Coaching
Want a little extra help/support?
Joe Sheffield is our Regional and Petanque England Coach.
He is fully DBS accredited and is willing to coach anyone on a 1-to-1 or group basis.
If you wish to contact him to gain his services click the button below or get in touch via the contact page.
Some basic rules and etiquette whilst playing pétanque (2025)
The purpose of the following information is to help players avoid getting penalty cards, from umpires, at the Inter-Regionals and other competitive events. The following comments are not comprehensive and do not replace the official rule set.
Petanque England - Umpiring Exam 2025
The following email was sent from Mike Pegg to the EMPA secretary on September 4th 2025.
Dear Club Contact,
Following the success of our umpiring course in April, the Umpiring Commission is delighted to invite candidates to take the 2025 umpiring exam which will take place at Leicester PC, Weston Park, Hinckley Road, Leicester, LE3 6HX, starting at 9 am on 22 November 2025.
The exam consists of two parts:
1. A written test consisting of questions based on scenarios that umpires may encounter during competitions.
2. A practical exam in which each candidate will conduct a series of typical umpiring measures.
While the exam is primarily aimed at club umpire candidates, existing umpires wishing to improve their grade are also welcome to take it.
If you have any members in your club who are interested in taking the exam, please give them a copy of the attached pamphlet about umpiring, which includes the exam application form.
As explained in the pamphlet, the form can be completed on a computer, tablet, or smartphone using a PDF app such as Adobe Reader.
The candidate or club secretary should then save or print page 5 as a PDF and give the new file a title, such as the candidate's name.
The completed form should then be emailed to umpiring@petanque-england.uk.
If you or your candidate have any questions about the exam, please email me at umpiring@petanque-england.uk.
Kind regards
Mike
In the meantime here's a few other helpful links
Get a Grip (Tips on learning the correct grip in Petanque)
In a Spin (Tips on spin technique in Petanque)
(Links courtesy of Ray Ager, Brighton & Hove Pétanque Club via Petanque U.K. Website)