Learn darts
Darts rules: every game explained
Rules of 501, 301, 701, Cricket and the practice and party games, with a glossary of darts terms. Every page ends with a free scoreboard to play straight away.
Rules by game
501 darts rules
Start at 501 and race to zero. Finish on a double and don't bust.
301
The short game: half the length of 501, played in bars and leagues the world over. Double out, busts and averages included.
701
The long game for teams and league nights: more visits, bigger comebacks and averages that really mean something.
Cricket darts rules
Close 15 to 20 and the bull with three marks each, and score on the numbers your rival hasn't closed.
Around the Clock
Hit 1 to 20 in order and finish on the bull. The classic warm-up for accuracy.
Shanghai
Seven rounds, one number per round: single, double and treble score, and a Shanghai wins on the spot.
Count-Up
Eight rounds, three darts each, every point counts. The simplest way to measure your average.
Tools
Darts glossary
- Leg
- One game from the starting score down to zero. The first player to finish wins the leg. More
- Set
- A group of legs. You win a number of legs to take a set, and a number of sets to win the match. More
- Double out
- In X01 the last dart must land in a double (or the bull) to finish exactly on zero. More
- Bust
- Scoring more than you have left, or leaving 1 under double out. The turn doesn't count and your score goes back to what it was. More
- Checkout
- The darts that finish a leg. The highest checkout is 170: T20, T20, bull. More
- Bogey number
- A score under 170 that can't be finished with three darts: 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162 and 159. More
- Treble
- The thin inner ring. It's worth three times the number: T20 = 60, the highest single dart.
- Bull
- The centre of the board. The inner bull is worth 50 and counts as a double; the ring around it is worth 25.
- Ton
- 100 points or more in one turn. The maximum is 180: three treble 20s.
- Average
- Points scored per turn of three darts. It is the usual way to compare players' level.
- Mark
- In Cricket, each hit on a target number: a single is one mark, a double two and a treble three. More
- Closed
- A Cricket number with three marks. Once closed, extra hits score points until your rival closes it too. More