How to Play Closh

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Closh is an outdoor throwing and targeting game played with flat wooden discs and a fixed upright pin. It sits comfortably alongside other lawn-based skill games: simple enough to pick up in five minutes, absorbing enough to hold the attention of mixed-age groups all afternoon. The combination of throwing accuracy and tactical blocking makes each round genuinely competitive.

It works on any level patch of grass or hard standing and travels easily in its carry case. You will find it at garden parties, camping trips, school fetes, and family gatherings where the group spans children and grandparents alike. The game scales well whether two people want a quick duel or six want a longer, noisier competition.

A little history

The precise origins of Closh are unclear. It belongs to a broad family of European disc and pin games with roots in informal rural recreation, and similar throwing games using wooden or stone discs appear across northern and western Europe. The name itself has not been traced definitively to a single source or era. What is documented is that the format, throwing a disc to land close to a fixed target, is one of the oldest game mechanics in recorded play, and versions of it appear in English county game records from the nineteenth century onward.

Setting up

1. Find a level surface, lawn or hard standing, roughly 6 to 10 metres long.
2. Drive or place the target pin firmly upright at one end so it stands stable and will not topple from a glancing disc.
3. Mark a throwing line at the opposite end. A distance of 6 metres is standard for adults; shorten to 4 metres for younger children.
4. Divide the discs equally between players. With an odd number of discs, agree before play who takes the extra disc.
5. Agree a winning points total before the first throw. Common targets are 21 or 31 points.

How to play

1. Decide the throwing order. A single practice throw nearest the pin by each player is a fair way to determine who goes first, with closest going last (the advantageous position).
2. Each player throws all of their discs from behind the throwing line in turn, aiming to land them as close to the pin as possible. Discs must be thrown underarm or with a flat rolling action depending on your set's convention; agree this before play.
3. A disc that touches or leans against the pin is called a 'closh' and scores a bonus (see Winning section). Discs that miss the playing area entirely score nothing.
4. Once all players have thrown all their discs, measure or judge which disc lies closest to the pin.
5. Only one player scores per round: the player whose disc is closest to the pin. That player scores 1 point for each of their own discs that lies closer to the pin than the nearest opponent's disc.
6. Any disc that is touching the pin at the end of the round scores 2 points instead of 1, regardless of which player's disc lies closest overall, provided the touching player is also the closest overall scorer. If a disc is touching the pin but a different player has the closest disc, the touching disc does not score.
7. Collect all discs, return to the throwing line, and begin the next round. The player who scored in the previous round throws first in the next.
8. If two players have discs equidistant from the pin, those discs cancel each other out and neither counts. Continue comparing remaining discs in order of closeness.
9. Continue playing rounds until one player reaches or passes the agreed winning total.

Winning and scoring

The first player to reach the agreed points total, typically 21 or 31, wins the game. Points are scored only by the player with the closest disc in each round: 1 point per qualifying disc, and 2 points for any disc that is physically touching the pin, provided that player holds the closest-disc advantage for the round. There is no requirement to reach the total exactly; going past it wins outright. In a tied finish where two players both pass the total in the same round, the higher total wins. If scores are still level, play a sudden-death single-disc round: closest disc takes the game.

The fine points

The most common dispute is whether a disc is genuinely touching the pin or merely very close. The standard ruling is that the disc must make visible contact; a gap of any size, however small, does not count as a closh. Use a thin piece of card or paper as a gauge if players cannot agree. A disc that strikes the pin and rebounds away is not touching at the end of the round and scores only as a normal disc if it remains the closest. Discs that land on top of one another are assessed by the position of the bottom disc only.

A second frequent argument concerns discs that land outside the agreed playing area. The clean ruling is that any disc whose centre crosses the boundary line does not score, regardless of how close its near edge is to the pin. Agree the boundary before the game begins. If a disc moves another disc after all throws are complete, for example because a late-thrown disc rolls into a resting one, the final resting positions count; there is no restoration to where discs were before the contact.

How to win more often

• Throw to block as well as to land close. A disc placed just short of the pin and to one side can deflect an opponent's disc away if they aim too directly.
• Study the surface before throwing. A slight slope or worn patch of grass will pull a rolling disc predictably; use that to curve toward the pin rather than fight it.
• When you are leading on points, a safe medium-distance throw that secures the closest-disc point is better than a risky attempt at a closh that might rebound wide.
• When you throw last in a round, you can see exactly where all opponents' discs lie. Take a moment to assess whether you need a closh or whether landing closer than the nearest disc is enough to win the round comfortably.
• In multiplayer games, target the player closest to the winning total rather than simply playing for your own best position. Knocking their discs aside with a firm throw is legal and often decisive.

Variations

Team Closh

Players pair up into two teams of two or three. Each team member throws in sequence, and the team whose disc is closest scores for all of that team's qualifying discs. Points are pooled into a single team total and the first team to reach the agreed target wins. This format works well for six players and keeps everyone involved throughout.

Singles Knockout

With four or more players, run head-to-head matches of a shorter target, typically 11 points, in a knockout bracket. Winners progress and losers are eliminated until two players meet in a final. It suits a party format where not everyone wants to commit to a full-length game and produces a clear winner efficiently.

Progressive Distance

Start with a short throwing distance of 4 metres and move the line back by half a metre each time a player reaches a set intermediate score, for example every 5 points. Players must adapt their throwing style as the game develops, which rewards those with a wider skill range and prevents early leaders from running away with the game.

Moving Pin

After each round, the player who scored moves the pin up to one metre in any direction before the next round begins. This introduces a tactical element beyond pure throwing skill: a canny player can shift the pin to a position that suits their throwing angle or that disrupts an opponent's established groove. Agree a maximum pin-movement distance before starting.

Closh: frequently asked questions