One player or official takes a boule from each team and the cochonnet (jack) together in one hand and tosses them upwards into the air. The team whose boule lands closer to the cochonnet has the choice to throw first or not as preferred. Alternatively, toss a coin.

The first thrower then marks a circle or a line from which all players must throw for that end and throws the cochonnet between 6 and 10 metres from the mark and at least one metre away from any obstacle or boundary.

The team opening the end have a maximum of 3 attempts to place a legal cochonnet; after 3 failures the opposing team will throw it into play. However, this does not change the team having the right to throw the first boule of that end.

Once play has commenced, the playing area (piste) must not be interfered with in any way. Nor should opposing players stand between the throwing circle and the cochonnet during play, or make any attempt to distract the thrower by any means whatsoever. Please play fairly in this respect.

It is forbidden to interfere with the cochonnet once an end has started.
Except: should the cochonnet be broken by a boule then it must immediately be replaced with the largest fragment marking the spot.
The first player then throws his first boule, and the opposition throw the next boule trying to get closer to the cochonnet and/or displacing the opponents'.

Should the first boule thrown go out of play, then the opponents take the next throw.

A thrower may use any method but must ensure that both feet remain fully or partially on the ground during the throw and until the boule has landed.

The team further away from the cochonnet throw again and continue to do so until they have the nearer boule, or until they have none left to play.

It does not matter in which order players of the same team choose to throw their boules; this is a matter for individual team tactics.

Should it be impossible to detemine which of two opposing boules lies closest to the cochonnet, the team which threw last will continue to play unless they have no boules in hand.

TEAMS DO NOT THROW ALTERNATELY

When throwing his last boule, a player may not hold another boule.
When all boules have been played, and before any are moved, the score for that end is totalled up as follows:
The team whose boule lies closest to the cochonnet scores one point for that boule plus extra points for additional boules of theirs' closer than any of the opponents' until the sequence is halted by an opponent's boule.

THEREFORE ONLY ONE TEAM SCORES PER END

However, if two opposing boules are both closest to the cochonnet and exactly the same distance from it at the finish of an end, then both teams score one point only at that end.

The score for a completed end of play is taken forward and added onto the team's total for the next end, and so on.

The team winning the end has the honour of starting the next one, from where the cochonnet finished or an alternative mark agreed by both teams.

Any boule landing, rolling or being shot completely out of bounds ie. the whole boule passes over the boundary, even though it may roll back onto the piste, will be taken out of play for that end. A boule lying against a piste boundary remains in play.

In the event of the cochonnet being knocked off the piste during play, the end is void and must be replayed.
Except: if only one team has boules left to play when the cochonnet becomes dead, then that team will score as many points as it has boules in hand.

The winning team in a match will be that which has first accumulated nine pints points or whichever team has the greater number of points after four ends have been played.

(This scoring method will change during latter phases of this tournament and teams will be informed accordingly.)

After a match has been played, teams will accumulate league points as follows:
Win = 4
Tie = 2 for each team
Loss = 1
No show = 0, and win for opponents

The winning team has the responsibility for completing a match result card, showing the score and the league points for that match and placing it with the organiser. There will be a folder/wallet for placing completed match cards by your piste. In the event of a tied match, either team may complete the card. (It is important to ensure that team numbers are recorded, along with match score and league points.)

In the event of any dispute arising, then the organiser will make a judgement and that decision will be final.