Around-the-clock darts

You are trying to hit targets in numerical order, not collect the biggest point score. A broad single counts just as much as a double or treble in the core game. This social version gives everyone an equal final turn.

2–6 peoplePlay through numbers 1–20 and the bull; finishing time depends on accuracySecure bristle dartboard, three steel-tip darts per turn, marked throw line and progress sheet

The quick version

Throw up to three darts, aiming at 1, then 2, and onward to 20. A hit advances you immediately; a miss leaves your target unchanged. Finish on either bull ring. Complete the round after the first finisher; fewest darts among that round's finishers wins, with equal counts tied.

Get ready

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Mark the targets and finish

For this steel-tip setup, put the center of the bull 173 cm above the floor and mark a throw line 237 cm horizontally from the face of the board. The 20 is at the top. Use a secured board, protective surround and a clear throwing lane; keep everyone else behind the thrower.

Draw a fixed player order. Write each person's next target, starting at 1, plus total darts thrown. Agree that single, double or treble of the current number all advance one step, and that either the outer or inner bull completes the final target. This bull choice and the equal-round finish are house rules; electronic games may implement them differently.

Take one three-dart turn

Aim at your current number

Stand behind the line and throw one dart at a time. If it lands in any part of your current numbered wedge, advance to the next number for your next dart. Numbers follow 1, 2, 3 and so on, not the order printed around the board.

Use the remaining darts

A player on 4 who hits 4, misses 5, then hits 5 ends the turn with 6 as their next target. A hit on a later number before its turn does nothing. Doubles and trebles do not skip numbers in the core game. Each thrown dart, including a bounce-out or complete miss, adds one to the dart count; there is no replacement throw.

Check before retrieving

After three darts, say the target you reached and update the sheet. Only darts still in the board at that check count as hits. If a hit fell out, return to that target; later-target hits cannot bridge the missing number. Retrieve darts after throwing stops, then let the next player begin. Keep progress across turns; missing all three does not send you backward.

Close the final round

After 20, hit either bull ring to finish. Stop using your turn's remaining darts and record your exact dart total. Players later in the order take their turn in that same round; players who already played do not throw again. Among anyone completing the sequence that round, lowest dart total wins; identical totals share the win. Everyone resets to 1 and zero darts for another game.

Show one useful example

Point out the thin outside double ring, the thin inside treble ring and the two larger single areas. They are all parts of the same numbered wedge. Demonstrate one hit and one miss before keeping score. Leave the dart in place while resolving which side of a wire it entered.

Do not throw while another person is at the board. If a dart falls out before the turn is checked, it does not advance your target. Keep the progress sheet visible so the next turn starts at the right number rather than repeating a completed target.

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Ideas & Twists

Choose a variation together before you start.

Around-the-clock darts · See main rules

Suggested house variation

Speed clock

A double of your current target advances two numbered targets; a treble advances three. A single still advances one. For example, a treble 17 makes 20 your next target. Clamp all advances after 20 at the bull: no shot skips the required bull finish. Everything else, including three-dart turns and fewest darts among equal-round finishers, stays the same. This makes the smaller rings worth aiming at.

Around-the-clock darts · See main rules

Suggested house variation

Doubles-only circuit

Only the narrow double ring of each current number counts; singles and trebles use a dart without advancing. After double 20, require the inner bull to finish. Keep the same target order, three-dart turns and equal-round dart-count result. This is a substantially harder accuracy session, so agree on the commitment before starting rather than promising a quick finish.

About this guide

Sequential targets and the equal-round fewest-darts finish follow DartsOn with Allow Finish Round enabled; equal dart counts tie. Either bull counts in the core game. Both variations are optional formats, with their finish rules stated here. Harrows supplies the steel-tip setup dimensions.

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All challenges, rule calls, scoring decisions, and outcomes should be handled in good faith. If a challenge is phrased unclearly or leaves out a detail that later becomes relevant, resolve it according to the original intent of the group and the fair spirit of the activity, not by exploiting loopholes or technical wording. If an unforeseen circumstance, ambiguity, or disputed dynamic arises, participants should work together respectfully to reach the fairest interpretation. Where no agreement can be reached, the matter should be decided by the group, event host, or an agreed neutral third party.

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