Boules
Boules (French pronunciation: [bul]) is a collective name for a wide range of games in which the objective is to throw or roll heavy balls (called boules in France, and bocce in Italy) as close as possible to a small target ball.
Boules-type games are traditional and popular in France, Italy, Malta and Croatia, and are also popular in some former French colonies. In those countries, boules games are often played in open spaces (town squares and parks) in villages and towns. Dedicated playing areas for boules-type games are typically large, level, rectangular courts made of flattened earth, gravel, or crushed stone, enclosed in wooden rails or back boards.
In the south of France, the word boules is also often used as a synonym for pétanque.
Types
Boules games may be sub-divided into two categories based on typical throwing technique:
games where the balls are rolled (for example, bocce)
games where the balls are thrown (for example, pétanque, bocce volo)
Boules games may also be subdivided into two other categories based on typical throwing technique:
