Celebrating Pétanque

Jul 31, 2022

Celebrating Pétanque

This Doodle’s Key Themes

Boules
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This interactive Doodle game celebrates Pétanque, a beloved French outdoor gameplayed around the world. Click the Doodle to play a random match or challenge your friends!

About the Doodle

Celebrating Pétanque

The modern game of Pétanque originated on this day in 1907 in Provence, France.

About the Doodle

Long before Pétanque became France’s go-to afternoon activity, Ancient Greeks played games tossing flat stones and eventually stone balls. After modifying the game by adding a target ball, Ancient Roman soldiers and sailors brought the game to France.

The modern game of Pétanque originated in 1907 in Provence, France when a local cafe owner adjusted the rules to accommodate a player whose rheumatism prevented him from running. With a reduced length of the field and a stationary toss, Pétanque spread quickly across the country.

The rules of the game are fairly simple: throw, toss, or roll your team’s metal boules closer to the target boule than the other team. Over a series of rounds, the first player or team to score thirteen points wins! The goal might sound simple, but players can use a number of tactics to gain an advantage over their opponent. “Shooting” is a popular strategy, often used at competitive levels, where players attempt to knock away an opponent's boule from the target.

Nowadays, Pétanque is more than just a leisure activity with friends—the game is played competitively at regional, national and international levels throughout the world. The best players attend showcase events like the Mondial La Marseillaise in France and the La British Open in England.

Click this Doodle and get the boules rolling!

A personified purple olive (left side of frame) stands with hands on hips smiling at their opponent—a personified green olive (right side of frame) standing with its eyes playfully closed, smile on face, one hand on hip and the other holding a boule. The words “Pétanque Doodle” are in the background across a blue sky with two olive branches peeking down from the top corners.
The Story

About the Pétanque Doodle

This interactive Doodle game celebrates Pétanque, a beloved French outdoor game played around the world. Click the Doodle above to play a random match of Pétanque or challenge your friends!

🫒 Pétanque Doodle Team 🫒

Art | Helene Leroux

Art Support | Ben Tobias

UX Design | Anthony Irwin

Producer | Brenna Fallon, Colin Duffy (emeritus)

Engineering Lead | Jacob Howcroft

Engineering | Daniel Dovali, Katherine Lee, Brian Murray

Engineering Support | Daniel Hirsch, Gu J

Marketing | Alice Roy de Puyfontaine, Chloe Broughton, Perla Campos

Doodle Team Leads | Jessica Yu, Nate Swinehart, Tom Tabanao

Original Music | Mathieu Alvado

Sound Design | Samy Cheboub

Music and sound produced by | Gigawatts Productions

Where this Doodle appeared

The Doodle Celebrating Pétanque launched Jul 31, 2022

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