CSAC Bocce Tournament

Saturday, September 13th 9:00am-12:00pm Middlebury Recreation Field — Middlebury, Vermont (Registered teams check in 8:00-8:45am)

Counseling Service of Addison County's (CSAC) Bocce Tournament is back for a return engagement! Businesses and organizations, community members, CSAC families and friends come together for a fun day of camaraderie, competition and goodwill.

Up to 32 teams of 4 players each will compete and cheer each other on while raising funds to support CSAC's work supporting community wellness.

We are looking forward to a fun "rain or shine" event on September 13th (9:00am-12:00pm) at the Middlebury Rec Field! This is an outdoor event, so please dress appropriately for the weather, including rain. We recognize that there may be some severe weather or other events beyond our control which would cause us to delay the tournament start time or take a pause midway through (thunderstorm or lighting for example), or worst case scenario, cancel the event. 

We will email participants with any updates. Please make sure to provide an email you can access an the days prior to and the day of the event. If your team captain is the liaison for your team--make sure to stay in touch with them for any updates.  Additionally, this page/area of CSAC's Bocce tournament website is devoted to updates related to event weather or emergency communications. We will update this page, as we get closer to the event. 

In the case of severe weather (e.g. lighting, thunderstorm):

• If the tournament hasn't started, we may delay the start. Please check your email and this website for updates.
• If the tournament has begun/is in progress, we will ask you to take cover (listen for the bullhorn) in the Memorial Sports Center.
  • While in the Memorial Sports Center, the event Director will make announcements about resuming play and/or next steps. 

Welcome to CSAC's Bocce tournament!

Event Overview:

• Teams arrive between 8:15-8:45 am on September 13th at the Middlebury Rec Field off Mary Hogan Dr.

• Team captains only please report to the registration table (under the pavilion). Other Team members please go to the Team Gathering Area (under the big white tent).

  • Captains will gather their teams' registration bags, any waivers still needing to be signed, and then meet their team mates at the Team Gathering area (under the big white tent).

  • Breakfast items will be available for teams! 

• We will divide teams into up to eight divisions with no more than 10 teams per division.  Each division will have a winner.

• At 9 am there will be a brief welcome/safety rules overview and Bocce tutorial: "Bocce 101".  No experience needed for the tournament!

• After the tutorial, teams will assemble & play approximately four rounds for 20 minutes each  (followed by a brief break). Each round and associated break lasts 30 minutes.  

• 11:30-12noon Thank you and awards

• Grab & Go Food is available throughout the tournament and free thanks to our generous sponsors! 

• Participants should be able to enjoy the food and still get back to their next assigned court to begin their next round.  

• All teams will have a designated captain so that they know who they will be playing next and on what court.  

CSAC Official Bocce Tournament Rules: 

In order for the whole community to enjoy the day, we are playing with the following Bocce rules. Note: these may be slightly different than rules you or your teammates have played with in leagues or backyard Bocce.

Notes on conditions and courts: 

• The CSAC Bocce tournament is played on a grass recreation field used for many sports and community activities. We make our best effort to use the flattest section of the field, however the ground is not perfectly level, and the grass is mowed, but not “golf course” short. 

• Conditions may be different than other courts (e.g. very level ground, very short grass, sand court bocce, beach bocce, and backyard bocce are different than the field we use for the tournament)

• The courts are approximately 13 feet in width from inside edge to inside edge. 

The Players

• Each team will have a captain who participates in a coin toss

• The winner of the coin flip is the first team to throw the pallino and chooses the color of the team’s bocce balls

Throwing Rules

• Players must throw from behind the in-play "line" (10 ft.) mark (marked by flags)

• The pallino must go past the center "line" (30 ft.) (marked by flags)

• If the pallino does not go past the center "line" (flagged), the second team will throw.  If neither team’s ball goes past the center "line" (flagged), the referee will place the ball between the center "line" (flagged) and the in-play "line" (flagged).

• The first ball is thrown by the player who threw the pallino

• All balls must be thrown underhand and rolled

• After a team throws the first bocce ball, they will step aside, and that team does not throw again until the opposing team has either gotten a bocce ball closer to the pallino or has thrown all its balls.  A team whose balls tie an opponent’s closest ball must throw again.

• Teams stay on one end/throw from one end of the courts for the duration of the frame (all 8 balls get thrown). The next frame (next set of 8 balls being thrown) is played from the opposite end of the court

• Each player throws once in turn/in order.

• A Ball that leaves the court area will not be counted

• A Ball that nestles up against a backboard/frame, but inside the court, is a playable ball

Scoring

• Only one team scores in a frame.  The official score of the frame is determined after all 8 balls have been played and measured to the captain’s satisfaction.  One point is awarded for each ball of a team that is closer to the pallino than the opponents closest balls (1 to 4 pts.)  All measurements should be made from the center of the pallino to the edge of the bocce ball.

• The team that scores in the last frame throws the Pallino in the next frame.  If no team scores, then the team who scored in the last frame will throw the pallino again.

• The first team to score 21 points or 20 minutes wins the round.

Timing

• Each round will be 20 minutes.  An announcement at the 17-minute mark will indicate the final point.  At this time whatever point a team is on will be the last

• A second announcement will indicate the 20-minute mark indicating the end of the round.  If a player has a ball in their hands to throw at the 20-minute mark, they may complete the throw.

• There will be ten minutes prior to the start of the next round to complete scoring, and transition to the next court.

• An announcement will indicate the start of the next round by the scoring table.

• Teams will be awarded 1 point for winning a round and ½ point for ties

• Division ties will be decided by a sudden ending roll off by a member of each team as appointed by the captain

Feel free to download and print the attached rules below to share with your teams!

New for 2025: Tournament Champion Team. At tournament end, the winning team in each division will select one player for a 1 throw sudden death throw off. A draw of numbered straws will determine order of throw.  The winning throw will determine the tournament's overall tournament champion team.

Register your team of 4 today for support CSAC's work towards community wellness. CSAC's beloved Bocce tournament is our biggest fundraising event! Help CSAC be there for you & register your team today!

• No experience necessary. Rules, video tutorials (coming soon!) and a day of demo provided. 

  • CSAC's Bocce tournament rules are here. 

• Don't know who will play on your team yet? That's ok! You cam still register with just a team captain and let us know the rest of your players at a later date.

Can't play that day but want to help?

• Make a donation to help us reach our goal of $33,000 to support community wellness!

• Don't miss out! If you aren't playing, but want to join the fun, come watch the fun and cheer teams on! Play goes from 9:30-11:30 at the Middlebury Rec Park.

   

  CSAC's Bocce tournament is a great way to have fun, connect with community, and raise money to support CSAC's work towards community wellness. While fundraising is not required in order to participate, we would love your help!  Once you register, you can choose "become a fundraiser" and set up a team (or individual) fundraising page. Invite friends and family to donate via email or share on social media!

  You can also use the downloadable fundraising sheet (below, click on the PDF) if you prefer or walk to include in person or door to door fundraising. 
  Questions? Contact Beth at btarallo@csac-vt.org. 

  Not playing that day? You can still help support community wellness by setting up your own fundraising page. 

  Or donate directly today!

Check out this video highlight  from a prior tournament!

CSAC's Bocce tournament is a great way to have fun, connect with community, and raise money to support CSAC's work towards community wellness. While fundraising is not required in order to participate, we would love your help!  Once you register, you can choose "become a fundraiser" and set up a team (or individual) fundraising page. Invite friends and family to donate via email or share on social media!

You can also use the downloadable fundraising sheet located on this page if you prefer or walk to include in person or door to door fundraising. 

Questions? Contact Beth at btarallo@csac-vt.org. 

Not playing that day? You can still help support community wellness by setting up your own fundraising page. 

Or donate directly today!