Target sport
Rolle bolle
A rolle bolle player bowls the bolle towards the stake at the other end of the court
|
|
Contact
| Non-contact
|
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Team members
| 3-4 players
|
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Type
| Bowling
,
boules
|
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Equipment
| Bolles
(balls) and stakes
|
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|
Olympic
| No
|
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Rolle bolle
(
ROH
-lee-
BOH
-lee
),
[1]
[2]
also known as
Belgian bowling
or
krulbollen
,
[3]
is a
bowling
sport related to
boules
, and originates from the
Flanders
region of Belgium. The sport was introduced to
North America
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is played in some
rural
areas of the
Midwest
and
Prairie
regions of the United States and Canada.
[4]
One of the defining characteristics of rolle bolle is the wheel-like shape of the ball, or
bolle
. Bolles are manufactured in a way so that they do not roll straight but in a curved,
elliptical
path.
History
[
edit
]
The exact origins of rolle bolle are unknown, but it is known that it was developed in
Flanders
, a
Dutch
-speaking region of
Belgium
, before the 20th century.
The Dutch name for rolle bolle,
krulbollen
, literally translates to "curve ball" due to the elliptical path taken by the bolle.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries,
Belgian
and
Dutch
immigrants to the
United States
and
Canada
introduced rolle bolle (
krulbollen
) and other similar Belgian sports such as
feather bowling
(
trabollen
).
[5]
[6]
Rules and play
[
edit
]
Rolle bolle is played on a flat court typically made of
natural soil
, crushed
limestone
, or
pavement
. Two stakes (or "pegs")
[2]
are placed a distance apart on either ends of the court, typically 30 feet (9.1 m). Courts are typically 12 feet (3.7 m) wide.
[7]
Stakes can be between 1 and 3 inches (2.5 and 7.6 cm) in diameter and are made of wood (such as a
baseball bat
pounded into the ground),
[1]
but other materials are also used.
The balls, or
bolles
, are typically 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) in diameter and 4 inches (10 cm) thick.
[8]
Traditional bolles are made of wood, however other materials can be used such as hardened rubber or molded plastic. Bolles are
machined
with a taper, which causes them to roll in an
elliptical
fashion.
Rolle bolle is played by two teams of 3?4 players each. Games are broken up by rounds; each round is an opportunity for a single team to score points. In a round, players from opposing teams take turns rolling their bolle towards the stake at the far end of the court. At the end of each round, when all players have rolled their bolles, points are awarded to the team with the closest bolle(s) to the stake. The next round then begins in the same manner, aiming for the other stake. The first team to score a set number of points (typically 8) is the winner.
Scoring
[
edit
]
A round is complete when both teams have played all of their bolles. If the round finishes then the team with the closest bolle wins the round and scores one point for each of its bolles that is closer to the jack than other team's closest bolle. The first team to a predetermined number of points is the winner of the game.
Strategy
[
edit
]
When rolling a bolle, there are two main strategies a player can choose between:
bowling
, and
shooting
. When bowling, the player (bowler) aims the bolle along an elliptical course to get as close to the stake as possible. The bowler releases the bolle underhand, with not much speed. This strategy is used for good placement for scoring. The alternative option is to shoot. When shooting, the player (shooter) aims the bolle in a straight line, directly at an opponent's bolle nearby the stake. The bolle is released underhand, but with great speed. The goal is to knock the opponents' bolle(s) away from the stake.
[3]
Geographical distribution
[
edit
]
In Europe, rolle bolle is played in the
Flanders regions
of the
Netherlands
and
Belgium
, where it originated. It is more common in rural areas, especially near
Ghent
, in the
Meetjesland
region and the region from
Knesselare
to
Bruges
.
In North America, rolle bolle is played in rural areas ranging from
Iowa
to
Winnipeg
, in towns settled by
Belgian emigrants
. States and provinces where rolle bolle is played include:
Illinois
,
Iowa
,
Manitoba
,
Minnesota
,
Indiana
, and
Wisconsin
.
[5]
[8]
[9]
[10]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
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Bowling venues
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Manufacturers
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