by Mike Jones
The game of Bocce, also known as Bocce Ball and Bocci Ball, is, as the name suggests, a ball sport, one that belongs to the "Boules" family, which means it is closely akin to the British game bowls and the French game petanque. Bocce has its roots in Italy. In fact, the term "bocce" is the plural of the Italian word "boccia," which means "bowl" in terms of sports.
The game of bocce is played throughout Italy and all of Europe. It is also played widely in areas where Italian migrants settled, including Australia, South America and North America, which includes the United States, where it is played sparingly yet fervently. The game is somewhat similar to American bowling and lawn bowling, although the rules and style of play are very dissimilar to these two sports.
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Our editors have scoured the Internet looking for the best bocce ball sets. Here are the top four sets for casual play - made for low-priced backyard play! We have even included a glow in the dark bocce ball set at the bottom of this page. Scroll down to see it!
In a tradition that brings echoes of ancient Egyptian boys or Roman soldiers playing with bocce balls, you can keep history alive and have fun doing it in style with the Ropoda bocce ball set. As the game moved across Europe to England, the American colonists brought it with them, and some people think that George Washington liked to play it. Maybe a predecessor of modern bowling, bocce appeals to almost everyone. The Ropoda bocce set gives you everything you need for a game, and you can take pride in providing it for your friends at outdoor parties and picnics.
Far from the handcrafted stones that the ancients used, the Ropoda set gives you eight balls in regulation size and the traditional colors of red, blue, yellow and green plus one white pallino or jack. It includes a measuring rope so that you can find which bocce ball comes closest to the jack at an outdoor party, wedding, cookout, family gathering or tailgate until time for the game. A branded, black canvas carrying case for balls completes the set. When you use the case, you continue a time-honored tradition of carrying the balls to the game. When you open and start laying out the brightly colored balls, you can sense the enthusiasm that makes the game very enjoyable.
The quality of material that Ropoda puts into each bocce ball makes it perfect for an exciting game. Each one has the same shape, size and weight to make sure that everyone has a good roll. Whenever the bocce balls come out of the bag, you know that a good time lies in store for everyone. Neither age nor skill level matters as everyone can catch on how to play it with ease. You need only two players, but eight can join in a game. Just as much fun as playing croquet, bocce lets you hold the ball to roll it instead of hitting it with a mallet. Both play well on lawns and use beautiful balls that make you want to get in the game. The Ripoda company guarantees you a 100 percent satisfaction with your best bocce ball sets.
Heavier than you may expect, the weight of a 90mm bocce ball may have challenged the Roman soldiers who enjoyed playing with them centuries ago. Theirs probably did not have the glossy finish of the brilliant balls in the GoSports set, but you can bring a trace of history into playtime for your children. With a small, white pallino ball and a handsome white canvas carrying bag, you get a measuring rope that you can use to confirm the closest distance to the pallino or jack wherever you go. As always, children need supervision whenever they can find small objects. For storage after a game, the bag makes sure that you have all the balls in one place for the next time you need them.
Active children can spend hours in a fun and healthy historical game that provides the exercise that they need. Each kit contains two each of red, green, yellow and blue balls, and up to eight players can have fun at the same time. You need only two people to start a game. For quality, you cannot beat the GoSports backyard bocce set, and you can see the superior performance in the high shine that makes the balls very pretty. The American company provides U.S. customer support and stands behind its product with a 100 percent satisfaction pledge. The age of your players determines which set you need, and you can choose a kit with soft rubber balls or one made with a hard resin. The weight of the balls makes them roll easily on grass or harder surfaces.
Both the soft rubber and the hard resin best bocce ball sets have the same size specifications. Children can play with the rubber balls on any surface, but the resin set gives players age 12 and above an authentic experience in playing the game. On a bocce court or on grass or sand where you lay out its dimensions, the resin balls work beautifully. As you introduce your children or your friends and family to the game of bocce, it gives everyone a chance to imagine how people played it thousands of years ago. An enjoyable game for children, adults and seniors, it provides diverting entertainment that lets everyone relax and enjoy an ancient game.
For a trip into yesterday but with the advantage of modern technology, a bocce game can take you there. The GoSports 100mm regulation set gives you the authentic equipment to play the game as others have played it for thousands of years. In your imagination, you can see Roman soldiers around a campfire in the evening rolling the smooth stones that they used for balls in a friendly competition. After a long day of marching, they needed a rest from their toils just as you do after a day in the office. For an evening of relaxation in the outdoors, at a party, a tailgate or a family gathering, you can enjoy a game that seems a little like bowling.
you to advance a colorful ball that weighs a little more than 2 pounds while the other players do the same.The original game provided four red and four green balls with circle and square marks, and the GoSports kit honors the tradition. You can keep all the gear together for transport to a park or a beach with a premium carrying case that has a compartment for each ball. A shoulder strap lets you support the weight with comfort, and it allows a convenient way to take the balls with you somewhere or to your backyard. The high gloss on the bocce balls and the regulation markings can spark anticipation by the players who look forward to the game. You can take pride in the beauty of the balls that have a lasting shine that you do not find on best bocce ball sets that use cheap, cloudy resin. An American company that stands behind its products, GoSports gives you a 100 percent guarantee of satisfaction.
Bocce enthusiasts appreciate the authenticity of the full-size premium sports equipment in the GoSports set. Up to four competitors can play at the same time. The high-quality poly-resin balls display a remarkably beautiful shine utterly free of defects. Whether your family has cousins who have played the game for many years or one that never played it before, this authentic set of bocce balls can provide enjoyable entertainment for everyone.
Not even the soldiers of the mighty Roman Empire had the classy and unique bocce balls that the Playaboule patented set provides. Emperor Augustus may have given his troops the finest equipment and supplies in the world, but only modern technology can make a bocce ball light up. The appeal of the patented product exclusive to Playaboule shows up in the sale of more than 500,000 balls. Your family and friends can have fun with bocce at any outdoor event until the sun goes down, but a lighted set lets you play after dark. You can provide relaxing and enjoyable entertainment for a trip to the beach of an overnight camp out, a family gathering, outdoor wedding or cookout.
With specifications that meet official standards, each 107mm ball has a 4.2-inch diameter and weighs 20 ounces to give it the heft and feel that you want when you aim at the jack or pallino. A push button switch lets you turn the lights on and off after you insert the batteries, and you can set it to flash as well. One set of batteries comes with the set along with a regulation 50mm jack that meets U.S. Bocce Federation requirements. A heavy-duty carrying case reflects the quality of the set that you can take pride in providing for group entertainment at home or away. Kits include the rules of the game that let everyone learn how to play in just a few minutes, and two measuring devices can help you confirm which ball comes the closest to the target.
The textured finish on the balls makes it easy to grip them in the evening air. Their waterproofing protects them from dampness on the grass but not from water in swimming pools, and the manufacturer does not claim that they can resist sand or grit. The brightly lit balls add a wonderful dimension to a game that can last from dusk to well into the night. The illuminated jack becomes an easy target for a winner who can get closer to it than anyone else.
VSSAL Bocce Ball Set 90/100/107mm for Backyard Lawn Beach Outdoor Family Bocci Yard Game - Walmart Link
Play Platoon 84mm/90mm/100mm Bocce Ball Set with 8 Premium Bocce Balls, Pallino, Carry - Walmart Link
GoSports Backyard Bocce Sets with 8 Balls, Pallino, Case and Measuring Rope - Choose - Walmart Link
Japer Bees Bocce Ball Set Solid Resin 90/100/107mm Outdoor Lawn Games for Family with 8 - Walmart Link
ApudArmis Bocce Balls Set, Outdoor Family Bocce Game for Backyard/Lawn/Beach - Set of 8 - Walmart Link
Ropoda bocce ball set - Walmart Link
GoSports 100mm regulation set - Walmart Link
VSSAL Bocce Ball Set 90/100/107mm for Backyard Lawn Beach Outdoor Family Bocci Yard Game - eBay Link
Play Platoon 84mm/90mm/100mm Bocce Ball Set with 8 Premium Bocce Balls, Pallino, Carry - eBay Link
GoSports Backyard Bocce Sets with 8 Balls, Pallino, Case and Measuring Rope - Choose - eBay Link
Japer Bees Bocce Ball Set Solid Resin 90/100/107mm Outdoor Lawn Games for Family with 8 - eBay Link
ApudArmis Bocce Balls Set, Outdoor Family Bocce Game for Backyard/Lawn/Beach - Set of 8 - eBay Link
Ropoda bocce ball set - eBay Link
GoSports 100mm regulation set - eBay Link
About Mike Jones
As a child of the 80's, my fondest gaming memories are playing Pitfall, Frogger, Kaboom! and Chopper Command on our old Atari 8600. These days I've been rocking the Nintendo Classic and learning some new card and board games with the family."
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