Fanny yes or no: when the rule really applies in pétanque

1.The origin of the fanny: tradition or rule?

The fanny is above all a Provençal tradition born in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid (or, according to other accounts, in a café in the Draguignan area). Legend has it that a waitress named Fanny, after a team lost 13-0, offered the jubilant crowd a kiss on her cheek... other than the one on her face. The tradition was born.

Today, the fanny in its ritual form — kissing the buttocks of a representation of Fanny (painting, figurine) or undergoing a forfeit decided by the club — is a club tradition, not an FFPJP regulatory obligation. The official federal rules don't mention the word "fanny" and impose no ceremony tied to the 13-0 score.

The fanny tradition goes back at least to the early 20th century in Provence. It spread throughout France over the decades, to the point where many players consider it an official rule. It isn't one — it's a custom, as beautiful as it may be.

2.What the FFPJP rules do (and don't) say

The official rules of the French Federation of Pétanque and Provençal Game (FFPJP) contain no mention of the fanny. Nowhere in the 34 articles of the rules is there any obligation or sanction tied to the 13-0 score, except… the end of the game.

What the FFPJP rules say about the score: a game is played to 13 points. The team that reaches 13 points first wins the game. A team beaten 13-0 has therefore lost the game in the regulatory sense — but no ceremony is prescribed. The fanny custom falls under the club's internal rules or local customs, not the federal rules.

The exception: competitions that include the fanny in their rules

Some competitions — especially friendly tournaments or mêlées — include the fanny in their own rules. In that case, the fanny has regulatory value for that specific competition. But it's the competition's rules that impose it, not the FFPJP.

3.The precise conditions that trigger the fanny

According to tradition (and the clubs that have formalised it in their rules), the fanny applies under very precise conditions:

13-0 score at the end of the game

The basic condition: the losing team finishes the game with zero points. If it scored even a single point during the game, there's no fanny. The 13-0 score must be the final score of the complete game.

Only at the end of the game, not during an end

A 13-0 score at the end of a game is not the same thing as a 13-0 end. The fanny concerns exclusively the final score of the game. If a team has 0 points while the opponent reaches 13, the fanny is declared at that precise moment.

Within the framework where the club or competition applies it

Without a club or competition rule that provides for it, the fanny is only a proposal that the winning team can make to the losing team. The losing team can theoretically refuse if no framework obliges it.

Find out about your club's customs before claiming or refusing a fanny. In many clubs, the fanny is part of the unwritten but universally respected rules. Refusing can create an awkward atmosphere, even if regulation-wise nothing obliges you to it outside an official framework.

4.Table: fanny applicable or not by context

5.The forms the fanny can take depending on the clubs

The "classic" form of the fanny (kissing the buttocks of a representation of Fanny) is the most widespread in the south of France. But clubs have adapted the tradition to their own customs. So you find fannys in the form of a forfeit (buying the round, singing a song), in a symbolic form (marking the score with a cross on a dedicated board), or in a humorous form specific to the club.

In some clubs, the fanny comes with a precise protocol: the losing team has to go through with it in front of the members present, and refusal is considered an offence against the club's conviviality. It all depends on the context and local customs. The fanny tradition is above all a cohesion factor and a source of humour in clubs — its application must stay in that spirit.

6.The 13-0 score: how do you get there?

Reaching 13-0 in pétanque is rarer than you'd think. It implies the losing team never held the point throughout the game, and the winning team scored in every end. For a quick 13-0, you often need ends of 3 or 4 points each time — which presupposes total technical domination.

In practice, a 13-0 often occurs in very unbalanced conditions: a beginner team against experts, a terrain particularly favourable to one team, or a day when everything goes right for one and nothing for the other. The fanny is rare in official competition between teams of the same level — which contributes to its legendary side when it occurs.

7.Can you refuse or "avoid" the fanny?

On a purely regulatory FFPJP level: yes. Since the fanny isn't a federal rule, no official text can oblige you to perform it outside the rules of a competition or a club. The game ends at a 13-0 score, and that's it from the FFPJP's point of view.

On a practical and social level: refusing the fanny in a club where it's a strong tradition can create tension. If your club's rules provide for it, refusal can even have consequences for your participation in activities. Always find out about your club's rules and customs before playing. And if you give a fanny to your opponents, always keep the spirit of conviviality that should accompany this tradition.

To avoid difficult situations — including the fanny — you have to know how to handle the pressure of important moments. This book explores the mindset, score management and the techniques to stay performant when everything gets complicated.

FAQ — Your frequent questions

© Pétanque by Paquita — petanqueland.fr · 📘 Discover my books on PetanqueLand
Article based on the official FFPJP rules of pétanque and the traditions of the game. To be adapted according to the club's local customs.