A Burke County primer on Bocce Ball

If you’ve ever stood in your backyard, cold drink in hand, and wondered why your second cousin twice removed keeps throwing rocks at squirrels, you’re halfway to understanding Bocce Ball.

Bocce (pronounced BAH-chee) is one of the oldest games in human history. As early as 5000 B.C. the Egyptians played a form of bocce with polished rocks. Graphic representations of figures tossing a ball or polished stone have been recorded as early as 5200 B.C.

The Romans learned the game from the Greeks, then introduced it throughout the empire. The Roman influence in bocce is preserved in the game’s name; bocce derives from the Vulgate Latin bottia, meaning boss.

That takes care of the history lesson.

The point of bocce is disarmingly simple: Roll your big ball closer than the other team to the target, little ball at the other end of the court. The little ball is called the pallino. That’s it.

You start the round by tossing the pallino down the court, which is about 90 feet long. Then each team takes turns rolling their bocce balls, aiming to snuggle as close as possible to that little white target. Think of it as bowling made easy.

And don’t go flinging your ball like you’re trying out for the Braves. This is not baseball. Bocce is all about finesse: underhand, smooth, gentle rolls.

After all the balls are rolled, whichever team has a ball closest to the pallino scores. You get one point for every ball that’s closer than your opponent’s closest ball. Games are usually played to 12 points. That means the whole thing can stretch out like a Sunday front porch conversation — long, meandering, and full of unexpected twists.

And yes, you’re allowed to knock your opponent’s ball out of the way. In fact, it’s encouraged. Nothing spices up a genteel Italian pastime quite like a little passive-aggressive sabotage.

You don’t need a uniform. You don’t need a stadium. You don’t need to be able to run a mile without wheezing. All you need is a ball, a court, and a willingness to laugh at yourself when you roll your shot halfway to Hickory.

As casual as it sounds, bocce is a serious competitive sport. There are federations, rankings, strategy manuals, and trophies. Which is why Valdese — our Valdese — is suddenly hosting players from across the country.

In Valdese, the game has special roots. The town was founded by Italian immigrants, the Waldensians, who brought their love of bocce with them. There’s no better place for a bocce North Carolina State tournament.

So, if you see a crowd gathered in Valdese this weekend, don’t be confused when nobody’s wearing shoulder pads or dribbling a basketball. They’ll be playing bocce — rolling heavy balls toward a smaller ball, all while laughing, cheering, and maybe sipping something in a Solo cup.

And if someone asks you, “What in the hell is bocce ball?” you can now say, with confidence: It’s the Italian version of cornhole, but classier and with heavier equipment.

— AVN