Around the Clock Darts: Rules & Why It's Best for Beginners | Oche

If you’ve just hung your first board, Around the Clock is the game to start with. There’s no arithmetic, no double-out rule, and no way to “bust” — just you, the numbers, and a clear path around the board. It’s also one of the best accuracy drills in the sport.

The rules

The goal is to hit every number in sequence:

1. Start by aiming at the 1.
2. As soon as you hit it, move on to the 2, then the 3, and so on.
3. Continue all the way to 20, then finish on the bullseye.
4. The first player to complete the full lap wins.

You throw three darts per turn and advance as far as you can. If you don’t hit your current target, you simply try again next turn — nothing is lost. The complete rules and scoring variants are on our Around the Clock rules page.

Why it’s perfect for beginners

Most darts games funnel you toward the 20 and the doubles you need to finish. Around the Clock does the opposite — it forces you to aim at every segment on the board. That has three big benefits:

• No maths. You never subtract or calculate a checkout, so all your attention goes on the throw.
• No pressure. There’s no bust and no double-out, so a missed dart never costs you.
• Even coverage. You practise the awkward left-side numbers (11, 8, 14) you’d otherwise ignore.

If your throwing motion is still settling, pair it with our throwing technique guide.

Popular variations

Once the basic game feels easy, add a twist:

• Doubles/Trebles skip. Hitting the double of your target jumps you ahead two numbers; a treble jumps you three. This rewards precision and speeds the game up.
• Strict mode. You must hit a double of each number to advance — a serious accuracy challenge.
• Team relay. Players alternate, sharing one journey around the board.

Turn it into real practice

The fun of Around the Clock is also its limitation: it’s easy to lose track of whose turn it is and how far each player has reached. The Oche Around the Clock mode keeps score for everyone, supports the skip-ahead variations, and logs your accuracy on each number — so the game quietly doubles as a coaching tool while you play.