Darts
Darts: Rules, Checkouts and Scoring
Everything you need to play, finish and score a game of darts. Start with the primer below, then jump to the guide you need.
Primer
How a game of 501 works
- Both players start on 501.
- You take turns throwing three darts. Add them up and subtract the total from your score.
- Each dart scores the number it lands on. The outer ring doubles it, the inner ring trebles it, the outer bull is 25 and the inner bull is 50.
- You must finish exactly on zero, and the last dart has to be a double or the inner bull.
- If you go past zero, leave 1, or reach zero without a double, you bust and your score goes back to where it was before the visit.
The full 501 rules cover who starts, double in, legs and sets, and the measurements for the throw line.
Guides
Pick a page
- Checkout chart and calculatorEvery finish from 170 down to 2, plus a calculator for the score you have left.
- 501 rulesSetup, throwing order, doubles, busts, legs and sets, and the measurements for the oche.
- Cricket rulesClose 15 to 20 and the bull, score on open numbers, and play cut-throat.
- How to keep scoreChalkboard layout, quick subtraction and the habits that stop arguments.
- Average calculatorYour 3-dart average from a leg or a whole night.
- Around the ClockHit 1 to 20 in order, then the bull. The classic warm-up game.
- KillerEveryone gets a number and lives. Become a killer, then take theirs.
- ShanghaiSeven rounds, one target each, and an instant win for a single, double and treble.
- BaseballNine innings, one number each, and trebles score three runs.
- Halve-ItMiss the round's target and your score is cut in half.
Questions
Quick answers
- What is the most common darts game?
- 501, played to exactly zero with the last dart on a double. Cricket is the most popular alternative, and many pubs and leagues mix the two.
- How many darts do you throw each turn?
- Three. Players alternate visits of three darts until someone reaches zero.
- Where should I start if I am new to darts?
- Read the 501 rules, then learn the one-dart finishes (the even numbers up to 40, plus the bull). Once you are comfortable with those, the checkout chart gives you routes for bigger scores.