Quite simply: for every ball which lies closer with the aim ball (little pig) than the next of the opposing team there is a point. Every team plays with 6 balls (except with the Tête à tête with which every player has only 3 balls), with the double two players with three, with the triplet three players with two balls. Points are counted if all balls are played.

After "Adam Riese" (former german mathematics genious) a team can achieve maximum 6 points, just if all her balls are closer in the little pig than the next of the opposing team (what seems, however, extremely seldom). So how does it go on? Now, then the next passageway is played; we call the admission. The team who has scored in the previous admission may start and pulls a circle (Ø 35 - 50 cm) here where in the previous admission the little pig lay; then a player of the team throws the same in a distance between 6 and 10 metres on the play area.

Before now the next admission is played, short to the "boule-throwing" in general: The job is to be laid, the ball very near to the little pig, the aim ball (from the circle of course). Therefore, one calls the player who is now in the row pointer. Nevertheless, is clear, or? Called in the French "Pointeur", and that is about pointer, what one can lay out in two things manner: either that is meant with it which lays a point, or, however, the player who can point exactly place his ball (this does not mean automatically close to the little pig, because it is not always advised to lay his ball very near to the aim ball, but this already belongs to the "finesse" of the Pétanque and cannot be explained here closer).

So which begins admission: the pointer from team A (we call it thus) has layed a Biberon (frz. To lay "bottle"), that is his ball lies directly with the little pig. His team has at the moment the point what means, now the others are to be dotted in it and must try for their part.

What do? Even closer to the aim ball one is not quite able to. This is a nice job for the hunter in the team (frz." tireur"). This positions itself in the circle, swings and throws his ball then in such a way that this flies in the high curve on the ball of the opponent, this hits and shoots off from the play. The applause is sure to the hunter, particularly if he shoots "palét", that is his shot ball remains lying in the play, or to him even (of all "Boulistes") dream "carreau sur place" succeeds: where just still the opposing ball lay, now his own lies after the shot, he has "exchanged". This is, so to speak, the brilliant piece, maybe comparably with an ace in the tennis (only not so often) or hole-in-one with the gulf.

Shooting (and meet) one is able in variously manner: "au fer", so from the air directly "on the iron", one can touch down shortly before to the opponent boule; one can turn on the shot ball as with "slice" in the tennis, so that she after the hit not flies away so far etc. of banality one can also shoot a hole, and that is in contrast to hole in one with the gulf nothing good, it simply means: besides.

Back as the play course: The hunter of team B has (we imagine) a hole shot (takes place more often). Either he tries it once again, or, however, the pointer goes to the circle and tries, to push the opposing ball (which lies unfortunately still exactly with the little pig) with his ball away to lie then - maybe - closer with the little pig, so that team A would be on it´s part again in it.

This is not quite easy of course also for an expert, then in general the admission will end in such a way that team B tries to defend so well that her opponent does not make more than only this one point in this admission. However, in the course of such an admission still a lot can arise, possibly succeeds the hunter (who shoots in such a situation ordinarily after an unsuccessful attempt once again) then with the second shot palét, and team A is level again in the row (because the shot ball now closer in the little pig there lies than her ball) etc.... Then sometime all 12 balls are played, the points are counted and when still no team is with 13, the play with the next admission goes on.

As far as so well, but: what are, actually, triplets? Tête à tête is clear, there the single player with his three balls must make just everything: lay, shoot the little pig to the back to own ball push (yes, this is permitted), shoot the opposing ball away, lay "boule dévant" (own ball directly before the opposing one, so that with a shot of the opponent his ball is in danger also of being shot off) and what there is there else for tactical matter.

Now we imagine this good Tête à tête player as a player in the triplet (in memory: three players with two balls): clearly which plays heard in the middle, he is playing as "milieu" between pointer and hunter. His job is not so clearly outlined, he must just lay according to situation or shoot or "do magic". Who thinks now, however, with it all variations would be outbidded, has far from it: very good triplets distinguish itself, for example, by the fact that the pointer, after he has made for hours nothing else than lay, all at once because it must just be, shoots "carreau" (yes, he is allowed). The allocation of duties in the team is subjected to no regulation, even if the basic formation: pointeur, milieu, tireur is already very familiar.

The charm of the play lies in, among the rest, just in the fact that there are in every play situation several possibilities to react; strategical considerations (what I am able to do best of all, where there lie the weaknesses of the opponent, how I build my play on...), like tactical decisions in combination with the technical and playful possibilities of every team, prove such a varied possibility of variation width which an accidental viewer ("oh well, they throw there her balls around I believe one must meet the small ball or thus") can hardly foresee.

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