| Term |
Definition |
| Bank Shot |
Where the ball is played toward or off a wall or backboard to gain the advantage/point. |
| Bocce |
Can also be spelled bocci or boccie. As with some other sports, e.g. basketball, this a term of two meanings in that it can be the balls played with during the game or can mean the game itself. |
| Dead Ball |
A ball that has been ruled, by the official, as a disqualified ball due to some form of infringement or technicality. |
| Doubles |
A game played with teams of two players in opposing teams, sometimes called pairs or two-player team. |
| End |
Also called a frame or round. A period of the game when all of the players have completed their turn and the points are awarded by the official, before the next "end" is played. |
| End Boards |
The boards at the end of the court. Sometimes these are suspended from the back walls of the court, and on other occasions they may be a solid wall. Players can use these to gain the advantage/point. |
| Foul |
Relates to either a foot foul or a line foul, sometimes also called a foot line foul. The type and frequency of the foul will determine the penalty dealt to the player. This is usually called when a player oversteps the foul line or releases the ball after crossing the foul line. |
| Foul Line |
The lines on a court that the player must stay behind before the ball is released, when playing either type of delivery (pointing or hitting shot). The hitting/pointing line is 10 feet from the end board. |
| Fours |
A game played between a team of four players against another team of four players, sometimes called Teams or a four-player team. |
| Hitting |
Also called spocking, popping or shooting. It is a shot usually played to displace other balls around the target ball, rather than playing a slow gentle roll to gain the advantage/point. The ball is usually played with such force as to reach the far end of the court. A player playing this type of shot may release the ball from anywhere up to the 10-foot hitting/pointing line. |
| Initial Point |
The first ball rolled in an end toward the pallina to establish the initial point. If some form of foul is committed by this first ball played, the same team will roll the next ball to establish the initial point. |
| In |
Also called the "in team." This is used to describe the team that has the advantage or holds the point. The team closest to the pallina is deemed the "in team" and will now wait its turn until the opposition gets closer, whereupon the opposition becomes the "in team." |
| Live Ball |
Can also be termed "good." The phrase is used to explain to the players that the ball just rolled is a legitimate and legal ball and that the rest of the end can continue to be played. Consequently, if a foul is committed the ball is termed out or a dead ball. |
| Out |
Also called the "out team." As an opposite to "In" described above, this term is used to describe who does not hold the advantage or point at the present position in the end. This team will continue to play until they get closer and subsequently become the "in team," or until they run out of balls to roll up. |
| Pairs |
A game played between two players playing against another two players, sometimes called doubles or a two-player team. |
| Pallina Advantage |
The team that holds the pallina advantage is the team that rolls the pallina down the court to start the end or game. After rolling the pallina, they then roll the first ball down to establish the initial point. The term "advantage" is given as this team can determine by the distance the pallina is rolled along the court, i.e. short end or long. |
| Pointing |
Also called rolling or lagging. Unlike the hitting shot, this shot is played to get the ball close to the target ball, rather than trying to scatter the balls to displace other balls. This is a shot that is usually played with a soft smooth release and with finesse and a gentle motion. It is usually from a standing position rather than a running/moving one. Players must release the ball before crossing the hitting/pointing line. |
| Rule of advantage |
The option given to a team when the opposition has committed a foul. The team can then choose what their options are, given the current positions of the balls and the state of the game. |
| Sideboards |
The boards that surround and enclose a court, usually at least 6-12 inches high in the middle, to stop the balls from leaving the court. The official height of the wall is three feet at the end boards and taller than the height of the bocce ball along the side walls. |
| Singles |
A game played between two players, one-on-one, sometimes called a one-player team. |
| Teams |
A game played between a team of four players against another team of four players, sometimes called Fours or a four-player team. |
| Unified |
Where a two-player or four-player team is made up of an equal number of Special Olympics athletes and Unified Partners on the same team. The same number of balls are played by each member of the team from the same end of the court. The ability of the Unified Partner should always be similar to that of the Special Olympics athlete he/she is to partner with. |
