Bocce is one of those rare sports where the rules feel simple enough to pick up in five minutes, but the format you choose completely changes the experience. Whether you're running a competitive league night, setting up a scrimmage, or organizing a casual weekend with friends, the play format determines (1) how many people are on the court, (2) how many balls each player throws, and (3) whether anyone has to walk.

We built BocceLabs to support every major play format, and we want to break down exactly what each one looks like.

A play mode defines three things:

The combination of these three variables produces several distinct play modes. Each one has a different feel, pace, and strategic dynamic. In the diagrams below for each section, Home (H) is shown in blue and Away (A) is shown in red, the same way they appear in BocceLabs when you create a game.

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8 players · Walk · 1 ball per player · 8 balls total

All eight players stand together at one end. After all balls are thrown, everyone walks to the other end to score the frame and start the next one from there.

The walk format keeps everyone together and gives every player a close-up look at the frame. It's a bit slower but more communal.

This is the standard format for OBL (Ohio Bocce League).

6 players · Walk · 2 balls per player · 12 balls total

Six players (three players per team) with each player throwing two balls. All six players walk the court together after every frame. This is the only format that uses 12 balls instead of 8, which makes for denser, more tactical frames.

3v3 Walk hits a sweet spot: enough teammates for strategy, enough shots per person to stay engaged, and a compact group that keeps the energy high.

This format is known for being played at the annual tournament in Las Vegas.

8 players · Stationary · 2 balls per player · 8 balls total

Four players per team, one Home and one Away player, but with 2 stationed at each end. Each player throws two balls per frame.

This common format is how we play at SILVA and the format most American Bocce Co players are familiar with. And honestly, the communication is my favorite part; you're reading the court from the one end, calling out what you see to your teammates on the other end, adjusting strategy between every throw. 

4 players · Walk · 2 balls per player · 8 balls total

Same as 2v2 Stationary, but all four players start at one end and walk together. A great option for smaller groups, casual sessions, or venues where court-side seating makes stationary play impractical.

2 players · Walk · 4 balls per player · 8 balls total

Singles. Just you and your opponent, four balls each. Both players walk after every frame. There's nowhere to hide in 1v1. Every shot is yours, every miss is yours, every decision about when to point and when to hit is entirely on you. 

This is the purest test of individual bocce skill.

6 players · Stationary · 1v1: 4 balls per player · 2v2: 2 balls per player

A hybrid format where the same court accommodates both 1v1 and 2v2 stationary games during the same league session. In 1v1, one player at each end throws four balls. In 2v2, two players at each end throw two balls each.

This is the standard format for CBL (Chicago Bocce League).

16 players · Stationary · 1 ball per player · 8 balls total

This is the format known least and played rarely due to the high count of players on the court. Four Home players and four Away players split across both ends of the court (total of 16 players), with each person throwing one ball per frame.

It's very social and rewards communication between partners at opposite ends.

There's no single best format. It depends on what you're optimizing for:

Live now on BocceLabs.com, you’re able to select any of these formats from the Play Mode picker before starting a game. The app will automatically set ball counts, Home/Away assignments, and scoring based on your selection.

Take care, 
Jared