Rules

Pétanque is played by two, four or six people.[5] In the singles and doubles games each player has three boules; in triples they only have two. A coin is tossed to decide which side goes first. The starting team draws a circle on the ground which is 35-50 centimetres in diameter: all players must throw their boules from within this circle, with both feet remaining on the ground. The first player throws the jack 6-10 metres away; it must be at least one metre from the boundary.
[edit]Order of play
The player who threw the jack then throws their first boule. A player from the opposing team then makes a throw. Play continues with the team that is not closest to the jack having to continue throwing until they either land a boule closer to the jack than their opponents or run out of boules.
If the closest boules from each team are an equal distance from the jack, then the team that played last plays again. If the boules are still equidistant then the teams play alternately until the position changes. If the boules are still equidistant at the end of the game then no points are scored by either team.
The game continues with a player from the team that won the previous end drawing a new circle around where the jack finished and throwing the jack for a new end.
[edit]Scoring
Points are scored when both teams have no more boules. The winning team receives one point for each boule that it has nearer to the jack than the best-placed boule of the opposition.
The end is void if the jack is knocked out of play when both teams have boules left to play. It is also void if neither team has boules to play. If one team has boules and the other does not then the team with boules receives one point for each of the boules that they have to play.
The first team to reach 13 points wins.
[edit]Further rules
A boule hitting a boundary is dead and is removed from that end.
On a piste marked with strings a boule is dead if it completely crosses the string.
The circle can be moved back in the line of the previous end if there is not room to play a 10 metre end.
The boule can be thrown at any height or even rolled depending on the terrain.
Boules are thrown underarm, usually with the palm of the hand downwards which allows backspin to be put on the boule giving greater control.
Each team should have suitable measuring equipment. In most cases a tape measure is adequate but callipers or other measuring devices may be needed.