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Pétanque glossary

Essential vocabulary for pétanque and jeu de boules — from the cochonnet to the carreau.

Boulodrome
A purpose-built pétanque court or facility. Can refer to a single court or an entire venue with multiple courts.
Cochonnet
The small target ball in pétanque, also called the bouchon or jack. Players aim to get their boules as close to it as possible.
Boule
The metal ball used in pétanque, typically between 70–80mm in diameter and 650–800g. Competition boules are made from steel.
Pointeur
A pétanque player specialised in placing (pointing) their boules close to the cochonnet, as opposed to knocking out opponents' boules.
Tireur
A player who specialises in knocking out opponents' boules from a distance with high accuracy and force.
Milieu
An all-round player who can both point and shoot, used flexibly in a team depending on the situation.
Mène
A single round of play in a pétanque game, ending when both teams have thrown all their boules. The team with the closest boule to the cochonnet wins the mène.
Terrain
The playing surface — typically gravel, sand, or hardpacked dirt. Can also refer to the overall playing area.
Doublette
A pétanque format with two players per team, each player throwing three boules.
Triplette
The most common competitive format: three players per team, each throwing two boules.
Tête de cochon
A shot played with extreme backspin, landing the boule precisely and not rolling away — literally "pig's head".
Bouchon
Another name for the cochonnet or jack. Common in some regions.
Circle
The small ring drawn in the ground from which players must throw. All players must keep both feet inside the circle and on the ground until the boule lands.
Carreau
A perfect shot where the tireur replaces the opponent's boule exactly with their own — derived from the French for "square".
Pétanque
From Provençal "pè tanco" meaning "feet together". A boules sport originating in La Ciotat, Provence, in 1907. Players stand with feet together rather than running up as in longue.
Jeu de boules
The general umbrella term for all French ball sports of the boules family, including pétanque, boule lyonnaise, and longue.