Petanque is played with hollow steel balls known as boules, and a small wooden target ball or jack. The game is usually played on a gravel-topped terrain at least 12m long, but this need not to be a purpose-built area and petanque can be played informally on many other types of surface, such as a sandy beach..

Games can be played as either:

• Singles: Two individual players, each with 3 boules;
• or Doubles: Two teams of two players, with 3 boules per player;
• or Triples: Two teams of three players, with 2 boules per player

Boules are supplied in sets of three, all with identical markings called striations. These help to identify each player’s boules during a game.

• Boules are typically thrown underhand, with the palm facing downwards, allowing them to be lobbed through the air rather than rolled on the ground. While this technique isn’t mandated by the rules, it enables the player to apply backspin and enhances control over the boule.
• A convenient prefabricated plastic ‘ring’ serves as an alternative to drawing a circle on the ground.
• To ‘point’ means to throw a boule so that it lands close to the jack.
• To ‘shoot’ refers to striking an opponent’s boule, either to remove it from play or to push it farther from the jack.
• There are no specific rules governing which team members can point or shoot; however, players often specialize in one of these skills, identifying themselves as ‘pointers’ or ‘shooters’ accordingly.
• Cochonnet (or ‘coche’) is an informal term for the jack, derived from the French word for ‘little pig’.
• Being ‘Fannied’ means losing a game without scoring any points—resulting in a score of 0 : 13.