measure
►Buying boules for groups
►Boules for indoor play
►Leisure boules vs. competition boules— what’s the difference?
►These boules — are they competition boules?

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Types of boules ▲

Most discussions will tell you that there are two basic categories of boules — leisure and competition. But the situation is a little more interesting than that.

1. Leisure boules are inexpensive boules meant for occasional or casual play. They may be called leisure (French: loisir), recreational, weekend, generic, or DOG boules. (DOG boules were one of Obut’s earliest models of leisure boules.) They are available in only one weight and size and with a bright chrome finish. They are made of thinner steel than competition boules, and are usually filled with sand or dirt to bring them up to the proper weight. Most inexpensive leisure boules are made in China. As of 2017, a set of three Chinese-made leisure boules will typically cost around $30 plus shipping. The French company OBUT makes leisure boules of a higher quality and and a bigger price tag (three or four times that of Chinese leisure boules). Chinese leisure boules tend to run in the range of about 73mm in diameter, with a weight around 720g. The current (as of 2017) line of OBUT stainless-steel (inox) leisure boules are about 73mm in diameter and weight around 650g.
2. Competition boules are boules designed for serious competition play. More precisely, they are boules that have been certified (homologuées) by the International Petanque Federation (FIPJP) for use in FIPJP-sanctioned tournaments. Competition boules must meet FIPJP standards, and are always hollow (i.e. never filled with anything). They are available in a variety of sizes, weights, hardnesses, and striation patterns. Competition boules are between 70.5-80 mm in diameter, and 650-800 grams in weight.Competition boules are made of thicker and stronger steel than leisure boules, and they are more carefully machined so they will be more consistent in size, weight, and balance. They are also significantly more expensive than leisure boules. That’s why, when you’re starting out and learning the game, you should use a set of (cheaper, but still quite functional) leisure boules. Later, if you find yourself getting better and playing more often, you can upgrade to a set of competition boules. A set of three competition boules will, depending on what you purchase, cost from $100 up to two or three hundred dollars.For adults, the smallest legal size of competition boules is 70.5mm. For many years, JB Petanque sold 70.5mm boules under the label Compét. Junior. Obut retired the line when it acquired JB, and it now offers 70.5mm boules as just another size in the regular lineup of sizes for its Match IT model.For more information, see our page on leisure boules vs. competition boules.
3. Junior competition boules — When playing in junior tournaments, children age 11 and younger may use “junior” competition boules (65mm diameter, 600g weight). Obut’s line of Match Minimes is available from Petanque America. Note that these ARE competition boules, but not for adult players; only for kids 11 and under.
4. Junior leisure boules — Confusingly, Obut also makes a set of “junior leisure” boules (junior loisir or junior initiation or initiation enfant). These are leisure boules, in a smaller size suitable for children. Note that these are NOT competition boules for either adults or children.
5. Boules for indoor play — There are a variety of types of soft petanque boules for indoor play. They aren’t real boules, but they aren’t quite toys either. For more information, see our page on indoor petanque boules.
   
6. Mini boules are 35mm metal balls typically sold as “carpet boules” or mini bocce/ petanque boules. In France they are called jeu de boules d’intérieur. They look like real boules, but are about half the diameter. We keep a set so that the toddlers can play with boules that look like what the big people are using.
   
7. Boule-like toys — sets of plastic or wooden balls aren’t real boules. They can be fun for the kids, or for playing not-too-serious games at the beach. For more information, google “beach bocce ball”.

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Sets of boules ▲

Boules are available from various sellers in sets of two, three, four, six, or eight boules. You have to be careful about what you’re buying. You should buy boules only in sets of 3 or 6 boules. And even then, you have to watch out for the striations (stripes) on the balls — see the discussion of the Jacques of London leisure boules (below).

• In the past, sets of two boules in a leather carrying case were traditional for playing triples in the south of France. That’s why you frequently see old sets of this type on eBay. Do not buy such sets. To be able to play doubles you will need a set of three boules. That’s why today manufacturers sell competition boules only in sets of three.
  
• You may see sets described as “bocce/petanque” balls being sold in sets of eight. Such sets typically contain 4 sets of two boules each. Do not buy such sets. None of the standard forms of petanque can be played with that combination of boules.
  
• Be careful even with boules being sold in a set of six, such as the sets by Jacques of London, L.L. Bean, and Marcod. These sets don’t contain 2 sets of three boules each — they contain 3 sets of two boules each. Do not buy such sets.
  
• Never buy a set of boules that comes in a wooden or metal box. In the fantasy life of people who don’t really play petanque, the box conveys an aura of expense, quality, and elegance. (That’s what allows a vendor to jack up the price of a set of cheap leisure boules.) In real life, the box is useless. Save your money for a good set of competition boules.
  
• Proper petanque boules are sold only in sets of 3 or 6 boules — that is, as one or two sets of 3 boules each. The picture at the right is of a set of 6 petanque leisure boules available from the Petanque America online store. Such a set is enough to equip two people to play doubles or triples.

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Vendors (Where to buy boules) ▲

In the USA, to purchase boules you must use an online, web-based vendor.

• Petanque America is your best bet. It is the only USA-based vendor that sells new competition boules, including boules by Obut and La Franc. You can special order boules from other manufacturers, and also special order boules customized with your name. Petanque America also sells leisure boules and a variety of petanque equipment.
• You can buy boules on Amazon.com or even Walmart, but be alert about what you’re buying. These vendors sell only leisure boules, usually in sets containing pairs of boules. Kikkerland boules come in two sizes— “large” (73mm, which is what you want) and “small” (“mini” balls; NOT what you want).
• You can buy boules on eBay. It IS possible to find a set of nice, used competition boules on eBay, but again: be alert about what you’re buying. The description of the boules may be wrong— in many cases the sellers themselves don’t know exactly what they have. Avoid sets of two boules, or sets of three boules where the groove patterns aren’t all the same. Pay attention to the seller location— foreign sellers do list items on eBay America, but shipping costs from France or the UK can be ruinous.
• In Canada, Marcod is no longer in business, but Obut boules can be ordered from Canada Billiard.
• It is possible to go online and order boules from French manufacturers and vendors, but shipping costs from France are extremely high. For special requests, you will probably pay less if you contact Petanque America and special-order what you want through them.
• It can be fun to look at old boules on eBay France. But remember, shipping costs from France are very high.
• If you’re in the mood to look for old boules, it can also be fun to look for boules on etsy.

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Our recommendations for boules for new or beginning petanque players ▲

Do NOT go shopping for boules on amazon.com.

You shouldn’t spend a lot of money on boules before you’ve had time to really get a feel for the game. So start out with inexpensive boules.

If you’re buying boules for one or two people, we recommend that you go to the Petanque America website and purchase a set of three boules, either single-groove wide, or single-groove narrow. Naturally you want different groove patterns for different players. You can color the grooves with paint, fingernail polish, or magic market to help identify your own set.

If you’re buying boules for four people, one option is also to buy a set of six leisure boules. Petanque America’s 6-boule set contains two 3-boule sets, one set of “smooth” boules (boules lisses) and one set of double-grooved boules. The downside of smooth boules is that if you color them, the color (since it is on the exposed surface of the boule and not protected in the grooves) tends to wear off quickly. And it can leave you with color on your hands.

When you order your boules, think about adding a couple of Obut jacks to your order. Your set of boules will include a jack, but the Obut jacks are noticeably better, and there is no extra shipping charge if you add a few to your order. Pick the color that you think will be most visible; we recommend orange or yellow.

Our recommendations for your first set of competition boules ▲

There are a number of reasons why more advanced players purchase competition boules. (A) Competition boules offer greater consistency of balance, weight and size within a set than leisure boules do. (B) You have a larger selection of choices of size, weight, groove patterns, materials, anti-rebound technology, etc. (C) You want to play in an FPUSA- or FIPJP-sanctioned competition. (D) You plan to play in Europe, where players and clubs tend to be a bit more judgmental about these things than we are in the USA. We can’t give exact prices because all of these boules are imported, and their prices may fluctuate with currency exchange rates.

For your first set of competition boules, we recommend—

• La Franc SM boules from Petanque America, because of their excellent quality and relatively low cost. La Franc SM boules are medium-soft boules, while the SB line is softer and slightly more expensive. You have a good set of options when selecting material (stainless steel or carbon steel), hardness, size, weight, and striation pattern.
   
• Obut “Match” boules from Petanque America are the least expensive boules from Obut, the French company that is the world’s largest and best-known manufacturer of competition boules. High quality is certain, and if you plan to play in France, playing with boules “made in France” is a good idea. Other Obut models tend to be significantly more expensive, and for that reason we don’t recommend them for beginning players. In Canada, they’re available from Canada Billiard.
   
• Geologic ALPHA boules from Decathlon are excellent and the least-expensive competitions boules available. Unfortunately, Geologic has closed its stores in the USA, so they are no longer available here. They may be available via Decathlon Canada.

Here are a few things to consider when selecting competition boules.

• Both carbon steel and stainless steel (inox) make fine boules. If you live in a hot, humid climate, or if you put your boules into long-term storage, you will need to take steps to protect carbon steel boules from rust, but rust is not normally a day-to-day issue even with carbon steel boules.
• Many stainless steel boules (unlike carbon steel boules) cannot be picked up with a magnetic boule lifter.
• We recommend a weight of 680g if it is available. 690g and 700g boules work well too.
• A diameter of 73mm is a good choice for the average-size male American player. If you have unusually large hands, you might consider a larger boule of 74mm or even 75mm. For players with smaller hands we recommend a diameter of 72mm, 71mm or 70.5mm. (70.5mm is the smallest size allowed for adult competition boules.)
• Striation patterns are a matter of taste.

For considerations when selecting competition boules, see our post on How to select competition boules (size, weight, etc.)

Gifts for the petanque player in your life ▲

A set of new competition boules always makes a nice gift, especially for someone who loves playing and would like to upgrade from leisure boules to a set of competition boules. The trick is that you need to ask him/her in advance what size and weight he/she wants, and if he/she has a preference for smooth or grooved boules, or a prefence for a particular model of boules. In short, you pretty much need to plan the gift with the intended recipient. If you’d like to gift something nice without breaking the bank, a set of La Franc SM or SB boules from Petanque America would be a good choice. And you can’t go wrong with Obut MATCH boules, which are quite popular and fairly reasonable (for Obut).

A good gift for a player who already has competition boules is a fiberglass umpire’s folding ruler. This kind of ruler is by far the best way to make measurements in petanque, but most players do not have one. To put icing on the cake, throw in a couple of new, orange Obut jacks. You can see some pictures HERE.

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