History of Bocce Ball

Bocce ball is played with one small ball and eight big balls. Players throw the small ball first, and it becomes the target. Then, the larger balls are thrown, with players trying to get their balls as close to the smaller ball as possible. The history of bocce ball has roots in ancient times.

  1. Ancient Beginnings

    • The ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks played forms of bocce ball.

    Roman Influence

    • The rules of bocce ball as they exist today were shaped by the Romans. They are responsible for its name, which is derived for the Latin word bottia, meaning boss. Under the rule of Emperor Augustus, it became the game of statesman and rulers.

    European Growth

    • The game of bocce ball spread throughout Europe and was played by both nobles and peasants. The game was eventually banned because authorities thought it was a matter of national security---it took time away from military exercises, such as archery.

    Great Britain

    • Although bocce ball was banned in the majority of Europe by the late 1500s, the game grew in Great Britain. Nobles such as Queen Elizabeth I were fans of the game and even constructed their schedules around it.

    United States

    • In the 1700s, the first remnants of bocce ball appeared in the United States. One of the first bocce ball fields was at Bowling Green in Manhattan, and George Washington had a court at his Mount Vernon home.

    Italian Immigrants

    • At the turn of the 20th century, Italian immigrants help the game spread in the United States. In 1947, the first Italian League was created and the game flourished in every city were large number of Italians lived.