Bocce is a game of skill and strategy. Athletes can participate in Unified Sports® events. Unified Sports® is a program that assigns Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (partners) to the same teams for training and competition.
In Unified Bocce, a doubles team consists of one Special Olympics athlete and one partner; a traditional team consists of two Special Olympics athletes and two partners. As in all Special Olympics sports, athletes are grouped in competition divisions according to ability level, age and gender.
Singles (one player per team)
Doubles (two players per team)
Unified Doubles (two players per team)
- Bocce was introduced at the World Games level for the first time in 1995.
- Thirty-four Minnesota delegations currently offer athletes the opportunity to train and compete in bocce.
- Bocce was added as a state level sport in Minnesota in 2002, when 18 athletes participated.