When Teammates Want Different Shots

It’s 11-all. The opposition are holding one point, so as the boules sit they would go 12-11 ahead. Each team has one boule left, and yours is in your hand.

A teammate wants you to shoot the boule holding the point. At least then, taking away their point is in your hands. If you miss, you could leave them an easy point for two and the game.

There is a point you could play, but you’ve struggled with your pointing for much of the match. You’re torn. You look at the landing spot, then back at the boule your teammate wants you to shoot.

“What do you think?”

You’re the one who has to play the boule. Your teammates have a part in helping you feel settled with the choice, relaxed enough to prepare and supported when you step into the circle.

Say what’s making the choice difficult

Ask your teammate why they prefer the shot, and explain what is holding you back.

“That point’s been difficult all game. I’d shoot.”

“I’m worried that if I miss, they just point in for game.”

Look at the landing spot together. Is this the same point you’ve been struggling with, or is there a different shot available?

Your earlier points matter, but try to say what went wrong. Were you missing the landing spot, or were the boules reaching it and reacting differently from what you expected? That gives you something specific to discuss about the point available now.

If you don’t fancy the shot, say so. If you can explain what concerns you, that gives your teammate more to work with. You may still be unsure which shot you can deliver. That belongs in the conversation too.

What does your last boule need to do?

At 11-all, you’re considering what the opposition could do with their last boule as well as whether you can take the point.

Pointing could beat their boule, or at least leave yours close enough to make adding a second point harder.

Even if you take the point, they could shoot your boule, make a carreau and count two for game. They still have to make that shot. A missed shot from you could leave them a much easier reply, but a good point doesn’t guarantee you’ll survive the end either.

Explain where you intend your boule to finish and what that could leave them to play, so your teammate can help you weigh up the options.

Where Do You Want the Boule to Finish? explores how a boule’s position changes the opponent’s reply. Here, the question is whether you and your teammates are considering the same possibilities.

“If I don’t beat it, can I still make their last point difficult?”

The answer depends on the position and the shot you can play. Hearing your teammate’s view may change your choice. It may also help you understand why you want to keep it.

A reaction can leave something unsaid

Sometimes the disagreement is less obvious. You may think you understand your teammate’s reaction when they mean something else.

A study of two experienced table-tennis doubles partners captured that kind of misunderstanding. After one player missed an attacking shot, his partner frowned because he thought the attack had been an unnecessary risk. The player who missed took the frown as shared frustration that the opponents were catching up. Separate interviews using the match video revealed the difference.

This was one pair in one match. For pétanque, I take it as a reason to put the thought into words before the throw, while there is still a decision to make. The study didn’t test how to settle that decision.

Be settled with the shot before you step in

Saying yes to a teammate can end the discussion while leaving you undecided. You might agree to shoot, then enter the circle still wishing you were pointing.

If that’s where you are, say what remains unresolved. Is it the landing spot, the risk if you miss, or being asked to play a shot you don’t feel able to deliver? Keep the exchange within the time allowed to play, and use it to address that concern.

You may still feel nervous at 11-all. What I want is for the choice to be clear, so you’re ready to give that throw your attention.

Before you step in, say which shot you’ve settled on:

“I’m going to point. I’m happy with the landing spot.”

Before I head back to the circle, I always ask:

“Are we all in agreement?”

That gives me confidence. Everyone has a chance to raise anything still unresolved. Once we’ve agreed, I know we’re behind the choice together and I can put my attention into playing it.

When Do You Stop Looking? follows that next step: choosing the shot and giving yourself room to throw it.

Help your teammate feel ready to play

When my teammate has the boule, I see it as part of my job to help them feel relaxed and clear about what they’re going to play. That means listening to their concern, helping resolve it and making sure they know I support the choice.

If you’re offering advice, ask what they still need to settle. They may want to look at the landing spot together, talk through the shot once more or hear that you’re happy with the decision. Even if you usually make the calls, give them room to answer honestly.

Once they’re settled, give them room to prepare. Adding an extra “I’d still shoot” as they step into the circle reopens the decision. If you’ve spotted something new that changes it, say so; otherwise, back the shot you’ve agreed.

That support carries on after the throw. When my teammate plays a good boule, I tell them. I want them to feel positive about what they’ve just done and carry that confidence into their next shot.

If we agreed to shoot, a miss isn’t a reason to say afterwards that they should have pointed. We made that choice together. We can look at how the shot was played without leaving the player to defend the decision alone.

Return to it after the match

Make a mental note if there’s something worth learning from afterwards. A missed boule doesn’t tell you whether the other option would have worked.

Look at the shot you agreed to play. Were you settled when you stepped in, and did you play it as intended? Keep what the boule actually did alongside that: it may have missed your landing spot, or reached it and reacted differently from what you expected. A few words in the Pétanque Performance Journal after the match are enough to keep something useful for another day.

It’s a team game. When the boule is in your teammate’s hand, you still have a part to play: help them feel settled with the shot, then let them know you’re behind them.

Research

Poizat, G., Bourbousson, J., Saury, J., & Sève, C. (2012). Understanding team coordination in doubles table tennis: Joint analysis of first- and third-person data. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 13(5), 630–639. Read the paper.