Bocce volo

Bocce volo ('flying bocce') is a variant of bocce, a boules-type game.

In bocce volo, the balls are thrown underhand (palm up) and rarely they are thrown overhand (palm under), and are metal. In standard bocce, the wooden or plastic balls are tossed underhand (palm up) and rolled.

Volo, as it is called for short by the Italians, derives its name from the Italian verb volare meaning 'to fly', and refers to the technique of throwing a ball through the air in an attempt to knock away an opponent's ball.

It is basically the same game as, and the Italian counterpart of, the French game jeu provençal, also known as boule lyonnaise, the ancestor of pétanque. Bocce volo is similar to pétanque in that the ball is thrown rather than rolled or bowled. It is similar to traditional bocce (and different from pétanque) in that the ball is delivered with a run-up. A volo players' run-up is athletic, even theatrical, as in jeu provençal.

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