Boccia is a precision ball sport, similar to bocce and related to bowls and petanque, contested at local, national and international levels by athletes with severe physical disabilities. It was originally designed for people with cerebral palsy but now includes athletes with other severe disabilities that affect motor skills. Players throw leather balls, coloured red or blue, as close as they can to a white target ball called the jack, and a side scores one point for each ball closer to the jack than the opponent's closest ball. It can be played by individuals, pairs or teams of three, and competitors may move the ball with their hands, their feet or an assistive device such as a ramp. Competitive boccia was first played at the 1984 Summer Paralympics, and the sport has been governed by the Boccia International Sports Federation since 2013. With goalball it is one of two Paralympic sports that have no counterpart in the Olympic programme.
Facts
Team or Individual Contact Level Playing Surface Equipment Required Classification
Olympic Programme Status Connections
Derived From
Played By
Source Dan Bentley (Wikipedia)
Source David Smith (boccia) (Wikipedia)
Source Nigel Murray (Wikipedia)
Source Stephen McGuire (Wikipedia)
Source Zoe Robinson (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Boccia (Wikipedia)
Lead and rules
The first edition of competitive boccia was at the 1984 Summer Paralympics
Lead and rules, olympic programme status
one of two Paralympic sports (along with goalball) that have no counterpart in the Olympic program
Lead and rules, team or individual
Boccia can be played by individuals, pairs, or teams of three.
Lead and rules, contact level
The aim of the game is to throw leather balls
Lead and rules, playing surface
The surface of the court is flat and smooth
Derived From: Bocce, Lead
it is a Paralympic variant of bocce (boules)
View the SourceDan Bentley (Wikipedia)
Played By: Dan Bentley, LeadQuote, Played By: Dan Bentley, Lead
Daniel James Bentley (born 15 August 1984 in Chelmsford) is a Paralympic boccia player with cerebral palsy.
David Smith (boccia) (Wikipedia)
Played By: David Smith (boccia), LeadQuote, Played By: David Smith (boccia), Lead
David John Smith (born 2 March 1989) is a British Paralympic athlete in the sport of boccia.
Stephen McGuire (Wikipedia)
Played By: Stephen McGuire, LeadQuote, Played By: Stephen McGuire, Lead
Stephen William McGuire (born 18 August 1984) is a Scottish Boccia player from Bellshill, Scotland.
Nigel Murray (Wikipedia)
Played By: Nigel Murray, LeadQuote, Played By: Nigel Murray, Lead
He is twelve time English National Champion and seven time British Champion and multiple Paralympic medal winner in the sport of boccia.
Zoe Robinson (Wikipedia)
Played By: Zoe Robinson, LeadQuote, Played By: Zoe Robinson, Lead
Zoe Robinson is a British boccia player who won a gold medal in the Team BC1-2 event at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
Choose a year to see this entry's facts and connections as the atlas records them at that moment: what it held then, what it held instead, and what it had not yet adopted. Choose Present for the current record.