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Around the Clock Darts Calculator

Keep score in a game of around the clock darts, from 1 to 20 and the bull: your next target, darts used, hit rate and darts left to finish.

Level: Grade 6

  • Common Core standard 6.RP.A.3.cFind a percent of a quantity as a rate per 100 (e.g., 30% of a quantity means 30/100 times the quantity); solve problems involving finding the whole, given a part and the percent.
Printable worksheet

Around the Clock Darts Calculator

Inputs
Players

One visit (up to 3 darts) per comma: S1 S18 S2. Type what landed; M = miss, 25 / 50 = bulls.

Separated by commas, in throwing order. Labels only; they never change the scores.

Result

Result

Player 1 ahead, on 8 (Player 2 on 7)

Player 1 ahead, on 8 (Player 2 on 7). Player 1: 8 next after 12 darts; Player 2: 7 next after 12 darts.

Player 1: next target
8
Player 1: darts thrown
12
Player 1: targets hit
7
Player 1: hit rate
58.3%
Player 1: fewest darts left to finish
14 darts
Player 1: finish the clock in about (at this pace)
36 darts
Player 2: next target
7
Player 2: darts thrown
12
Player 2: targets hit
6
Player 2: hit rate
50%
Player 2: fewest darts left to finish
15 darts
Player 2: finish the clock in about (at this pace)
42 darts

See the step-by-step solution ↓

Progress round the clock (✓ = done)
Progress round the clock (✓ = done)
TargetPlayer 1Player 2
1✓✓
2✓✓
3✓✓
4✓✓
5✓✓
6✓✓
7✓next
8next
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Bull

Step-by-step solution

  1. Player 1: 7 targets done, so the next target is 8

    next target=8

  2. Player 1: hit rate: divide the targets hit by the darts thrown, then multiply by 100 for a percent

    712×100=58.3

  3. Player 1: fewest darts left: at best, one dart for each of the 14 targets still to hit

    21−7=14

  4. Player 2: 6 targets done, so the next target is 7

    next target=7

  5. Player 2: hit rate: divide the targets hit by the darts thrown, then multiply by 100 for a percent

    612×100=50

  6. Player 2: fewest darts left: at best, one dart for each of the 15 targets still to hit

    21−6=15

  7. No one has hit the bull yet, so the player further round the clock is ahead

    result=Player 1 ahead, on 8 (Player 2 on 7)

Test yourself

20 quick questions built from this calculator's formula: work out results, predict what happens when an input changes, and work backward from an answer. Every answer comes with the working.

What this calculator does

Keep score in around the clock and see how many darts it takes you to get all the way round the board. It's the simplest darts game, and one of the most useful ways to practice. You hit 1, then 2, then every number up to 20 in order. Then you finish on the bull, the small circle in the middle.

The game teaches you where every number sits on the board. It also gives you an honest count of how many darts you need to get round.

Type each visit (one turn of up to three darts) as the darts that landed. The calculator follows you round the clock. It shows your next target, the darts you've used and your hit rate. It also shows the fewest darts that could still finish, and how long the whole clock would take at your current pace.

Play alone or against a second player. You can also switch on a popular house rule, where doubles and trebles let you skip ahead.

Where it's used

Why this math matters outside the classroom:

  • Practice sessions. A player who goes round the clock in 36 darts sets that as the number to beat in the next session.
  • Counting on. Young players practise counting from 1 to 20 in order while aiming at each number on the board.
  • Hit-rate tracking. A player who hits 7 targets with 12 darts works out 7 ÷ 12 = 58.3% as a hit rate.
  • Warm-up games. League players run a quick clock before a match, aiming to finish in under 40 darts.
  • Family game nights. Two players race round the clock, and the first to hit the bull after 20 wins.

Grade level and standards: Grade 6; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics 6.RP.A.3.c. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

How to use it

  1. Choose 1 or 2 players. Tick the skip-ahead house rule if you play it.
  2. Type each visit's darts in order, with commas between visits, such as S1 S18 S2. Type what actually landed. Darts on the wrong number just don't count.
  3. Read the next target, darts thrown, hit rate and the darts-to-finish numbers.
  4. In a two-player game, the first player to hit the bull wins. Player 1 throws first.

What the inputs mean

House rule: a double moves you on 2 and a treble 3
Without the rule, any part of the target number (single, double or treble) moves you on one. With it, a double moves you on two and a treble moves you on three. But you still have to hit the bull to finish.
Player 1 visits
Put up to three darts per visit, with spaces between darts and commas between visits. Write S (single), D (double) or T (treble) before a number from 1 to 20. Use 25 or SB for the outer bull, 50 or DB for the bullseye, and M for a miss.
Player names
Separated by commas, in throwing order. Labels only; they never change the scores.

Formula and method

a hit = any segment of the current target; standard rule: next target = current + 1
skip house rule: single +1, double +2, treble +3 (never past the bull)
hit rate = targets hit ÷ darts thrown × 100%
fewest darts left = targets remaining (skip rule: ⌈targets before the bull ÷ 3⌉ + 1)
finish in about = 21 targets × darts thrown ÷ targets done

A segment is one part of a number's slice of the board: the single, double or treble area. The brackets ⌈ ⌉ mean "round up to a whole number".

There are 21 targets: the numbers 1 to 20, then the bull. Either the outer bull or the bullseye counts. Each dart is checked against your current target only. A dart in any other number is wasted, even if it lands on a number you'll need later.

Darts are counted three per visit, because a visit is three darts whether they hit or not. The one exception is the visit that finishes, which counts only the darts up to the bull.

A perfect clock without skips is 21 darts, one per target. With the skip rule, seven trebles (1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16 and 19) reach the bull, so the fewest is 8 darts.

The pace number stretches your darts so far out to the full 21 targets. Say you've moved on 7 targets in 12 darts. At that rate, the whole clock would take about 21 × 12 ÷ 7 = 36 darts. It's only a rough guide, because the bull is usually harder to hit than the numbers.

Worked example

Two invented players, Nell Ashgrove and Dev Castellano, play the standard rule. Nell throws S1 M S2, S3 S4 S13, S12 S5 S6, S7 M M; Dev throws S1 S2 M, M S3 S10, S4 S5 S6, M.

  1. Nell's hits: 1 and 2, then 3 and 4 (the 13 is wasted), then 5 and 6 (the 12 is wasted), then 7. She has done 7 targets, so her next target is 8.
  2. Dev's hits: 1 and 2, then 3, then 4, 5 and 6. His last visit missed, so he is still on 7.
  3. Each has thrown 4 visits × 3 = 12 darts. Nell's hit rate is 7 ÷ 12 = 58.3%, and she needs at least 14 more darts (8 to 20 and the bull).
  4. At her pace the whole clock would take about 21 × 12 ÷ 7 = 36 darts.

Result: Nell is ahead, on 8, with Dev on 7.

Understanding the result

Your darts total for a finished clock is the number to beat next time. Write it down after each session. It shows whether your grouping (how close together your darts land) is improving all over the board, not just on the 20.

Watch for numbers where your hit rate is low. The progress table shows where each player gets stuck.

Assumptions and limitations

  • Targets run from 1 to 20, then the bull, and either bull finishes.
  • Each visit is three darts. The finishing visit counts only the darts up to the bull.
  • In a two-player game, player 1 throws first, and players take turns.
  • It doesn't score other versions, such as doubles-only or trebles-only clocks, going in reverse, or finishing on the bullseye only.
  • The pace estimate treats every target as equally hard.
  • Up to two players.

Frequently asked questions

Does a double or treble count in around the clock?

Yes. Under the standard rule, any part of the target number counts as one hit. So a double 5 just moves you from 5 to 6. With the skip house rule, a double moves you on two numbers and a treble three.

What is a good score for around the clock?

Fewer darts is better, and the best possible is 21 without the skip rule. Compare your own totals over time, rather than chasing a fixed target. Once the normal clock gets easy, try the doubles-only version.

Does the outer bull count to finish?

In the usual rules, yes: either the outer bull or the bullseye finishes. Some players insist on the bullseye for an extra challenge. This calculator counts both.

Sources

How this calculator is checked

Method: Published house rules for around the clock (DolfDarts): 1–20 in order then the bull, any segment counts, either bull finishes; the doubles-and-trebles skip-ahead variation is a labelled house rule. Hit rate and pace are simple ratios. The calculation is covered by automated tests with known reference values and edge cases. Last updated 2026-10-18. Found a problem? Tell us.

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