PISTE / TERRAIN PREPARATION GUIDELINES

The EPA website has other advice on their information page that we recommend you look at.
 

• Pétanque can be played on a range of surfaces and the following guidelines cannot be a replacement for looking at and trying out existing terrains.

• Space required

• An international size standard piste must be a minimum of 15 x 4 metres , however club pistes are more likely to be approximately 13 x 3 metres. One individual piste is unlikely to be sufficient since only 6 players ( 2 triples ) could play at once.
• A terrain for a club depends on the space available and the number of players likely to use it.
• A terrain 13 x 6 metres ( 2 pistes ) is the minimum recommended - this allows 2 games side by side which would be needed for a typical evening league match.
• A terrain 13 x 12 metres would allow 4 games at once so up to 24 players could take part.
• Terrains for tournaments need to be large enough for between 8 and 20 pistes.

• Preparation

1. Remove topsoil and organic material.
2. Level the area - It is sensible to have a gradient (max 1/40) to aid drainage and the standard of play will be improved if the surface has small contours rather than being uniform.
3. Prepare a timber kerb around the perimeter ( telegraph poles , railway sleepers etc )
4. Lay approximately 6 to 8 inches of filling material ( e.g. 30 - 40 mm limestone ) - A terrain of 13 x 6 metres may require 12 - 15 tons at approximately £15 - 20 per ton from a quarry.
5. Consolidate well ( a vibrating compactor is ideal and can be hired easily )
6. Lay a thin layer of surface gravel. ( e.g 6 mm to dust limestone or granite ). It is much easier to start with a small amount and add more later than put too much on and have to remove it. - A terrain of 13 x 6 metres may require approximately 10 bags at approximately £2 per bag from a builders merchants.
7. The amount and type of surface gravel varies widely from club to club. Some clubs with multiple terrains have different surfaces on each so that their members practice a variety of styles.

• Marking out the terrain

• The perimeter of the terrain should be marked out using a line of thin string approximately 12inches inside the timber kerb.
• The reason for this is that a boule touching the wood is out of play but it can be difficult to be sure if a boule touched the wood or not. It is easier to see that a boule has gone completely over a string and is therefore out of play.
• The terrain may be split into individual pistes ( approximately 3 metres wide ) again using thin string or the terrain may be left "open" so that players may move about the terrain ( providing that they do not interfere with other games ).