Club Play: How It Works
September 1, 2024
Rules: The official Rules to Playing Bocce Ball with the Club are available by clicking the button below. A printed set of rules is included with each set of bocce balls, as well as posted on the bulletin board in the pavilion.
Registration: The Club plays 2 sessions each year at the bocce courts in Sisk Park.
Session 1: Early November – Early January
Session 2: Mid January – Mid March
Each 2-person team registers and pays a fee to play; the fee is communicated at the start of the Season. The fee is the same whether you play one or both sessions.
Players who register to play in Session 1 are automatically registered for both sessions, unless they inform the Membership Director otherwise. Session 1 registration begins on Sept 1st and ends 1-2 weeks prior to our club's Season Kick Off: Wine & Cheese event on the last Sunday in October. For players who will only play in Session 2, registration begins on Dec 1st and ends a week prior to the Club’s January Pot-luck/Awards Event. If you are a Solo Player in need of a partner, you can complete the Solo Player Partner Request form to indicate that you want to be matched with another Solo Player. To go to the Registration page, click the button below.
Session 1: Early November – Early January
Session 2: Mid January – Mid March
Each 2-person team registers and pays a fee to play; the fee is communicated at the start of the Season. The fee is the same whether you play one or both sessions.
Players who register to play in Session 1 are automatically registered for both sessions, unless they inform the Membership Director otherwise. Session 1 registration begins on Sept 1st and ends 1-2 weeks prior to our club's Season Kick Off: Wine & Cheese event on the last Sunday in October. For players who will only play in Session 2, registration begins on Dec 1st and ends a week prior to the Club’s January Pot-luck/Awards Event. If you are a Solo Player in need of a partner, you can complete the Solo Player Partner Request form to indicate that you want to be matched with another Solo Player. To go to the Registration page, click the button below.
Season Kick-Off: The season kicks off with our Annual Wine & Cheese Event, which is usually held on the last Sunday in October. A few days prior to this event, players will be notified by email as to which Division they will play in, and the names and contact information of each team in their Division. There are typically eight two-person teams in each Division. All new members without a club Win/Loss history and/or experience are initially placed at one of the lowest Divisions and have an opportunity to move up in subsequent Sessions.
Scheduling Games: A few days prior to our Season Kick Off: Wine & Cheese Event, all registered teams will receive an email with the contact information of the other teams in their assigned Division. You are encouraged to attend the Season Kick-Off: Wine & Cheese Event to meet the other teams in your Division and be prepared to begin scheduling your matches based on availability. For those teams who cannot attend the Kick-Off Wine & Cheese Event, please reach out by phone to schedule a date/time to play. The Wine and Cheese Event is a great opportunity to meet the players in your Division, and we encourage you to bring your calendar and be prepared to schedule some matches while you are there.
The courts cannot be reserved; they are available on a first come first served basis and popular times are mid-morning until mid-afternoon. The courts are available from 7am-10pm. There are lights on the courts. The master switch is on the East exterior wall of the ramada. The light poles have switches, so set those to ON as well.
The HOA has granted our club exclusive use of Courts 1 and 2, as follows:
Nov 1st – March 31st
Monday – Friday 7am – 8pm
Saturday and Sunday 7am – 3pm
Players are encouraged to schedule games early in the session to allow for possible changes due to weather or availability. A team that cancels a game in the last 2 weeks of play and their opposing team is not available to reschedule, will have to accept a forfeit. Additionally, the courts tend to get busier as the Session ends due to players squeezing in their last games. The best tip to avoid these issues is to schedule your games early in the session.
Substitute Players: Substitutes are only allowed if a partner cannot play due to illness or injury for the remainder of the session. Substitutions are not allowed in the temporary absence of one’s partner. A team member cannot play alone. Substitutes must be from outside the Club. No additional fee is collected for the substitute player, but the Membership Director must be informed to update your team’s registration.
Day of Play: On the day of play, meet your opposing team at Sisk Park. If all courts are being used, one of the players from the waiting teams should write their name on the Wait List (dry erase board by court #1.) All players must be present to play when the court opens. If they are not present, the next team on the wait list may take the available court given all of their players are present and ready to play. The first team will then wait until the next court becomes available.
It is recommended that you confirm plans to play with your opposing team the day before as a courtesy. If you (Team A) arrive and your opposing team (Team B) is not there, it is recommended that you call them. If for some reason Team B is not available to play, they should offer to forfeit the game. Depending on Team A’s availability and how close we are to the end of the season, Team A has the option to offer to reschedule the game rather than accept the forfeit. However, Team B may insist on the forfeit based on their limited availability.
When both teams arrive and a court is available, the game will proceed. The Club has 4 sets of bocce balls stored in the club’s locker that is located by courts 2. The combination will be given to players in the email with the Division assignments at the beginning of each session.
Scoring: Whichever team wins 2 out of 3 games is the winner of the match. Record your match as a “W” (Win) or “L” (Loss) on your Division’s Scorecard that is posted on the bulletin board inside the ramada. Forfeits are entered as “F” for the forfeiting team, and “W” for their opponents.
For the purposes of the end-of-season Win/Loss tally, a forfeit (“F”) is counted as a loss (“L”).
Awards: After the last day of play for the session, Division Scorecards are collected by the Membership Director who tallies the scores and determines the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. Each Division will be awarded a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize if ties are not present. If teams are tied at the end of the session the tie will be broken by "head-to-head" play; the team that won the most games over the other top ranked teams will place higher. If no "winner" can be determined by this method the prize money for the tied teams will be combined and split between those teams. Awards can be in the form of Cash, Gift Certificates and/or Gift based on the sole discretion of the Board of Directors.
Session 1 awards are distributed at the Club’s Pot Luck/Awards Event that is scheduled in early January. (See Club Calendar for exact date.) Session 2 awards are distributed at the Club’s Pot Luck/Awards Event that is scheduled in late March. All players from Session 1 as well as those who registered for Session 2 play are invited to join the January Pot Luck/Awards Event. The club provides the main course and a variety of drinks and teams are asked to sign up to bring a dish to share.
Division Assignments: Division assignments are based on Win/Loss outcomes of club play as a measure of skill. Division “A” being the highest skill level within the Club, followed by “B”, “C” and so on. The newest players to the Club start in the lowest Divisions and have the opportunity to advance in each subsequent Session based on their team’s Division ranking at the end of a Session. If one of the players is changed within a team (with club history), to a new player with no history with the club, that team will be placed at least one Division lower than they would have normally been placed with their previous player.
The Membership Director, with guidance from the Board of Directors, has developed this process to position teams where we believe they will be competitive. For a variety of reasons, the skills of individual players/teams can over time improve or diminish in comparison to their historical record. The process is designed to be responsive to these changes. The goal we all expect from the Club is that our players enjoy themselves. If you have any concerns that you want to share, please email the Membership Director at [email protected].
Realignment of Divisions: At the beginning of each Session, new Division assignments are made. Teams are ranked within their Division based on their Win/Loss record in the prior Session. There is a general pattern we strive to follow: The top 2 teams in a Division will move up one Division and the bottom two teams in a Division will move down a Division. If there are ties among the ranking of teams from the prior Session, then the Membership Director will review the prior year’s Session scorecards to determine which team had a better record.
There are situations where teams move up more quickly than this formula would suggest.
Example: 2 teams from Division “C” choose not to return for Session 2. In that case, the Membership Director would need to advance 4 teams up into Division “C” as 2 teams will move down a Division plus there are 2 additional openings to fill for the 2 non-returning teams. In this example, 4 teams from Division “D” will be moved up into Division “C”. Based on W/L records, the 2 teams that would have normally moved down a Division may stay in Division “C” since they may have the better Win/Loss record. Then all the Divisions below “C” will be impacted. As a result, especially in the lower Divisions, it is possible that some teams will move up two or more Divisions.
Tournaments: The Tournament Director will schedule tournaments that all registered Club players are welcome to participate in. The dates and details regarding tournaments will be emailed to registered players and posted on the Club’s website.
Bocce Instruction: Bocce Ball instruction is available to all members by the Board appointed “Training Committee” comprised of the Club’s experienced “A” and “B” Division Players. Arrangements can be made at any time by sending an email request to the Membership Director at [email protected].
Scheduling Games: A few days prior to our Season Kick Off: Wine & Cheese Event, all registered teams will receive an email with the contact information of the other teams in their assigned Division. You are encouraged to attend the Season Kick-Off: Wine & Cheese Event to meet the other teams in your Division and be prepared to begin scheduling your matches based on availability. For those teams who cannot attend the Kick-Off Wine & Cheese Event, please reach out by phone to schedule a date/time to play. The Wine and Cheese Event is a great opportunity to meet the players in your Division, and we encourage you to bring your calendar and be prepared to schedule some matches while you are there.
The courts cannot be reserved; they are available on a first come first served basis and popular times are mid-morning until mid-afternoon. The courts are available from 7am-10pm. There are lights on the courts. The master switch is on the East exterior wall of the ramada. The light poles have switches, so set those to ON as well.
The HOA has granted our club exclusive use of Courts 1 and 2, as follows:
Nov 1st – March 31st
Monday – Friday 7am – 8pm
Saturday and Sunday 7am – 3pm
Players are encouraged to schedule games early in the session to allow for possible changes due to weather or availability. A team that cancels a game in the last 2 weeks of play and their opposing team is not available to reschedule, will have to accept a forfeit. Additionally, the courts tend to get busier as the Session ends due to players squeezing in their last games. The best tip to avoid these issues is to schedule your games early in the session.
Substitute Players: Substitutes are only allowed if a partner cannot play due to illness or injury for the remainder of the session. Substitutions are not allowed in the temporary absence of one’s partner. A team member cannot play alone. Substitutes must be from outside the Club. No additional fee is collected for the substitute player, but the Membership Director must be informed to update your team’s registration.
Day of Play: On the day of play, meet your opposing team at Sisk Park. If all courts are being used, one of the players from the waiting teams should write their name on the Wait List (dry erase board by court #1.) All players must be present to play when the court opens. If they are not present, the next team on the wait list may take the available court given all of their players are present and ready to play. The first team will then wait until the next court becomes available.
It is recommended that you confirm plans to play with your opposing team the day before as a courtesy. If you (Team A) arrive and your opposing team (Team B) is not there, it is recommended that you call them. If for some reason Team B is not available to play, they should offer to forfeit the game. Depending on Team A’s availability and how close we are to the end of the season, Team A has the option to offer to reschedule the game rather than accept the forfeit. However, Team B may insist on the forfeit based on their limited availability.
When both teams arrive and a court is available, the game will proceed. The Club has 4 sets of bocce balls stored in the club’s locker that is located by courts 2. The combination will be given to players in the email with the Division assignments at the beginning of each session.
Scoring: Whichever team wins 2 out of 3 games is the winner of the match. Record your match as a “W” (Win) or “L” (Loss) on your Division’s Scorecard that is posted on the bulletin board inside the ramada. Forfeits are entered as “F” for the forfeiting team, and “W” for their opponents.
For the purposes of the end-of-season Win/Loss tally, a forfeit (“F”) is counted as a loss (“L”).
Awards: After the last day of play for the session, Division Scorecards are collected by the Membership Director who tallies the scores and determines the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. Each Division will be awarded a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize if ties are not present. If teams are tied at the end of the session the tie will be broken by "head-to-head" play; the team that won the most games over the other top ranked teams will place higher. If no "winner" can be determined by this method the prize money for the tied teams will be combined and split between those teams. Awards can be in the form of Cash, Gift Certificates and/or Gift based on the sole discretion of the Board of Directors.
Session 1 awards are distributed at the Club’s Pot Luck/Awards Event that is scheduled in early January. (See Club Calendar for exact date.) Session 2 awards are distributed at the Club’s Pot Luck/Awards Event that is scheduled in late March. All players from Session 1 as well as those who registered for Session 2 play are invited to join the January Pot Luck/Awards Event. The club provides the main course and a variety of drinks and teams are asked to sign up to bring a dish to share.
Division Assignments: Division assignments are based on Win/Loss outcomes of club play as a measure of skill. Division “A” being the highest skill level within the Club, followed by “B”, “C” and so on. The newest players to the Club start in the lowest Divisions and have the opportunity to advance in each subsequent Session based on their team’s Division ranking at the end of a Session. If one of the players is changed within a team (with club history), to a new player with no history with the club, that team will be placed at least one Division lower than they would have normally been placed with their previous player.
The Membership Director, with guidance from the Board of Directors, has developed this process to position teams where we believe they will be competitive. For a variety of reasons, the skills of individual players/teams can over time improve or diminish in comparison to their historical record. The process is designed to be responsive to these changes. The goal we all expect from the Club is that our players enjoy themselves. If you have any concerns that you want to share, please email the Membership Director at [email protected].
Realignment of Divisions: At the beginning of each Session, new Division assignments are made. Teams are ranked within their Division based on their Win/Loss record in the prior Session. There is a general pattern we strive to follow: The top 2 teams in a Division will move up one Division and the bottom two teams in a Division will move down a Division. If there are ties among the ranking of teams from the prior Session, then the Membership Director will review the prior year’s Session scorecards to determine which team had a better record.
There are situations where teams move up more quickly than this formula would suggest.
Example: 2 teams from Division “C” choose not to return for Session 2. In that case, the Membership Director would need to advance 4 teams up into Division “C” as 2 teams will move down a Division plus there are 2 additional openings to fill for the 2 non-returning teams. In this example, 4 teams from Division “D” will be moved up into Division “C”. Based on W/L records, the 2 teams that would have normally moved down a Division may stay in Division “C” since they may have the better Win/Loss record. Then all the Divisions below “C” will be impacted. As a result, especially in the lower Divisions, it is possible that some teams will move up two or more Divisions.
Tournaments: The Tournament Director will schedule tournaments that all registered Club players are welcome to participate in. The dates and details regarding tournaments will be emailed to registered players and posted on the Club’s website.
Bocce Instruction: Bocce Ball instruction is available to all members by the Board appointed “Training Committee” comprised of the Club’s experienced “A” and “B” Division Players. Arrangements can be made at any time by sending an email request to the Membership Director at [email protected].