Around the Clock Darts Rules: How to Play | Oche

Around the Clock — also known as Around the World or Round the Clock — is the simplest game in darts and the single best warm-up drill. The goal is to hit every number from 1 to 20 in order, then finish on the bull. There is no scoring to track; it is a pure test of accuracy across the whole board.

How to play

Everyone starts aiming at the 1. On your turn you throw three darts at your current target. Hit it, and you advance to the next number — and if you have darts left, you can immediately go for that next number too.

So the sequence is always: 1, 2, 3, 4 … 18, 19, 20, and then the bullseye to win. You can only ever be aiming at one number — the next one you have not yet cleared. The first player to clear 20 and hit the bull wins.

What counts as a hit

In the standard game, hitting any segment of your target counts — the single, the double or the treble. That keeps the game flowing and beginner-friendly.

Two popular ways to make it harder:

• Doubles only — you must hit the double of each number to advance. A demanding accuracy test.
• Trebles only — the toughest variation, used by serious players to drill the treble ring.

Agree on the variation before you start.

Why it is the perfect warm-up

X01 and Cricket both reward camping on the 20, so it is easy to neglect the rest of the board. Around the Clock forces you to find every number, grooving your stance and release across the full dartboard. Run through it once or twice before a match — many players use it to find their range and settle their rhythm.

For a tougher, single-number version of the same idea, try Shanghai, or build all-round accuracy with Cricket.

The Around the Clock trainer tracks your current target for every player and logs how many darts each round takes — so you can race friends or chase your own personal best.