Pétanque (French pronunciation: [petɑ̃k] , locally in Provence [peˈtãᵑkə]; Occitan: petanca [peˈtaŋkɔ] ) is a sport that falls into the category of boules sports, along with raffa, bocce, boule lyonnaise, lawn bowls and crown green bowling. In all of these sports, players or teams play their boules/balls towards a target ball. The game is normally and best played on hard dirt or gravel. It can be played in public areas in parks or in dedicated facilities called boulodromes.