Boules Lyonnaise
Officially Sport-Boules (Boule Lyonnaise)
The French classical form of boules — heavier metal balls (~1kg), played on a strict 27m × 4m lane with 3-step run-up (rafle), 15m throwing distances; contested at CBI World Championships since 1946 and FIB-run circuits across France + Italy + Balkans.
What is Boules Lyonnaise?
Boules Lyonnaise (Sport-Boules), also called Boule Lyonnaise, is the classical French form of boules — a bowling-target sport where players throw metal balls (~900-1200g each) toward a small target ball (cochonnet / jack), aiming closest wins. Unlike its cousin pétanque (played casually anywhere), Boules Lyonnaise is played on a strict 27m long × 4m wide lane with formal rules: pointing throws must land in a marked 12-15m zone; shooting throws (raffle) require a 3-step running approach before release; balls are much heavier (~1 kg vs pétanque's 700g); throws are 15+ m distances (vs. pétanque's typical 6-10m). Codified in Lyon in the mid-19th century, Boules Lyonnaise is contested at the CBI (Confédération Mondiale des Sports de Boules) World Championships since 1946, is a World Games regular (since 1985), and has strong scenes in France (especially Rhône-Alpes region), Italy (called Bocce Volo), Balkans (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia), and Switzerland. FIB (Fédération Internationale de Boules) governs the discipline.
Quick facts
Category
Precision Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1–4
Duration
~90 min
Where played
outdoor
Field / court
Boules Lyonnaise lane (27m × 4m rectangular strip)
Country of origin
🇫🇷 France
Estimated origin
Mid-19th century Lyon; CBI (world confederation) founded 1946; FIB governance ongoing; World Games 1985+
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Score points by placing your team's balls closer to the cochonnet (jack) than the closest opposing ball at end of each round (mène).
Match structure
Match to 13 or 15 pts. Each round (mène): both teams throw all their balls; team with balls closest to cochonnet scores 1 pt per ball closer than opponent's closest.
Rules
Basic rules
Cochonnet placement
First-round starter throws cochonnet 12-20m from throwing zone.
Pointing throw
Balls thrown to stop close to cochonnet; must land in marked 12.5m zone (unlike shooting).
Shooting throw (raffle)
Balls thrown with 3-step running approach before release; aims to knock opposing ball away from cochonnet.
Score by closest ball at end of round
Team with ball closest to cochonnet scores 1 pt per ball closer than opponent's closest.
Player throw order
Team behind in the mène throws next; strategic order rotation.
Advanced rules
Rafle (running shoot)
3-step running approach required for shooting throws; ball released after step 3; huge power + distance advantage.
Balls must not exit lane
Balls leaving lane boundaries = no score.
Pointing zone landing rule
Pointing throws must land within marked 12.5m zone; landing outside = no score.
Cochonnet knock-out
If cochonnet is knocked out of lane by shot, round is replayed with cochonnet respotted.
Scoring
1 pt per ball closer to cochonnet than opponent's closest, per round. Race to 13 or 15.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Ball closer than opponent's closest | 1 |
| Multiple balls closer than opponent's closest | 1 per closer ball (max = balls per player × team size) |
Win condition · First team to reach target score (13 singles, 15 doubles/triples) wins.
Playing area
Called
Boules Lyonnaise lane (27m × 4m rectangular strip)
Dimensions
27m long × 4m wide (standard); marked throwing + landing zones
Rectangular clay/sand lane; approach line at one end; 12.5m mid-zone for pointing landings; free zone rest of lane for shooting.
Equipment
Boules Lyonnaise balls
Metal balls 900-1200g (much heavier than pétanque); 90-110mm diameter; unique to the sport.
Cochonnet (jack)
Small target ball ~30-35mm; thrown to establish target position at start of each round.
Marker chalk / string
Referees use string + chalk to measure ball distances from cochonnet.
Soft-soled shoes
Non-marking court shoes for grip on clay lane.
Positions & roles
Pointer (pointeur)
×1Specialist in placing balls near cochonnet.
Shooter (tireur)
×1Specialist in shooting throws (raffle) to knock opposition away.
Middle (milieu, triples+)
×1Flexible role in triples/quadruples formats.
Officiating
3-4 officials at FIB events; casual play self-refereed.
- Referee (1)
- Line judges (2)
- Scorekeeper
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Ball outside lane
No score — ball invalid.
Pointing throw outside marked zone
No score.
False start on shooting
Throw invalidated.
Cochonnet knocked out
Round replayed.
Strategies
Pointing first, shooting when needed
Standard opening: place balls near cochonnet with pointing throws; use shooting when opponent has taken close position.
Master rafle for shooting
3-step running rafle is high-difficulty precision skill; separates elite from amateur.
Cochonnet placement matters
Throwing cochonnet to favorable position (own team's comfort distance) is often 1st-round advantage.
Team role specialization
Doubles/triples teams typically have 1 pointer specialist + 1-2 shooter specialists.
Bank + carom on knock
Shot ball can carom into other balls after knocking primary target — plan for secondary damage.
Terminology
- Cochonnet / Jack
- Small target ball; establishing round's aiming point.
- Pointeur
- Pointing throw specialist (French).
- Tireur
- Shooting throw (rafle) specialist (French).
- Rafle
- 3-step running shooting throw.
- Mène
- Round / end of throws by both teams.
- Piquet
- Ball landing perfectly on cochonnet.
Major competitions
FIB World Championship Boules Lyonnaise
quadrennial · worldwide (rotating hosts) · since 1946
World Games (Sport-Boules)
quadrennial · worldwide · since 1985
European Championship
biennial · Europe · since 1970
French National Championship (FFSB)
annual · France · since 1933
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Fédération Internationale de Boules (FIB)
Founded 1946 · Turin, Italy
Official site ↗Confédération Mondiale des Sports de Boules (CMSB)
Founded 1985 · France
Fédération Française du Sport-Boules (FFSB)
Founded 1933 · Lyon, France
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Philippe Suchaud (France — multiple World Champion + FFSB legend)
- Christian Fazzino (France — pointer specialist)
- Diego Rizzi (Italy — Italian national champion multi-year)
- Various Slovenian + Croatian national team members
Records
Most FIB World Championships (France)
France — Dominant nation since 1946; multiple team + individual titles across categories (2023)
Longest lane sport
Boules Lyonnaise — 27m lane length + 15m+ throwing distance are longest in any boules-family sport (2020)
World Games appearances
Sport-Boules — Contested at every World Games since Los Angeles 1985 (11+ editions) (2025)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Join French or Italian sport-boules club
Lyon, Marseille, Turin, Genoa, Nice have historic clubs; annual membership €50-100.
- 2
Practice pointing throws first
Master consistent pointing before attempting rafle shooting technique.
- 3
Learn rafle 3-step approach
Requires coach guidance + video review; foundation of competitive play.
advanced
- 1
Compete in French + Italian regional championships
FFSB regional pyramid feeds into national + international competition.
- 2
European Championship qualifier
Via national federation.
- 3
FIB World Championship + World Games
Quadrennial peak events; France + Italy dominant.
Frequently asked
How is Boules Lyonnaise different from pétanque?+
Boules Lyonnaise uses heavier metal balls (~1 kg vs. pétanque's ~700g), a much longer lane (27m × 4m vs. pétanque's flexible ~15m surface), requires marked landing zones for pointing throws, and uses a 3-step running rafle for shooting (pétanque players throw stationary). Boules Lyonnaise is the classical Lyon-region formal sport; pétanque is the casual Provence-region version played anywhere. Both share French roots but are distinct disciplines with separate world championships.
Is Boules Lyonnaise Olympic?+
No — but Sport-Boules is a permanent World Games sport (since Los Angeles 1985). All boules disciplines (pétanque, boules Lyonnaise, raffa, volo) have been proposed for Olympic inclusion multiple times without success.
Where can I play Boules Lyonnaise outside France?+
Italy (called Bocce Volo — same game with Italian rules variations), Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Switzerland, Monaco, Argentina, and North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia — French colonial legacy) all have dedicated Boules Lyonnaise scenes. Northeast Italy + Rhône-Alpes France are the strongest regions.
Sources & provenance
- FIB— Fédération Internationale de Boules
- Wikipedia — Boule lyonnaise— Wikipedia