An Introduction To The Sport of Boccia

Spelt B-O-C-C-I-A - but pronounced 'Botcha', it's organised worldwide by CP-ISRA. This is the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association, which was founded in 1978.

CP Sport, is a national charitable organisation based in Nottingham, whose aim is to provide sporting opportunities for those with cerebral palsy. Boccia was introduced into the UK in the early 1980s.

It's thought the game originated in Greece with competitors tossing large stones at a stone target. When it came to the UK, boccia was solely designed as a sport for those with severe cerebral palsy. It has now developed into a game played by many sections of the community - and from a purely recreational level up to the intensely competitive Paralympics. The rules of Boccia are determined by CP-ISRA and are reviewed every four years, usually just after the Paralympics.

For the elite competitors playing at international level, the Boccia world follows a four-year cycle. Each year sees a major international event, year 1 being the European Championships, followed by the World Championships, and then comes the World Cup and the final year of the cycle sees the Paralympics holding centre stage.

The aim of the game is to propel a set of coloured balls and position them closer to a white 'marker' ball than those of your opponent. This white ball is called the 'jack', hence the game is similar in context to Bowls, Petanque or even French Boules.

The game can be played either individually (one v one using 6 balls each), in pairs (two v two using 3 balls each) or as a team activity (three v three using 2 balls each).

Why is it particularly suitable for those with a Disability? It's a non-contact, target driven sport, which relies on skill and subtlety, rather than size, strength or speed. It is because of this that it is equally suited to those with or without disability. Another factor in the appeal of Boccia is that players can play a competitive game within minutes - without the need for specialised knowledge, skill or equipment. The balls have to be propelled by each competitor. This may include throwing, rolling or even kicking a ball into the playing area.

For those in particular groups or classifications, to which we will refer later, there is the option, if they are unable to throw or kick the ball, to use what is termed an 'assistive device'. Such devices are commonly known as 'ramps' or 'chutes'. For those unable to release a ball down a chute with their hand, there is also provision for them to use a 'head pointer'. This enables very severely disabled athletes to release a ball by using a movement of their head. No two players propel a ball in exactly the same way. There are various ways of delivering the ball including : Using an assistive device or chute, with an 'ordinary' throw, via an underarm throw, with an underarm throw with backspin, using a release from above head height, rolling the ball along the floor and using the foot to kick the ball into play. .

The game MUST be played from a seated position, which makes it ideal for either manual or motorised wheelchair users. Good quality balls are made from synthetic leather and filled with plastic granulate which makes them pliable and much easier to grip and control.

What equipment do you need?

Firstly, a set of 13 Boccia balls, 6 red, 6 blue and 1 white Jack ball. You also need an area in which to play, and for competitive Boccia, this area is similar in size to a badminton court, being 12.5 by 6 metres. The surface must be flat and smooth, and is usually wooden, tiled or blocked. However, it is not unknown for the game to be played on a carpeted surface! Usually, the game is played indoors but it can be played outside using a set of balls made specifically for this purpose.

One of the good things about this game is that the court size can be adapted to meet all circumstances, in that any area from a front room, church hall, canteen, gymnasium or leisure centre could be a suitable venue. Similarly, you don't need a set of goal posts, nets and a Wembley sized grass pitch to play football. No specialised 'kit' is required but it is advisable to have comfortable, loose fitting clothing.

The Court:

Here, we can see the diagram of the court layout The court is rectangular, and players are required to be in a seated position inside one of the 'boxes', which measures 2.5m deep by 1m wide. Competitors and their ramp assistants, if they use them, must stay within their own box at all times during the game. You should be aware that boxes are really only needed in competitions. Just in front of those boxes you can see a V shaped line, known as the 'Jack ball line' and for a Jack to be valid, it must cross this line and stay within the court area. If the Jack doesn't reach the V line, or it rolls outside the court area, it is passed to the opposition for them to deliver. Players may use either a 'short' Jack or a 'long' Jack depending upon their own personal preference and skill level. You can also see a cross marked on the court. This is used if the Jack ball is accidentally or even intentionally knocked outside of the playing area by a red or blue ball. If this happens, the referee will place the jack onto the cross and the game continues as normal. If during a game a red or blue ball lands outside the court, it is declared a 'dead ball' by the referee and put into a 'dead ball' tray or area.

Assistive Devices: These were mentioned earlier, and here you can see a couple of players using such equipment. Those who require these chutes are allowed to have an assistant with them, who must remain seated or kneeling inside the competitor's box at all times during the game. To ensure the game is played by the player- and not the assistant- all such assistants must face away from the playing area and are not allowed to check where any ball comes to rest. Assistants must remain passive apart from moving the chute through the horizontal plane between each shot. This means that the chute has to be repositioned before each ball is played. Instructions as to the precise position of the chute must come from the player, either verbally or by some visual signal. A final rule about chutes - they must fit into a 2.5m by 1m box.... so no 10 metre long chutes!

Classification:

We have already mentioned groupings or classifications to use the correct term. This is a complex issue which is applied across the whole range of Cerebral Palsy Sport including athletics, swimming, football, cycling and bowls.

There are 8 classification groups with Class 1 having the most severe impairments and Class 8 the least severe. Classes 1 to 4 are wheelchair users and Classes 5 to 8 are ambulant. Competitors at all CP Sport regional and national Boccia events in this country must fall into categories 1 or 2. There is also some provision for people with other impairments such as Muscular Dystrophy and Spina Bifida to play the game at this elite level. These competitors must display a similar level of impairment to that experienced by a Class 1 or 2 cerebral palsy competitor. The idea of classifying players is to be as fair and equitable as possible to all those involved.

In boccia, the classification 2 players are known as BC2's, and the classification 1 players are split into two groups. These groups are a) those able to propel a ball themselves and are known as the BC1's, and b) those who have to use an assistive device and are known as BC3's. In competitions, BC3 players are allowed a ramp assistant; BC1's may have the balls passed to them by an assistant, whilst BC2's are allowed no such aide apart from a container or other such device often attached to the wheelchair. The classification BC4 is for the throwing group of NON-Cerebral Origin or degenerative Cerebral Origin and may include competitors with such conditions as Multiple Sclerosis and Spina Bifida.

Skill Practices:

Before playing any game or sport, it is always beneficial to warm and stretch muscles and loosen joints and boccia is no exception. Wheelchair users can go through various stretching exercises, which will be helpful.

To be competitive and successful in sport requires a high skill level and many skill practices can involve the use of hoops, skittles and targets, but all are aimed at improving accuracy. Being a precision game, any other suitable items such as yoghurt pots, plates or even coins can be used as targets. Such skills demand accuracy, judgement of ball speed and spatial awareness, and can be adapted to suit all levels of ability. Teachers and coaches need to consider variations of distance, target areas or equipment to adapt these tasks to the specific needs of individual players. For example - 'is this too easy for the player?' or 'how can I make it more challenging?'

We hope these simple ideas will help you to devise your own skill practices.

The Role of the Referee:

The referee has sole responsibility for each game. This begins with introducing the players to each other, and deciding, by the toss of a coin, which player has the choice of coloured balls at the start of the game. Those choosing the red balls play the first jack of the match and thereafter players take it in turns to deliver the jack ball. The referee stands on the court facing the players, the person on the referee's extreme right hand side will always play the red ball. (Try to remember Red on the Right)

One of the referee's main tasks during the game is to indicate which player or team is to play next. The referee using a bat, or paddle, which should have 1 red and 1 blue side, usually does this. In a team game, the Reds will occupy boxes 1, 3 and 5 (show images from video along with this paragraph) with Blues taking the three vacant boxes. In a pairs match, Reds will take boxes 2 and 4 with Blues in 3 and 5. For an individual game, Red will take box 3 and Blue box 4.

If necessary, the referee will use a measure to establish the distance of any ball from the jack.

When the score is finalised, he/she will then indicate the score to both players using the appropriate coloured bat and the fingers of the hand.

Competitive matches comprise 4 Ends for singles and pairs matches, and 6 Ends for team events. As always, recreational matches can last as long as both players wish.

At the end of any game, the referee will ask both sides to shake hands and then sign the score sheet to confirm they accept the result.

One of the great attractions of this game is that it can be played men with or against women, young with or against old and those with a disability with or against those with no disability. This makes the game almost unique, and certainly a true Sport For All. Like most sports, boccia can help develop other personal life skills, such as co-operation, numeracy, communication, decision-making, tactical awareness and may also aid mobility.

Interest in sport in this country is very high, and I think it is fair to assume that as the Olympics and Paralympics are scheduled for London in 2012, that this interest will increase. We know the enormous benefits that sport generally offers to participants amongst many sectors of our communities and Boccia is no exception. The game is being played in the recreational, educational and healthcare sectors. Disability groups, schools (both mainstream and special), Primary Care Trusts, the YMCA, Age Concern and other similar organisations have all realised the benefits of the game.

CP Sport organises courses to promote the game and have a 30 minutes 'Introduction to Boccia' video available on video cassette/CD or DVD.

CP Sport also sells high quality Boccia ball sets, complete with carrying shoulder bag. Find out more on the Equipment For Sale page.

For further assistance or advice on the game of Boccia please contact CP Sport at the address below.