Developed into its present form in Italy, it is closely related to English bowls and French pétanque, with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire.

Bocce is played around Western, Southern, and Southeastern Europe, as well as in overseas areas with historical Italian immigrant population, including Australia, North America, and South America, principally Argentina and the southern Brazilian states of Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina.

[6] Having developed from games played in the Roman Empire, Bocce developed into its present form in Italy,[7] where it is called bocce, the plural of the Italian word boccia which means 'bowl' in the general sporting sense,[8] it spread around Europe and also in regions to which Italians have migrated.

[11][12][13] In Slovenia the sport is known as balinanje[14] or colloquially 'playing boče', or bale (from Italian bocce and Venetian bałe, meaning 'balls').

[18][19] Bocce balls can be made of wood (traditional), metal,[17] baked clay, or various kinds of plastic.

[7] A variation called bocce volo uses a metal ball, which is thrown overhand (palm down), after a run-up to the throwing line.

Another French variant of the game is called pétanque, and (lacking the run-up) is more similar in some respects to traditional bocce.