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            Boccia

            Buy Tickets Here
            Carioca Arena 2
            A test of strategy, boccia made its Paralympic debut at the New York/Stoke Mandeville 1984 Games. Men and women compete together, and in Rio there will be four individual, two pairs and one team event.
            Spectator's Guide - Boccia
            • Boccia

            About

            About

            Aim of the game

            Players must throw or roll their coloured balls as close as possible to a white target ball, called the jack, with the winner being the player or team with the most balls near the jack

            Why should you watch this?

            Boccia is a game of strategy in which players demonstrate great skill and determination to overcome their impairments – and you will be amazed how one throw can change the outcome of the entire championship

            Venues

            Carioca Arena 2

            International Federation

            BISFED

            Paralympic debut

            New York / Stoke Mandeville 1984

            Rules
            • Dead ball

              Dead ball

              A ball that is disqualified owing to an infringement and is put in the ‘dead-ball box’

            • V-line

              V-line

              The v-shaped line that the jack must cross entirely at the start of the game to be considered ‘in play’

            • Pointer

              Pointer

              Accessory that can be attached to the athlete’s head, arm or mouth, and is used to deliver the ball into the ramp

            Impress your friends

            • The earliest records of boccia are from several centuries BC, when stones were used, but it was not until the 1970s that the sport was adapted for people with a disability

              The earliest records of boccia are from several centuries BC, when stones were used, but it was not until the 1970s that the sport was adapted for people with a disability

            • Lawn bowls was a predecessor to boccia in the Paralympic Games and Brazil won its first Paralympic medal in the event, a silver at the Toronto 1976 Games

              Lawn bowls was a predecessor to boccia in the Paralympic Games and Brazil won its first Paralympic medal in the event, a silver at the Toronto 1976 Games

            • Since Beijing 2008, Brazil’s Dirceu José Pinto has dominated the BC4 class at major tournaments, winning two Paralympic Games golds and one world title

              Since Beijing 2008, Brazil’s Dirceu José Pinto has dominated the BC4 class at major tournaments, winning two Paralympic Games golds and one world title

            • At London 2012, the Republic of Korea’s Ye Jin Choi beat compatriot Ho Won Jeong 4-3 in a fiercely contested BC3 individual final

              At London 2012, the Republic of Korea’s Ye Jin Choi beat compatriot Ho Won Jeong 4-3 in a fiercely contested BC3 individual final

            • The assistant who positions the ramp to help players with more severe impairments is often a family member

              The assistant who positions the ramp to help players with more severe impairments is often a family member

            • Boccia is one of the few sports in which men and women compete together and against each other

              Boccia is one of the few sports in which men and women compete together and against each other

            Start

            The red team starts the match by throwing the jack, then takes their first turn at rolling one of their balls towards it.

            Scoring

            Players throw their coloured balls as close as possible to the jack – every ball closer than the best of their opponent’s balls earns one point.

            The winner is the team or player with the highest score at the end of the match.

            Duration

            Games are divided into ‘ends’ – individual and pairs matches have four ends, while team matches have six ends.

            In the event of a draw, an extra end is played.

            Players must make their move within a certain time:

            Individual BC1: 5 minutes per athlete per end

            Individual BC2 and BC4: 4 minutes per athlete per end

            Individual BC3: 6 minutes per athlete per end

            BC3 Pairs: minutes per pair per end

            BC4 Pairs: minutes per pair per end

            Teams: minutes per team per end

            Balls

            Each side has six coloured boccia balls (red or blue) per ‘end’ , with the draw for colours taking place in the ‘call room’.

            With a diameter of 27cm, boccia balls are slightly larger than tennis balls and weigh 275g.

            Balls can be thrown, rolled along the floor, kicked or, for players with more severe impairments, rolled down ramps.

            Dead zone

            Area between the end of the throwing boxes and the V-line, in which only the coloured balls may stop – the jack must be beyond the V-line.

            Stats

            Top Medalists

            Men
            ESP
            Antonio Cid             		3 2 1 6
            POR
            Antonio Marques             		2 3 1 6
            DEN
            Henrik Jorgensen             		1 3 2 6
            Women
            ESP
            Yolanda Martin             		0 3 0 3
            ESP
            Maria Rodriguez             		2 0 0 2
            POR
            Cristina Gonçalves             		1 1 0 2

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