Boccia made its Paralympic debut at the 1984 Summer Paralympic Games in New York.
Boccia is a precision sport in which players throw, roll or propel colored balls as close as possible to a white target ball called the jack. It was originally developed for athletes with cerebral palsy and later expanded to include athletes with other significant physical impairments.
The 1984 competition was an important step in boccia’s international development. The sport later became a regular Paralympic programme event and developed detailed classifications, including BC3 for athletes who use an assistive ramp and may have an assistant.
Boccia is often confused with pétanque or bowls because all three involve placing balls near a target. Its Paralympic format, classifications and equipment are distinct. The target ball is specifically called the jack.