When to watch boccia during the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games
Boccia events will take place between Thursday, August 29 and Thursday, September 5 in Paris. Taking its name from the Italian word for “ball,” boccia was originally developed as a competition for people with cerebral palsy, a condition affecting the brain that controls muscle movement.
Today, the boccia contingent competing at the Paralympic Games includes athletes from as many as 75 countries.
Paris marks the third consecutive Paralympics that the U.S. has not qualified an athlete in boccia.
There are four defined classes for boccia, which determines which athletes will compete against one another. Below is a list and description of each class as designated by World Boccia.
| BC1 | Players in this class throw the ball with the hand or foot. They may compete with an assistant who stays outside of the competitor’s playing box, to stabilize or adjust their playing chair and give the ball to the player when requested. |
| BC2 | Players in this class throw the ball with the hand. They are not eligible for assistance. |
| BC3 | Players in this class have very severe locomotor dysfunction in all four extremities. Players in this class have no sustained grasp or release action and although they may have arm movement, they have insufficient range of movement to propel a Boccia ball onto the court. They may use an assistive device such as a ramp to deliver the ball. They may compete with an assistant; assistants must keep their back to the court and their eyes averted from play. |
| BC4 | Players in this class have severe locomotor dysfunction of all four extremities as well as poor trunk control. They can demonstrate sufficient dexterity to throw the ball onto the court. Players are not eligible for assistance. |
Venue
The boccia competition will move into the South Paris Arena #1, part of the Paris Expo complex, during the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
Events
- Individual BC1 (women’s, men’s)
- Individual BC2 (women’s, men’s)
- Individual BC3 (women’s, men’s)
- Individual BC4 (women’s, men’s)
- Mixed team BC1-2
- Mixed pair BC3
- Mixed pair BC4
Competition Schedule
| Date | Session | Time (ET) |
| August 29 | Individual Preliminary Rounds | 4:30a-3:45p |
| August 30 | Individual Preliminary Rounds | 4:30a-4:55p |
| August 31 | Individual Playoffs Individual Preliminary Rounds Individual Quarterfinals |
4:30-5:30a 5:40a-12:15p 12:25-4p |
| September 1 | Individual Quarterfinals Individual Semifinals Individual Bronze Medal Matches Women's Individual BC2 Gold Medal Match Men's Individual BC2 Gold Medal Match |
4:30-5:45a 5:55-8:25a 11-1:25p 1:35-2:35p 2:45-3:45p |
| September 2 | Women's Individual BC1 Gold Medal Match Men's Individual BC1 Gold Medal Match Women's Individual BC4 Gold Medal Match Men's Individual BC4 Gold Medal Match Women's Individual BC3 Gold Medal Match Men's Individual BC3 Gold Medal Match |
4:30-5:30a 5:40-6:40a 7:25-8:25a 11a-12p 12:30-1:45p 2-3:15 |
| September 3 | Mixed Pair & Mixed Team Preliminary Rounds | 4:30a-3:40p |
| September 4 | Mixed Pair & Mixed Team Quarterfinals Mixed Pair & Mixed Team Semifinals |
4:30-9:10a 11:00a-3:40p |
| September 5 | Mixed Team BC1/BC2 Bronze Medal Match Mixed Pair BC4 Bronze Medal Match Mixed Pair BC3 Bronze Medal Match Mixed BC1/BC2 Gold Medal Match Mixed Pair BC4 Gold Medal Match Mixed Pair BC3 Gold Medal Match |
4:30-6:10a 6:20-7:30a 7:40-9:10a 11a-12:40p 1:15-2:25p 3-4:30p |