Hi,

I'd like to sound out players on the idea of having "Petanque Standards" for both pointing and shooting which could operate at Club, Regional and National level, with Bronze, Silver and Gold Standards.

Those achieving the Standard would receive a pin badge and certificate.

It's something I've tried setting up in Brighton but really think it would benefit from being a "National" scheme.

Based on the old BPA/EPA Skills Awards scheme, my suggestion is to have 4 exercises for pointing and shooting.

Pointing
1. Throw the jack into a target circle.
2. Point a boule into a target circle.
3. Same but with 2 blocking boules - you can either lob over them, point between them or spin around them.
4. Promote a boule into the target circle.

Shooting
1. Shoot a single target boule.
2. Shoot the middle boule, with 3 boules side-by-side.
3. Shoot a back boule.
4. Shoot the jack.

Each of these is repeated at 3 different distances, e.g. 6, 8 & 10m.

I do have all of this with diagrams in a Word document but can't find anywhere to attach files.

If scoring is 100 for both Pointing and Shooting, then the scheme could operate as follows:
Club Standards
10 points = Bronze
20 = Silver
30 = Gold

Regional
40 = Bronze
50 = Silver
60 = Gold

National
70 = Bronze
80 = Silver
90+ = Gold

Other possibilities would be to have different exercises and/or distances for Club, Regional & National but this has the advantage of being the same basis for everybody but with different levels of scoring.

I am aware of the World Championship Shooting system: IMHO this is much more of a "specialised" series of exercises with VERY strict rules where the slightest error is punished.

I think the above more accurately reflects "real" situations that regularly occur in games.

The idea is that this would also be linked in with Club, Regional and National Coaching schemes, where the Standards are something for everybody to work towards.

It's the sort of thing that's common in the althletics world but missing from petanque. One benefit would be in helping to better promote petanque as a "proper" sport.

Any comments?

Regards,

Ray Ager
BHPC