Pétanque

The International Federation of Pétanque and Provençal Game estimates that the sport has around 10-12 million players worldwide in 160 countries.

According to thisispetanque, points are scored by having one or more of your boules closer to the target than those of your opponent, after all boules have been thrown. The origin of the game dates back to as early as the sixth century, according to Petanque Australia. However, the current form of the game originated in 1907 in La Ciotat, in Provence, France, which is now know as the Jules Lenoir Boulodrome. In the new game, the length of the field was reduced by roughly half and a player no longer engaged in a run-up while throwing a ball but stood stationary in a circle. And an estimated 1.5 million Chinese children apparently play the game at school, as per the report.

The object is to get your ball closer to the target than your opponent can. Give it a spin.

The game also gives you an arrow guide to show you the general direction your ball will travel. In Google's game the player with the ball closest to the target at the end of each round scores more points. But first, you might want to read on for some tips, then you can click the link at the end of the article.

Google has a delightful new multiplayer Doodle that lets you play a game of pétanque online. You can play with friends or be randomly matched up with an ...

Google has a delightful new multiplayer Doodle that lets you play a game of pétanque online. The goal of pétanque is to throw your ball (the boule) as close as you can to a little ball (the cochonnet) on the playing field in front of you. On your computer, you’ll “throw” the ball by clicking on the boule and dragging back with your mouse to slingshot it forward; on a phone, you’ll toss the boule with your thumb (kind of like throwing a Poké Ball in Pokémon Go). You get points for having more boules close to the cochonnet than your opponent, and whoever has the most points after three rounds wins.

If you've been on holiday to France, the chances are you will have seen people playing pétanque - here's everything you need to know about it.

Their origins lie with the Ancient Greeks, who played their own games tossing flat stones and, subsequently, stone balls. Opposing players can try and smash their opponents boules out of the way of the way of the target, a tactic known as “shooting”. The game allows users to cast their boules with the click of a mouse, competing online either with their friends or random players around the world.