An acquaintance showed me a new set of boules, Obut, that he says were made 15 years ago. He tells me they contain ball bearings, inside. I have been told they are truchee, or tricked, and not legal for competition. My question is: Is my acquaintance incorrect about the boules containing ball bearings, or did Obut used to make such boules and they were legal then? Is anything permitted to be inside a boule to alter it characteristics when thrown?

Hello,
Why do the French call the jack a cochonnet ( piglet )? And where does the term jack come from? Any ideas?

I cannot believe that any manufacturer would make a set of boules “truquées”, as it’s strictly against the rules with harsh penalties for infringement.

I’m very curious: have you actually seen the boules? Do you think they are packed solid with ball bearings? How does the actual weight compare with the weight stamped on the boules? If there were loose ball bearings, surely you could hear them.

I have asked a few players in Provence if stories of boules being tampered with were ever true. One player told me that he had seen them, he did have a set but it was something you no longer see. I asked him to produce his set but he never did. The stories are that boules would have a small hole drilled in them and then be filled with mercury or heavy oil, supposedly to make them run truer.

I've checked in a couple of French petanque dictionaires. There isn't any definate answer, just a suggestion that it - surprise - probably simply means 'small pig' and that maybe the shape is like this, i.e. a small, round object.

Although there is a long list of different names, the only ones I've ever heard on the terrain are: le petit, le but, le buchon.

Personally, I prefer 'le petit' and have rarely heard players saying 'cochonnet' in games, which is a bit formal.

I'm now using the new VMS plastic coches (I always say 'coche' in English) which are dimpled and look more like a small golf ball. I wonder when they will acquire a nickname?

(As a retailer, I'm trying to start a rumour that the woooden coches are now obsolete!)

One of our club members has nicknamed the 'tortoise-shell' boules, 'crocs' (crocodiles), which I think is good!

Ray Ager wrote:
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I cannot believe that any manufacturer would make a set of boules “truquées”, as it’s strictly against the rules with harsh penalties for infringement.

I’m very curious: have you actually seen the boules? Do you think they are packed solid with ball bearings? How does the actual weight compare with the weight stamped on the boules? If there were loose ball bearings, surely you could hear them.

I have asked a few players in Provence if stories of boules being tampered with were ever true. One player told me that he had seen them, he did have a set but it was something you no longer see. I asked him to produce his set but he never did. The stories are that boules would have a small hole drilled in them and then be filled with mercury or heavy oil, supposedly to make them run truer.

Dear Ray:
I have seen the boules. They are in the original box from Obut. They have never been used. If I shake the boule I can not hear anything, and the owner says they can not be heard to move around.
I am left to wonder if he is mistaken when he says there are ball bearings in them. He tells me he bought them this way from the factory in Toulouse (15 years ago). I thought perhaps this type of boule was legal 15 years ago, but others are telling me, this type has never been legal for competition. If that is so, I suppose one has to conclude the owner is mistaken?
Joe

It would be interesting to know the model name, markings, etc. If the boules were once legal, but not anymore, the model and/or markings would be different from any allowed markings today, right?

There's a list of allowed markings on
http://gamma.nic.fi/~hpl/Hyvaksytyt_kuulat_050401.htm

For example, if you compare list of boules by La Boule Noire to the ones for sale on their website (www.laboulenoire.com) you'll see that some models are allowed for competition, even if they are not sold anymore.

BTW, it's funny that some players would want illegal weighted boules, but if you buy the best boules money can buy, you get very accurately balanced boules :)

-antti

Joe Martin wrote:
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Dear Ray:
I have seen the boules. They are in the original box from Obut. They have never been used. If I shake the boule I can not hear anything, and the owner says they can not be heard to move around.
I am left to wonder if he is mistaken when he says there are ball bearings in them. He tells me he bought them this way from the factory in Toulouse (15 years ago). I thought perhaps this type of boule was legal 15 years ago, but others are telling me, this type has never been legal for competition. If that is so, I suppose one has to conclude the owner is mistaken?
Joe

This was on finnish forum...

Some time ago there were non-tourney-legal boules given away as competition prices. They were indeed manufactured by Obut, they had Ricard logo + letters ETR .

Accorind to Ricard factory they contain water inside. Water dampens the boule's movement and therefore helps beginners to play.

As said, they are not allowed for tournamet play.

IMO, I think beginners should not play with these, so they learn correct techniques from start...