Bocce Courts

• Design
• Construction
• Renovation
• Governing & Sanctioning Bodies

Bocce Courts Design

Survey and Layout
The length and width of a bocce court can vary from 8 to 14 feet wide and 60 to 90 feet long. Ten by sixty feet is a good size for a backyard court. For tournament play, courts are larger; 12 feet wide by 76 feet long, or even 13 feet wide by 90 feet long. Figure 19.1 shows a typical layout of a bocce court.
 
At each end of the court, foul lines are marked on the sideboards, and players are required to remain behind these lines while shooting.
 
A bocce court is meant to be flat and level to provide for straight, true roll of the ball. When laying out a court, it's important to make sure the area around the court drains properly, so the court will not take on water. As with any sports surface, a bocce court should be an isolated drainage unit, designed to drain away only the water that falls directly on it.
 
Figure 19.1. Bocce court dimensions.
 
Once the location has been chosen for the facility, lay out the court and survey the grade. Take elevations at each corner of the court and midway down the sides. Survey enough land around the court to determine whether swales or catch basins are necessary to keep water away from the court.
 
19.2b Design Criteria for New Construction
 
In designing a bocce court, it's important to consider how to move water off the surface. Since the surface is level, and is made of stone dust or clay, water movement (percolation) through the profile is very slow--essentially nonexistent. To make matters worse, the court is surrounded with wooden boards which can trap water on the surface. All of these factors make it more of a challenge to get water off the surface after a heavy rain. Unlike most other sports playing areas, which are either grass or hard surfaces contoured to promote drainage, a bocce court is hard and level.
 
In addition to the matter of drainage, the designer must consider the "backstop" at each end of the court. In bocce, some rule books state that any ball hitting the backstop is to be taken out of play. If that ball strikes another ball after it bounces off the backstop, the ball that is struck is replaced in its original position and the ball that bounced off the backstop is taken out of play. Consider using a backstop hinged at the top to deaden the roll of the ball and prevent disturbing balls still in play. However, if rules followed by local custom allow bank shots, the hinged backstop may be inappropriate, since it deadens the rebound of the ball.
 
19.2c Surfacing Materials
 
The most common surface material for a bocce court is stone dust. In choosing this type of material, make sure that most of the stone dust is predominantly fines. Too much gravel will prevent the surface from firming up (probably the most common reason for the failure of a bocce court), and lead to a bumpy playing surface. The type of clay used on baseball skinned areas can also be used to construct a smooth, firm surface, and represents an acceptable alternative where stone dust is unavailable. If the surface is firm, the ball rolls freely, but if the surface is too loose or contains too much coarse material, friction will slow the ball to an unacceptable degree. A loose surface will also cause the ball to roll erratically, because it's hard to keep a loose surface level and smooth. Every contact wit the surface causes a depression: footprints, ball marks, even marks from grooming the surface. Grooming a loose surface becomes a never-ending challenge.
 
19.2d Installed Drain System
 
Some provision must be made for drainage, since the court will be level with wood boards around it. Subsurface drains below the court itself are a waste of money, since water percolates too slowly through the surface to allow them to work properly. An installed drain system surrounding the court may be the only effective type of subsurface drainage. This type of drain system should be installed just outside the perimeter of the court, as close as possible without disturbing the playing surface.
 
Where courts are installed below ground level, it's nearly always necessary to install perimeter drains to prevent the court from becoming a pond in rainy weather. Even where the court is constructed above ground level, the boards can serve as a dam to hold water, so some provision will be necessary to allow water to drain from the surface. One simple method is to drill holes in the boards four to six feet apart and just above the surface of the court, providing exit points for water that lands on the surface. When the court is below ground level, these holes allow the water to drain into the subsurface perimeter drains. If the court is constructed above ground level, no installed drain system is necessary; these holes allow water to drain away from the court, typically providing sufficient drainage to keep the court playable. To work effectively, these holes should be ½" to ¾" in diameter. (For more on drainage, see Chapter 8.)