How to Play IRISH DARTS

My friends and I have become obsessed with a game we call Irish Darts. It’s got three elements that make for a great game; it’s simple, it’s quick and it’s competitive.  We play the game almost every time we get together.

The Objective

Earn points by knocking a bottle off a pole with a frisbee.

The Setup

Set two poles up about 20-25 feet apart. Place a bottle on the top of each pole.  A two man team stands beside each pole. The teams take turns throwing the frisbee at the opposing side’s bottle.  The first team to score 11 points wins.

The poles can be set up with 5 foot PVC pipe and held up with rebar staked into the ground.  If you’d like a more flexible set up, check out these instructions.

Scoring

Score one point if the other team fails to catch the frisbee.

Score three points if the bottle drops to the ground.

Score four total points if the frisbee is not caught and the bottle drops to the ground.

Score two points if the opposing team commits “pole guarding” by blocking the frisbee from a clear path to the pole.

Return the opposing team to zero by hitting the bottle directly and cause it to hit the ground

Win instantly by hitting the bottle directly and cause it to hit the ground if the other team’s score is zero. (it is possible to win on the first throw of the game)

Rules

Each player must be holding something in one hand.

Catching the frisbee is permitted by any means possible.

Players on each team must trade off throwing the frisbee.

Points can be defended by keeping the frisbee and the bottle from hitting the ground.

Gentleman’s Rules determine if a throw was catchable or not.

If a team commits “Pole Guarding” they must return the frisbee to the opposing team, without taking a turn.

That’s it! The game also goes by the name French Darts, Beersbee, Drunken Frisbee or 15 Steps.  Regardless of what you call it, I promise you’ll have fun.