The Sport of Kings!

So far this summer, we have spent many hours playing Bocci (or Bocce as it is more commonly known). Bocci is a precision sport that was developed in Italy from ancient games played in the Roman Empire. This summer was my first experience with Bocci (which was a shock to all our friends who served missions in Italy because they say they played all the time with the old Italian men in the streets...I guess I was busy doing other things...like sharing the gospel!) Anyway, Bocci is a fun game for people of all ages, shapes, and sizes, and can be played on any size lawn or park. You can play on teams or individually, having anywhere from 2 to 8 players. One team throws the pallino (or "jack" as it is known in some parts of the world), and the goal is to get your ball as close as possible to the pallino. Typically, you spend most of the game standing in a line while someone throws, as you can see Spencer, Dan, Spencer and Dave doing below.

Sometimes, the pallino is thrown into a difficult place. Does that mean you can move the pallino to an easier position? NO! You play it as it lies...even if that means it is on cement...or in a swimming pool...or under a tree. This game requires skill and intense concentration. The team who has the ball closest to the pallino gets a point, and if they have the two closest balls, they get two points.

Sometimes, the players can not agree on who has the closest or second closest ball. At this point, you can use a tape measure to find out. However, not many people carry tape measures around with them everywhere they go...so sometimes you have to get creative as to what you use to find out who is closest. Yep...that's a shoe. I wonder why they don't have this sport in the Olympics...Bocci could be the summer Curling!