How to Play Garden Skittles

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

Garden Skittles is an outdoor throwing game for two to eight players in which a wooden or rubber ball, suspended from a post by a rope or chain, is swung around the post to topple a set of numbered skittles arranged on a board or flat ground nearby. Each skittle carries a point value, and players accumulate scores across several rounds. The swinging-ball mechanic makes it accessible to young children yet tactically interesting for adults.

Its appeal lies in simplicity: no batteries, no complicated setup, and a genuinely level playing field regardless of age or fitness. It is a staple of beer gardens, school fetes, camping holidays, and back gardens precisely because a full game can be completed in under an hour and requires almost no space beyond a metre or two of clear ground around the post.

A little history

Skittles in various forms has been played in Britain and across northern Europe for several centuries, with references to pin-bowling games appearing in English records from at least the sixteenth century. The specific garden variant using a tethered swinging ball is a later development whose precise origins are unclear, though it is traditionally associated with English pub gardens and village fetes. It draws on the same lineage as table skittles and alley skittles, both long-established British pub games, adapting the core skittle-knocking objective into a self-contained outdoor format that needs no alley or table.

Setting up

1. Choose a level, flat surface with at least one metre of clear space in every direction around the post.
2. Fix or stand the post securely in the centre of the playing area so it cannot tip during play.
3. Arrange the nine skittles in a diamond formation on the board or marked area around the base of the post, following the numbered layout printed on your board or in your set's diagram. Skittle 1 sits at the front, closest to the throwing position.
4. Wrap the ball's rope or chain fully around the post so the ball rests against it, ready to be launched.
5. Agree on the number of rounds to be played, typically three rounds per player per game, and nominate a scorer.
6. Decide throwing order: youngest player goes first, or toss a coin.

How to play

1. Players take turns in a fixed order throughout the entire game.
2. On your turn, stand at the post, hold the ball, and swing it outward and around the post in one smooth motion so that it travels in an arc and strikes the skittles on the return sweep.
3. You may not throw the ball directly at the skittles; it must travel around the post first. Any skittles knocked down by a direct throw that has not orbited the post do not count and must be reset.
4. Count the face values of every skittle knocked flat to the ground. A skittle that is leaning but not lying flat does not score.
5. Record your score for that turn, then reset all nine skittles to their original positions before the next player throws.
6. Continue until every player has completed the agreed number of rounds.
7. If a skittle is knocked down by another falling skittle rather than the ball directly, the score still counts.
8. A skittle accidentally disturbed when resetting the others must be stood back up; there is no penalty.

Winning and scoring

Add each player's scores from all rounds together. The player with the highest total score at the end of the final round wins. The maximum possible score per turn is 45, which requires all nine numbered skittles (1 through 9) to be knocked down in a single throw. In the event of a tie, tied players each take one additional throw and the higher single-throw score wins; if they tie again, keep throwing until the deadlock is broken.

The fine points

The most common dispute is whether a skittle that ends up leaning against the post, the board rim, or another skittle counts as knocked down. The standard ruling is clear: the skittle must be lying flat, unsupported by anything other than the ground, to score. A leaning skittle scores nothing and is left as-is until the reset after the turn ends.

A second common issue arises when the ball wraps all the way around the post and strikes the skittles on a second orbit after the player has released it. Only skittles knocked down during the first full arc count; any knocked on subsequent unintended orbits should be reset and do not score. If a skittle is touched during setup and topples before the throw begins, stand it back up with no penalty or score adjustment.

How to win more often

• Aim to strike the number 1 skittle head-on: a clean central hit spreads force outward and brings down more of the diamond in one go than a glancing blow to an edge skittle.
• Control the height of your swing. A ball released too high arcs over the skittles; too low and it bounces off the board. Aim for the ball to make contact roughly at skittle mid-height.
• Watch how previous players' throws behave around your specific post. Rope length and post diameter affect the arc: adjust your swing speed rather than trying a completely different technique each time.
• In a scoring variant where you pick which skittles to target, leave high-value edge skittles for last rather than going for them early when surrounding skittles still block the path.
• Consistency beats power. A controlled, repeatable swing knocks down five or six skittles reliably across every round; an over-powered throw often wraps the rope awkwardly and scores poorly.

Variations

Team Play

Divide players into two teams of equal size, alternating throws between teams rather than individuals. Add all team members' scores together at the end of each round. The team with the highest combined total after the agreed rounds wins. This format works well with six or eight players and keeps everyone involved throughout the game.

Knockout

Players compete in head-to-head pairs, each throwing one full round of three turns. The player with the higher score in each pairing advances to the next round; the other is eliminated. Continue until two players meet in a final. This format suits larger groups of five or more and shortens the overall playing time considerably.

Target Skittles

Before each throw the player must declare which single numbered skittle they are aiming for. They score double the face value if that skittle falls, and nothing if it does not, regardless of how many other skittles are knocked down. This variant rewards precision and adds a tactical layer to what is otherwise a power game.

Exact 45

Each player tries to reach exactly 45 points across their turns. Any throw that would push the running total past 45 scores zero for that turn rather than the amount rolled. The first player to land on exactly 45 wins outright. This variant extends the game and creates deliberate low-scoring throws as players approach the target, which younger players often find surprisingly tense.

Garden Skittles: frequently asked questions