Lazy late afternoon, a picnic blanket spread out with a basket full of fruit, fresh lemonade, wine, or a lit cigar. Relaxed atmosphere, conversations, laughter, fun for men, women, and children. And the sound of balls hitting the ground. A scene straight out of a French movie, but now a reality in Slovakia. Petanque is becoming an increasingly popular sport and hobby.
There is no such thing as bad weather in petanque, only a poorly dressed petanque player.
The French board game, whose name loosely translates to feet on the ground or feet together, is played in all weathers, on any surface, without age or gender restrictions. Adults and children alike will have fun playing it, even if a beginner is playing with an experienced player. All you need are petanque balls and a desire to play.
The rules of the game are simple. A circle is drawn on the ground from which a small wooden ball, called a cochon or piglet, is thrown at a distance of at least six and at most ten meters. The basic principle of the game is to throw the ball as close as possible to the piglet. The team that has thrown the ball worse, i.e. farther from the cochon, throws until it surpasses its opponent.
The whole game is about thinking, strategy and a bit of physics. Beginner's luck works here too, but skill and experience come with practice. Two players can play against each other, in teams of two on two or three on three.
Petang is a gentleman's game. Before each game begins, players shake hands and wish each other "good game." Teams also clap after each throw. And thanks to gentlemanly agreements, a referee is rarely needed in the event of a dispute.
The game ends when one team reaches 13 points, which can take 10 minutes or two hours. It is important to understand the strategy, concentrate, and the game can easily become a mental health game. A basic set of balls of reasonable quality can be purchased in sports stores for 10 to 20 euros. If you decide to play the game more professionally, you can have your balls custom-made. Here, prices range from 60 euros and up.
The basic dress code for petanque is sturdy footwear, as the circle is often drawn on the ground with the foot. As with any casual and physically undemanding sport, elegance is appropriate for petanque – a shirt, short or long leisure pants, a hat, and a handkerchief in your hand or hanging from your belt.
Since the balls are collected from the ground after each throw and are no longer the cleanest, the player wipes them with a cloth before each throw. Thanks to this, the ball is clean, free of stones and clay, and holds firmly in the hand and does not slip.
Petang is a social event, a cultural experience, relaxation, meditation... It was played by Jean Paul Belmondo, Edith Piaf, and it is played by personalities of social and cultural life in Slovakia, so you can play it too.
The article was created in cooperation with the PRASK petanque club in Bratislava. We would like to thank Dušan Lančarič, the club's chairman, and Juraj Hrček, an actor at the Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra, who also works at the club, for the interview.
