Darts Scoring Rules Guide for Every Game

A good darts night can stall quickly when one player calls a score differently, or nobody is sure whether a finish counts. This darts scoring rules guide covers the board, the most common game formats and the scoring habits that keep home, pub and club games moving.

For most steel-tip games, the rule is simple: each player throws up to three darts per turn, adds or subtracts the relevant score, then retrieves their darts only after the turn is complete. The details change depending on whether you are playing 501, Cricket, Around the Clock or another format, so agree on the game rules before the first dart is thrown.

Reading the dartboard correctly

A standard dartboard has 20 numbered wedges, with values running from 1 to 20. The large single section of a wedge scores its printed number. The narrow outer ring is the double, worth twice that number, while the narrow inner ring is the treble, worth three times that number.

A dart in treble 20 scores 60, which is the highest score available with one dart. Double 20 scores 40. The outer bull scores 25 and the inner bull, often called the double bull, scores 50. A dart that misses the scoring area entirely scores zero.

The wire matters. If the point is touching the wire or bounces out, it does not score. For a score to count, the point must remain embedded in the board until the player has collected their darts. This is one reason a quality board, correctly mounted and rotated, makes such a difference to fair scoring and reduced bounce-outs.

Quick scoring examples

If you throw treble 20, single 20 and double 20, the total is 120. A turn of single 18, treble 18 and single 18 is 90. Three darts in the outer bull score 75, while three inner bulls score 150.

It is worth learning the high-value treble combinations, but do not assume every good turn starts with treble 20. A blocked target, a missed first dart or a checkout situation can make another segment the smarter choice.

Darts scoring rules guide: how 501 works

501 is the standard format for league and competitive darts. Each player starts on 501 and works down to exactly zero. Your score for each turn is subtracted from your remaining total.

In the usual double-in, double-out format, a player must first hit a double before any scoring begins. Once that opening double is hit, the full value of that dart counts. For example, if your first dart hits double 16, you score 32 and your remaining score becomes 469. The other darts in that visit can then score normally.

Many home games use straight-in instead, meaning every scoring dart counts from the first throw. This is faster and friendlier for newer players. Double-out is still commonly retained, because it adds the key finishing challenge: the last scoring dart must land in a double or the inner bull.

A typical turn looks like this. From 501, a player scores 100 with single 20, treble 20 and single 20, leaving 401. Play alternates until someone reaches a score they can finish with one, two or three darts.

Finishing on a double

To win a double-out leg, you must reduce your remaining score to exactly zero with a double. Double 20 is a finish from 40, double 16 finishes 32, and the inner bull finishes 50. A single 20 to leave double 20 is a common setup from 60, but treble 20 would leave zero without a double and therefore bust.

Some scores cannot be finished in double-out darts with three darts or fewer. The lowest is 2, which requires double 1. A remaining score of 1 cannot be finished at all. Scores such as 169, 168, 166, 165, 163 and 162 also have no three-dart checkout. Knowing this helps you use a turn to leave a practical double rather than chasing a low-percentage shot.

Players often have preferred doubles based on their throwing line and confidence. Double 16 is popular because a miss inside leaves double 8, then double 4. Others prefer tops - double 20 - because it is a larger-number target near the top of the board. There is no universal best double. Consistency matters more than copying another player’s route.

What is a bust in darts?

A bust occurs when a player scores more than their remaining total, leaves exactly 1 in a double-out game, or reaches zero without finishing on a double. When this happens, the entire turn does not count. The score returns to what it was at the start of that visit, and the turn ends immediately.

For example, if you have 32 remaining and hit single 20, you have 12 left. If your next dart lands in treble 4, you have scored 32 for the visit but have not ended on a double. That is a bust, so you return to 32. If you had instead hit double 16 with the first dart, the leg would be over.

This rule rewards controlled scoring near the finish. When you are on 41, aiming at single 9 to leave double 16 can be more sensible than throwing at treble 13 and risking an awkward result.

Other common darts games and their scoring

301, 701 and 1001

These games follow the same basic rules as 501, but start at different totals. 301 suits quick games and beginners, particularly when played straight-in and double-out. 701 and 1001 are more common in team formats because they give more room for sustained scoring before checkout pressure begins.

Always confirm whether the game is straight-in or double-in, and whether it is double-out, master-out or straight-out. Master-out allows a double or treble to finish. Straight-out allows any scoring segment to finish exactly on zero. These options change both difficulty and strategy.

Cricket

Cricket uses the 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and bull rather than a countdown score. To close a number, you need three marks on it. A single is one mark, a double is two and a treble is three. The outer bull counts as one mark and the inner bull counts as two.

Once you have closed a number, further hits on that number score points until every opponent has also closed it. The player who closes all numbers and the bull, while holding the equal or higher point total, wins.

Cricket is less about maximum scoring than target selection. If an opponent has not closed 20, a treble 20 can close your 20 and score 60. If everyone has closed 20, those darts earn nothing, so move to an open number. Cut-throat Cricket reverses the scoring benefit: extra points are added to opponents’ totals, and the lowest total wins. It is a useful format for mixed-skill social games, but confirm the rule before starting.

Around the Clock

Around the Clock is straightforward practice and a reliable game for newer players. Hit each number in sequence from 1 to 20, then finish on the bull. A dart only advances you when it hits the required number. Doubles and trebles generally count as a hit rather than multiple numbers, unless you agree on a variation.

The game develops board familiarity without the arithmetic of 501. It also reveals which areas of the board feel awkward from your normal throwing position.

Keep score accurately without slowing play

For 501, write the starting score at the top of the scoreboard and subtract each visit beneath it. Call the total scored before writing the remaining score, particularly in league games. This gives both players a chance to confirm the arithmetic before the next throw.

A scoring app is useful for casual games, checkout suggestions and tracking averages. It should support the game, not replace basic awareness. Knowing that 81 can be finished with treble 15, double 18 or single 19, treble 20, double 1 helps you make better decisions even when a mobile is not on the oche.

In close games, confirm disputed darts before they are removed from the board. Keep the oche clear, stand behind the thrower and avoid stepping forward until all three darts have been thrown. These small habits are as important to a fair game as correct subtraction.

Set up for scoring you can trust

Accurate scoring starts with a correctly set-up board. For standard steel-tip play, the bull should sit 1.73 metres from the floor, and the throw line should be 2.37 metres horizontally from the board face. A diagonal measurement of 2.93 metres from bull to oche is a useful cross-check where space allows.

Use a proper dartboard surround or backboard to protect the wall, and replace tired boards when wires, loose sisal or damaged segments lead to frequent bounce-outs. Your dart setup also affects confidence at scoring targets. A weight, grip, shaft and flight combination that groups consistently is more useful than chasing a particular barrel style because another player throws it well.

Whether you are setting up a first board at home or preparing for a club night, clear scoring rules remove arguments and make every leg more enjoyable. Start with 501 straight-in, double-out if your group is learning, then add double-in or Cricket once everyone is comfortable calling scores and finishing cleanly.