How to Play Steeplechase Darts

Steeplechase Dart Game Rules

Steeplechase is a fun racing dart game that focuses on accuracy and speed.

Number of Players

One or more players, but Steeplechase is well-suited for small groups.

How to Play

In Steeplechase, everyone will begin on the 20 segment and the goal is to make it around the board before everyone else. However, in Steeple Chase, the only segments that count are the inner singles.

Each player will have three darts per turn to try and hit whichever number they are on, starting with the 20 and going clockwise around the dart board. If a player misses all three throws, their turn is over and they will need to aim for the same space on their next turn.

A few of the segments are also designated as "fences", traditionally these are the 13, 17, 8, and 5 segments. Fences need to be hit in their treble segment instead of the inner single, which can be thought of as jumping that segment.

Once a player hits the treble 5 they have to hit the bullseye in the red, or the inner circle for those of you who might have a board with a different color pattern, to win.

One last rule: in Steeplechase, if a player takes more than three turns (9 darts) to hit a segment, then they drop out of the race. This means it is also possible to win if every other player drops out of the race.

Optional Rules

Steeplechase can be a challenging game but there are a few ways to make it easier. The first is to change the fences to the numbers 6, 3, and 11. These are the 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock spots on the board respectively which makes them easier to remember and there is one less to worry about.

Another way to make the game easier is by making it so any hit in the bull counts at the end of the game, or, to take things a step further, remove the bull shot entirely.

Two final ways to make the game easier is by making it so a player doesn't drop out of the race after three turns of misses or by opening up the full single segment for scoring.

Any combination of these rules can be used with each other and newer players could make use of them to help level the playing field with more veteran dart players.