What's it all about?
Boccia
was originally designed as a sport for those with severe cerebral
palsy. It has now developed into a game played by many sections
of the community - and from a purely recreational level up to the
intensely competitive Paralympics.
The aim of the game is to propel a set of coloured balls and position them closer to a white 'marker' ball than those of your opponent. This white ball is called the 'jack', hence the game is similar in context to Bowls, Petanque or even French Boules.
The game can be played either individually (one v one using 6 balls each), in pairs (two v two using 3 balls each) or as a team activity (three v three using 2 balls each).
The game MUST be played from a seated position, which makes it ideal for either manual or motorised wheelchair users.
Firstly, a set of 13 Boccia balls, 6 red, 6 blue and 1 white Jack ball. You also need an area in which to play, and for competitive Boccia, this area is similar in size to a badminton court, being 12.5 by 6 metres. The surface must be flat and smooth, and is usually wooden, tiled or blocked.
One of the good things about this game is that the court size can be adapted to meet all circumstances, in that any area from a front room, church hall, canteen, gymnasium or leisure centre could be a suitable venue.
Taking part
The Kent Boccia Centre of excellence is held once a month, at Valence School Sports College near Westerham. The Centre of Excellence is open to individual players and is aimed at those who can already play Boccia at a basic level but who wish to go on to competition at regional's, nationals or beyond. Players will be coached by John Chapman, our Kent Associate Officer for Boccia and experienced staff from Valence Sports College
Kent Schools Boccia League 2011
The Kent Schools Boccia League was launched 2009/10.
For 2011 it will be run as a one-day competition, on Wednesday 6th April at the YMCA in Maidstone, where schools will play group games, followed by a cross-over to determine final finishing places.
The National Pan Disability Boccia League Schools Division Proposal
The aim of the League is to provide an opportunity for young disabled people to compete together at a local level and then provide an opportunity for teams to progress through to a National Final. The competition is open to pupils on the SEN register, though we would urge you to include those with a severe functional disability whenever possible.
A School’s division of the National Pan Disability Boccia League was introduced in the 2010/11.
Some Guidelines:
• A team competition, each team will be able to register between 3 and 10 players.
• The Leagues will run seasonally, between October and July, with the end of the season being marked by the National Boccia League Finals Day.
• The local league size will be determined by the number of entries received within a given geographical area. Local leagues will consist of a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 7 teams. If there are more entries in a particular area then teams will be split between two (or more) leagues.
• The winners of the local leagues will be invited to the National League Final (depending on the number of entries, it may be necessary to have play offs before the National Final).
• Each team will play all the other teams within their league twice, once home and once away. However, both matches can be played at same venue on the same day if more convenient.
• Each Home and Away Match will consist of 6 ends.
In order to encourage more schools into the league and to provide greater opportunity for schools to progress from local competition through to a National Final we are offering two entry options:
Option 1 – schools independently express their interest to join the league (as in previous years). Boccia England groups schools according to their location and coordinates the teams and results. (Schools arrange their own fixtures).
Option 2 – where there may be school leagues that already exist or there is a suitable person locally who can coordinate the league, this league can affiliate to the Boccia England National League. The league must adhere to the same entry criteria and rules as the National league. This will provide an opportunity for teams to progress through to a National Final.
All teams that enter must hold current Boccia England membership.
Cost
Option 1–
£10 per team
Option 2
Number of teams in the league League affiliation cost
4-6 teams (1 qualifier) £30
7-12 teams (2 qualifiers) £55
13-18 teams (3 qualifiers) £80
19-24 teams (4 qualifiers) £100
25-30 teams (5 qualifiers) £115
31-36 teams (6 qualifiers) £130
If you are interested in joining the league next season, either as a school or a league then please contact Lucy Hall, lhall@bocciaengland.org.uk
To complete an Expression of Interest form please follow link(pdf)
Get Involved
Please follow this link to view the national Boccia league
Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association Website
Follow the GB Boccia Federation on 
or 
Structure of the sport
Boccia is organised worldwide by CP-ISRA. This is the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association.
CP Sport is a national charitable organisation based in Nottingham
CP Sport aim is to provide sporting opportunities for those people with cerebral palsy.
Main Contact
John Chapman - Associate Disability Officer for Boccia - 01732 359040 - linda.chapman@talk21.com
