📱 Rules — Umpiring

Video umpiring on a smartphone in pétanque

Q: Is a FFPJP umpire obliged to watch a video if it's presented to them?

Non. L'arbitre est libre de consulter ou non une vidéo. Sa décision reste souveraine et aucun texte ne l'oblige à réviser son jugement sur la base d'une vidéo de smartphone.

Q: Can you film an official pétanque game?

Filmer depuis les tribunes est généralement autorisé. Utiliser la vidéo pour contester une décision arbitrale n'est pas prévu par le règlement et peut être interprété comme une contestation d'autorité.

Q: Is video really useful for measuring the distance between two boules?

Rarement : distorsions d'angle et de profondeur de champ rendent l'évaluation des distances peu fiable. La mesure physique reste la seule méthode réglementaire.

Q: In a leisure competition, how should you use video to umpire well?

S'assurer que les deux équipes acceptent la vidéo avant de la visionner, vérifier qu'elle a été filmée en bonne position avant tout déplacement des boules, et revenir à la mesure physique si l'image n'est pas concluante.

Q: Will the FFPJP rules evolve to include video?

Aucune modification officielle n'est annoncée pour 2026. La mesure physique reste possible en quelques secondes, ce qui rend l'urgence moins pressante qu'dans d'autres sports.

Filming a shot to check whether a boule was good, replaying in slow motion to settle a dispute: is it allowed? What the FFPJP rules really say — and what practice dictates.

Rules & umpiring All levels By Paquita Reading: 8 min

Since smartphones film in ultra-high definition and slow motion, the question has become unavoidable at boulodromes: can video be used to umpire? Can you show the opponent that their boule was out, or that the jack had moved before being hit? The FFPJP rules didn't foresee the smartphone as an official umpiring tool — but the reality on the pitch is more nuanced. Full breakdown.

reference

to the smartphone in the 2026 FFPJP rules

3 sec

slow motion

is enough to see what the naked eye can't

case

where video can legitimately help without breaking the rules

rule

only the official umpire has authority over the final decision

1.Why the question arises today

Ten years ago, filming a pétanque game required a dedicated camera. Today, every player has a device in their pocket capable of filming in 4K at 120 frames per second. Slow motion reveals what the human eye can't capture: whether a boule touched the frame edge before coming into play, whether the jack had already moved before contact, whether the two boules are equidistant from the jack.

On friendly pitches, the spontaneous use of video has spread — to settle disputes, but also sometimes to fuel arguments. In official competition, the situation is different: the rules precisely govern who has the right to umpire and how.

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Key point: the FFPJP rules designate the umpire as the sole authority on the pitch in competition. No private video device can replace their decision — even if the video clearly shows the opposite.

2.What the rules say (or don't say)

The 2026 FFPJP rules don't mention the smartphone, video, or any recording device as an umpiring tool. This absence isn't an oversight: it's a deliberate choice to keep human umpiring as the only reference.

In official competition, the umpire has sole authority to settle any dispute. Their decision is final, even in case of contestation. They may accept or refuse to watch a video for information, but no rule compels them to — and their decision remains sovereign, video or no video.

In leisure play or unofficial competition, there's no imposed rule: players organise themselves as they see fit. So video can legitimately be used if both teams accept it as a reference — but as soon as a disagreement persists, you fall back to classic umpiring methods (measuring, appointing an umpire).

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Paquita's advice

Before pulling out your smartphone to umpire, ask the question out loud: « Do we both agree to go by the video? » If one team refuses, the video has no value to settle it — and insisting only makes the dispute worse. Both teams' prior agreement is essential.

3.Cases where video can help

There are several situations where a video brings useful information without breaking anything:

Boule out of the pitch

If a boule grazed the edge and no one clearly saw whether it crossed, a video filmed from a good position can remove the doubt. It's one of the most frequent cases where video is accepted by consensus, in leisure play as in amateur competition.

Jack movement before the shot

A jack displaced by a rolling boule before being hit by the intended shot — a rare situation but a source of disputes. A slow-motion video shows the order of events unambiguously. It's probably the most objectively useful case for video.

Compared distance between boules

Two boules appearing "level" in distance from the jack: a top-down vertical video can sometimes remove the doubt, even though physical measurement remains the regulatory reference. In practice, if the image is sharp enough and taken from a good position, it can be enough to close the debate.

4.Cases where it causes problems

Video doesn't solve everything — and can even make some disputes worse:

Insufficient camera angle: a video filmed from the side or from a low angle gives a distorted image of distances and positions. It can even mislead, and each side will interpret what they see to their advantage.

No reference position: for a video to be useful, it must have been filmed before the boules were moved. If someone has already touched the boules to "check", the video no longer shows the original situation.

In official competition: pulling out a smartphone during an umpire's decision is liable to be interpreted as a challenge to the umpire's authority. The umpire can decide to uphold their decision without consulting the video, and any pressure applied can be sanctioned.

Reliability of umpiring methods — out of 10

Physical measurement (folding rule, tape measure) · 10/10

Absolute regulatory reference. Always takes priority over any other method.

Well-filmed smartphone video · 6/10

Useful for boules out or a displaced jack, if the viewing angle is correct.

Naked eye alone · 4/10

Subjective, influenced by position and stakes. The main source of disputes.

5.Comparative table of umpiring methods

Medium	Official competition	Leisure / amateur competition
Physical measurement	Regulatory	Always valid
Umpire's decision	Absolute authority	If appointed
Smartphone video	Tolerated, not mandatory	If both teams agree
Naked eye / consensus	Insufficient in case of a dispute	Acceptable if unanimous

6.What really happens on the pitch

The reality of boulodromes often goes beyond the strict regulatory framework. In practice, here's what's observed:

In leisure play: video is increasingly used spontaneously, and it's generally accepted graciously when both teams play in a fair-play spirit. It avoids needless arguments over situations no one saw clearly. A verbal agreement is enough: « Shall we look at the video? » — and if everyone says yes, it's valid.

In amateur competition: usage varies by organiser. Some explicitly accept video for cases of boules out or a displaced jack. Others maintain the "physical measurement only" rule. The wise move is to check before the competition.

In federal competition: video never replaces the umpire. It can be shown to illustrate an appeal, but the umpire is free to disregard it. No official result has ever been overturned on the sole basis of a smartphone video presented by a player.

Average time to resolve a dispute by method

Measurement

~15 seconds

Video

~45 seconds

Referee

1–3 minutes

Verbal debate

variable, often long

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FAQ — Your frequently asked questions

Is a FFPJP umpire obliged to watch a video if it's presented to them?+

No. The umpire is free to consult a video or not. They may watch it for information, but their decision remains sovereign and no text compels them to revise their judgement on the basis of a video. In official competition, their decision is final and without appeal in the heat of the moment.

Can you film an official pétanque game?+

Filming from the stands or as a spectator is generally allowed, unless the organiser says otherwise. Filming as a player during the game (outside active play moments) is tolerated, but using that video to contest an umpire's decision isn't provided for by the rules and can be interpreted as a challenge to authority.

Is video really useful for measuring the distance between two boules?+

Rarely, because depth of field and viewing angle create distortions. A video filmed from the side can make a boule look closer than it is. Physical measurement with a folding rule remains by far the most reliable method and the only one recognised by the rules. Video can remove the doubt for "very obvious" cases, but never for tight situations.

In a leisure competition, how should you use video to umpire well?+

Three practical rules: (1) make sure both teams accept the video as a reference before watching it; (2) check that the video was filmed from a good position, before any boule was moved; (3) if the image isn't conclusive, go back to physical measurement or appoint a pitch umpire. Video should remove the doubt, not create a new one.

Will the FFPJP rules evolve to include video?+

No official change has been announced on this for 2026. The trend in team sports is to gradually integrate video into umpiring, but for pétanque, the simplicity of the game (physical measurement possible in a few seconds) makes the urgency less pressing. The topic exists in federal discussions, but with no precise timetable.

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