Rules & Information

These are the United States Bocce Federation (USBF) Open Rules, adapted for the Chagrin Valley Bocce League.

Equipment and Court Access

Balls for Bentleyville are stored at the Bentleyville court in a storage box. Balls for Chagrin Falls are stored at the Chagrin Falls court inside the white deck box. The key to the lock is in the lock box attached to the back of the scoreboard — the lock box is not locked, you just yank it open. Please return the balls when you are done. You have now been initiated into the secret knowledge of all bocce league members.

Court Locations

The Chagrin Falls court is in River Run Park at 250 Solon Road, just past the Chagrin Falls Service Garage. The Bentleyville court is in Bentleyville Community Park, also off Solon Road near the junction of Solon Road and Liberty Road. Both locations have parking and porta potties.

How to Start the Game

Begin with a coin toss, or any method the two teams agree on. The winner of the toss chooses the end from which play starts, picks the ball color they would like, and controls the small white ball called the pallino.

The toss winner throws the pallino first. The pallino toss must cross the center line but not touch the back wall on the opposite end. If the player fails to place the pallino in a valid area, the opposing team gets a chance to throw it. If both fail, the pallino returns to the original team for another attempt.

The team that originally tossed the pallino plays the first ball regardless of any invalid tosses — they only lose the ability to place the pallino where they want, not the right to throw first.

Rules of Play

The first ball may be rolled by any member of the team that placed the pallino. Should the rolled ball hit the backboard without touching the pallino, it is a dead ball and is removed from the court; the same team throws again until a valid first ball is established. Once the first ball is in place, the opposing team throws or rolls in turn until they place one of their balls closer to the pallino. Players may use the sideboards at any time. Ball distance from the pallino may be measured at any time, and representatives of both teams must agree on the measurement — or the round is replayed.

The Backboard

If a ball hits the backboard without first touching another ball or the pallino, it is a dead ball and is removed from the court. If a ball is thrown, hits the backboard illegally, and then strikes a stationary ball, the thrown ball is removed and the stationary balls are returned to their approximate original positions. The pallino is always a valid target and stays in play even if it strikes the back wall after being struck by a valid ball.

Pallino Stays In Court

New for 2026: If a team hits the pallino with such force that it knocks it off the course, that round of play (frame) is forfeited and no points awarded. Should the team that hit the pallino out of play had the placement advantage, they lose this right and the other team gets to place the pallino when the next frame is played.

Scoring

Teams play two games in each time slot. The team with the closest ball to the pallino counts how many of its balls are closer than the other team's closest ball — that is the score for the frame. Regular games are played to 11 points; playoff games are played to 16. If a match ends one game to one, a single round of balls is played as sudden death, and the winner of that round takes the match. Enter your scores in the booklet in the plastic bin. For the league standings, only match wins and losses are recorded.

Game Times

There are two time slots for matches: 6:15 to 7:30 and 7:30 to 8:45. If you cannot finish your match within the slot, the second game is scored with the current leader taking the game — so plan accordingly. If both teams want to finish a game past the slot and agree to do so, they are welcome to. No team should feel obligated to stay late.

Late Arrivals, Forfeits, and Rescheduling

A team not present within 15 minutes of the scheduled start forfeits the game. A team must have at least two players present to start.

In the event of rain or a conflict, call or email the opposing team before 5 PM the afternoon of the game. You may reschedule to any open date before playoffs begin — Mondays and Fridays are generally open. Send your new date and time to chagrinvalleybocce@gmail.com so it can be added to the calendar. If you choose not to replay and the other team wants to, you forfeit. If both teams opt not to replay, the game is dropped from scoring — but remember, it's summer and it's only bocce. Enjoy yourselves.

Playoffs and the End-of-Season Picnic

The 2026 playoff final and end-of-season picnic date is TBD — check back here for details. The final match is a best-of-three (no sudden death), with each game played to 16.