Rules and Regulations: Boccia (Open)
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Full Rules & Regulations
BOC 1 The London Youth Games ParaGames Boccia Competition will be run in accordance with Boccia England rules.
BOC 1.1 Should any rules listed below contradict those outlined by Boccia England, the LYG rules below will overrule these.
BOC 1.2 It will be at the discretion of the Competition Director and London Youth Games, as to the application of these rules, and any subsequent decision made will be final.
BOC 2 Age Category
BOC 2.1 The following age groups and respective date of births will apply to the London Youth Games ParaGames Boccia Competition:
| Age Category | Oldest DOB | Youngest DOB |
| U17 | 01/09/2007 | N/A |
BOC 2.2 It is the responsibility of competitors/parents/team managers/local authority staff to ensure all competitors details are entered correctly at the time of submission, and that they are eligible to compete for their borough under the London Youth Games Games Rules, and in accordance with the age groups outlined for the competition.
| Group | Impairment | Descriptor |
| G1. | Wheelchair User | Power chair or manual wheelchair user. |
| G2. | Ambulant | -Standing with 4 limbs affected.
-Standing with 1 or 2 lower limbs affected. -Standing with 1 or 2 upper limbs affected. |
| G3B. | Sensory-Visual Impairment | Anyone with a visual impairment which impacts their daily lives. This does not include simply wearing glasses or contact lenses.
|
| G4. | Severe Learning Disability (SLD) | Anyone who has severe difficulties with pattern recognition, sequencing and memory, as well as having slower reaction time. They are likely to need support in communicating their needs and understanding abstract or complex ideas. This category includes, Level 3 autism. |
BOC 2.2.1 In the instance a competitor is found to be ineligible, the team will be disqualified from the competition and the borough will receive a points penalty as per the Games Rules.
BOC3 Disability Criteria
BOC 3.1 Young people that fall into any of the Boccia England Classifications (BC 1-8) are eligible to participate in this competition and with LYG Impairment Groups G1-4 (excluding G3A, hearing impaired), if this a young person’s only impairment, as below.
BOC 4 Squad Size Boroughs are permitted to enter a minimum of 3 competitors and a maximum of 9 competitors.
BOC 4.1 Boroughs are permitted to bring all 9 competitors entered to the event on the day however only 3 will be able to play per end. Teams may rotate players between ends.
BOC 5 Kit & Equipment
BOC 5.1 Leather Handi Life Boccia balls (standard or superior) will be provided by London Youth Games. All competitors must us the balls provided by London Youth Games.
BOC 5.2 Assistive Devices are permitted under the following rules;
BOC 5.1 The assistant holding the device must face towards the player, and away from the field of play.
BOC 5.2.2 The assistant may not communicate with their player or any other team member and must always remain inside the marked ‘player’s box’, otherwise a foul is committed.
BOC 5.2.2.1 One warning per team will be given to an assistant that is felt to be directing play or placing the device themselves rather than following instructions from the player. After this, any further occurrences will result in these players shots not being counted in the end.
BOC 5.2.3 There must be one enabler assigned for each player needing an assistant.
The player must direct the assistant where to place the device and the player must release the ball themselves.
BOC 5.2.3 A player’s device must be seen to make a clear swing both ways before throwing any ball
BOC 5.2.4 Visually Impaired players, about to play the ball will be allowed to have the referee tap the paddle to indicate where the jack ball is. No mechanical aids i.e. bells / hooters will be allowed. It is the captain’s duty to give feedback when asked for by the player.
BOC 5.2.5 VI players are also eligible to play with an assistant and a VI grid, please see Visually Impaired Boccia | Boccia England Limited
BOC 6 Competition Format
BOC 6.1 Round robin format into knockouts/play off for final positions.
BOC 6.1.1 No seeding. Groups will be allocated at random.
BOC 6.1.2 Number of groups and group sizes will be subject to entry numbers.
BOC 7 Sport Rules The objective of Boccia is to try and position your team’s balls as close to the target ball (jack) as possible. A game consists of two sides, the red side and the blue side.
BOC 7.1 Each team is made of 3 players with 2 balls each.
BOC 7.1.1 Team colours are decided using a coin toss; the winning captain chooses to be red or blue.
BOC 7.1.2 All competitors must be seated and remain seated for the entirety of an end.
BOC 7.2 Teams will play 6 balls per side. The London Youth Games competition will consist of teams to compete over three ends per match.
BOC 7.2.1 An ‘end’ is when all 13 balls (1 white Jack, 6 blue, 6 red) balls have been played.
BOC 7.2.2 The end is scored by awarding one point for every ball of the same colour closer to the jack than the nearest opposing coloured ball.
BOC 7.2.3 After all ends have been completed the winning side is the team with the higher accumulative score from both ends.
BOC 7.2.4 LYG and the Competition Director reserve the right to adapt the number of ends per match dependent on entries. Any change to BOC 6.2 will be communicated pre-event via email, or at the Team Manager briefing before competition commences.
BOC 7.3 Tie Break No draws are permitted. In the instance that there is a draw at the end of a match then a tie break end will be played.
BOC 7.3.1 Each team has a maximum of 3 balls (1 per person max) playoff with the jack being placed on the ‘replaced jack cross’ in the middle of the court. Played out as normal game. A coin toss again decides who plays the first coloured ball. This is repeated until a clear winner is identified.
BOC 8 Scoring Points will be awarded for each match to give a borough’s overall placing in the round robin stage of the competition.
BOC 8.1 The following points will be awarded at the round robin stage:
Teams will score the number of points they score in each match
- 3 points for a win
- 0 points for a loss
BOC 8.1.1 Group positions are ranked on:
- Competition points
- Highest end points (teams’ balls for)
- Points difference (teams’ balls for minus other teams balls against).
BOC 8.1.2 In the instance a tie break is required for the competition to progress after BOC 8.1.1 has been applied, a tie break as per BOC 6.3 shall take place between the respective teams.
BOC 8.2 Final Jubilee Positions A boroughs overall ranking will be determined by their round robin finishing rank, or stage of the knockout at which the borough was knocked out.
BOC 9 Medals & Trophies Medals and trophies will be awarded as follows;
BOC 9.1 Overall Borough Teams who receive the top final respective positions will be awarded medals.
BOC 9.2 Medallists from the East and West Regional events will be invited to play a final at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (venue tbc) on Friday 4th July, to see which borough is crowned overall London boccia champions.
Please note, this event is not compulsory and no additional jubilee points will be awarded.
