Dead jack during an end: the 7 official cases in the pétanque rules

The dead jack during an end is one of the most important topics in the pétanque rules — and one of the most misunderstood on terrains. When the jack moves after a shot or a point, players often wonder: "Is it still good or is it dead?" The official FIPJP rules provide for precise and exhaustive. Cette fiche t'aide à comprendre la logique officielle pour éviter les erreurs et les conflits. 7 cas officiels listés par le règlement FIPJP pour déclarer le but nul 2 conséquences mène nulle ou attribution de points selon les boules restantes 1 réflexe stopper le jeu immédiatement dès que le doute apparaît

Why this rule is central

The jack isn't a decorative detail — it's the absolute reference for the whole end. Every measurement, every point, a team's entire strategy is built around its position. When it becomes dead, the whole end turns on its head.

🎯The end can be cancelled — in some cases, no one scores and it's replayed.
🏆Points can be awarded — in other cases, the team that still had bowls to play scores automatically.
🔄Play resumes according to a defined procedure — not according to the random agreement of the players present.
⚖️It's not a house rule — improvising a "logical" solution in case of doubt is the number one source of post-end conflicts.

⛔ The most costly mistake

Continuing to play after a potentially dead jack. If the situation isn't settled immediately, it becomes very difficult to contest the score afterwards — even if the rule was in your favour. Stop, check, then replay.

The 7 official cases of a dead jack

The FIPJP rules exhaustively list the situations in which the jack is declared dead during an end. These cases are exhaustive : outside these 7 situations, the jack remains valid even if it has moved.

1 🚧 Jack out of the terrain or in a forbidden terrain

The jack has been moved into an area outside the defined playing limits — terrain boundary, fixed obstacle, off-terrain area. It is immediately declared dead.

🔴 Common case 2 👁️ Jack not visible from the circle

The jack must be visible from the throwing circle by the player about to play. If a bowl or an obstacle completely masks it, the rules regulate this situation precisely. Note: a partially masked jack is not automatically dead — this is the case that causes the most confusion on terrains.

🔴 Very common case — source of conflicts 3 📏 Jack outside the regulated distances

Following an impact, the jack ended up at a distance from the circle of less than 6 metres or more than 10 metres (official FIPJP distances). The distance no longer being compliant, the jack is dead. See our article on the regulated playing distances.

🟡 Moderately common case 4 🔍 Jack not found after the search time

On a difficult terrain, the jack can disappear after a violent impact. The rules provide for a search time. If the jack is not found within this time, it is declared dead. This case is more common than you'd think on grassy or very stony terrains.

🟡 Case specific to difficult terrains 5 🤚 Jack moved by a player, an animal or a third party

If the jack is accidentally moved by a player, a spectator, an animal or any external element, the rules distinguish several situations depending on whether the movement is attributable to a team or not. In some of these cases, the jack is declared dead.

🟡 Situational case 6 💧 Jack carried away by water or an unforeseen obstacle

On an outdoor terrain, a puddle of water, a strong air current or an unforeseen obstacle can move the jack uncontrollably. If this movement takes it out of the valid area or makes it non-compliant, it is dead.

🔵 Rare but real case 7 ⭕ Jack in the throwing circle area

If the jack, after being moved, ends up inside or too close to the throwing circle, its position no longer allows regular play. The rules provide that this situation results in the jack being dead.

🔵 Rare case 💡 Paquita's tip

These 7 cases are the only ones that matter. If a player invokes a different reason to declare the jack dead, it's a house rule — not the official rules. In case of serious doubt, the umpire is the only legitimate authority to settle it. Our page umpiring videos illustrates several of these situations with concrete examples.

Live jack or dead jack: the decision flowchart

The most common confusion comes from a wrong reflex: believing that a jack that has moved is automatically dead. That's not the case. The jack can move, be touched, even move considerably far away — and remain perfectly valid if none of the 7 cases applies.

🚫 DEAD jack — official cases

Out of the terrain or in a forbidden zone
Completely invisible from the circle (under the specified conditions)
Outside the regulated distances (less than 6 m or more than 10 m)
Not found after the official search time
Moved by a third party under certain conditions
Carried away by an unforeseen obstacle outside the valid area
In the throwing circle area

✅ LIVE jack — it remains valid

Moved by a bowl within the valid area
Partially masked by a bowl
In a difficult but accessible position
Touched but still visible from the circle
Far from the starting point but within the distances
In a hollow or on a natural relief
Wedged against a bowl or a natural obstacle

📄 Principe clé FIPJP Le but reste valide tant qu'il n'entre pas dans l'un des cas de nullité prévus par le règlement. Le simple fait qu'il ait bougé, qu'il soit dans une position incommode ou que sa position avantage une équipe ne suffit pas à le déclarer nul. Source : Règlement officiel FIPJP — Article sur la validité du but en cours de mène

What happens when the jack is dead?

The consequence of a dead jack isn't always a cancelled end. It depends on the number of bowls remaining in each team at the moment the jack becomes dead.

Situation at the moment of the dead jack	Official consequence	Who scores?
Both teams still have bowls to play	Dead end	Nobody — the end is replayed
Only one team still has bowls to play	Points awarded	The team that still had bowls scores as many points as it had bowls remaining
Neither team has any bowls remaining	Dead end	Nobody — the end is replayed
Dead jack following a player's fault	Umpire's decision	The umpire applies the sanctions provided for depending on the context

⚠ Classic trap

The most common mistake is to systematically cancel the end without checking whether there are still bowls to play. If a team still had 2 bowls in hand at the moment the jack becomes dead, it scores 2 points — a dead end is not the right answer in this case.

The official 3-step procedure

As soon as doubt arises about the validity of the jack, there's only one course of action:

1 Stop play immediately Don't play any additional bowl until the situation is settled. Any bowl played after a potentially dead jack that hasn't been recorded makes the dispute harder. 2 Check the position and visibility of the jack Check whether the jack falls into one of the 7 official cases. In an umpired competition: call the umpire immediately. In an unumpired game: agree between players on the basis of the rules, not a "house rule". 3 Apply the official consequence before replaying Depending on the number of bowls remaining: dead end or awarding of points. Count the bowls remaining in each team before before deciding. Then resume play normally. 📋

This procedure also applies to the hidden jack or masked jack — a special case that's worth knowing about separately, as partial visibility isn't enough to declare the jack dead.

Common mistakes on the terrain

✗Continuing to play when the jack is clearly out or unfound — the score becomes disputed and hard to correct afterwards.
✗Systematically cancelling the end when points should be awarded — it's penalising for the team that still had bowls.
✗Forgetting to count the remaining bowls before deciding on the consequence — yet it's the key criterion that determines everything.
✗Confusing a masked jack with a dead jack — a jack partially hidden by a bowl remains valid in the vast majority of cases.
✗Inventing an 8th case — "it's dead because it moved too much", "it's too far away now"... These justifications don't exist in the official rules.
✗Waiting until after the end to dispute — a dead jack not reported during the end will be very hard to uphold once the points have been counted.

🎯 Paquita's reminder

The jack throw at the start of an end follows its own validity rules — distinct from the cases of nullity during an end. A jack invalidated from the outset (non-compliant throw, incorrect distance) is a different case from these 7 situations. The two articles complement each other.

FAQ — Your frequent questions

No. It's one of the most common confusions. A partially masked jack is not dead within the meaning of the FIPJP rules. Case 2 specifically concerns the completely invisible jack under the conditions provided for by the article in question. A jack that can be glimpsed even partially from the circle generally remains valid. In case of doubt, see the dedicated article on the hidden jack. The FIPJP rules provide for a search time, but its exact duration is not universally quantified — it falls to the umpire's discretion or, in the absence of an umpire, to a reasonable agreement between the players. In an umpired competition, call the umpire as soon as the jack can't be found: it's they who decide on the time and officially record the nullity if necessary. In a game without an umpire, both teams must agree on the basis of the official rules. If disagreement persists, in a competition, an umpire or a competition official must be called in. In a friendly game, it's better to replay the end rather than let the conflict escalate — but agreeing on the right rule remains the goal. No, not automatically. Sending the jack off the terrain with a bowl is not a fault in itself — it's simply a case of a dead jack (case 1). The consequence is the nullity of the jack under the usual rules (dead end or awarding of points depending on the bowls remaining). Only a deliberate fault or unsporting behaviour could result in additional disciplinary sanction from the umpire. No. The nullity of the jack is assessed during the end, at the moment the situation occurs. Once all the bowls have been played and the points have been counted and accepted, the end is closed. It's no longer possible to retrospectively contest the validity of the jack to call the score into question. Oui, les 7 cas de but nul s'appliquent de manière identique en tête-à-tête, doublette et triplette. Seul le nombre de boules restantes à comptabiliser pour déterminer les conséquences change selon le format (6 boules par équipe en triplette, 7 en doublette, 3 en tête-à-tête). 📚 Sources officielles

📎 Articles liés Rules Validity of the jack throw — the official conditions at the start of an end Rules Hidden jack: why you can no longer mark it Rules Playing distance in pétanque — the official measurements 2026 Rules Mandatory rigid circle — everything that changes Rules How long to play? The one-minute rule Umpiring Umpiring videos — decisions and applications of the rules 2026 Rules Sweeping = card — Article 10 clarified Full rules Official FFPJP rules — full commented version

© Pétanque by Paquita — petanqueland.fr
Content based on the official FIPJP rules. In case of doubt, always consult the official version in force.