Darts has one of the more compact rulebooks in sport. The fundamentals are straightforward: throw three darts, subtract what you score, and finish exactly on a double. What causes confusion is the detail — bust rules, double-out requirements, what counts when a dart deflects, how match formats are structured. This guide covers all of it.
The rules here reflect the standards used in professional competition (PDC and WDF). Where amateur or league play sometimes differs, that is noted.
The Board and Setup
A regulation dartboard must be mounted so the centre of the bullseye is exactly 5ft 8in (1.73m) from the floor. This measurement applies regardless of the height of the players.
The throwing line, called the oche, must be placed so its front edge is 7ft 9¼in (2.37m) from the face of the board. The diagonal distance from the oche to the bullseye is approximately 9ft 7½in (2.93m).
For steel-tip darts, both measurements are mandatory. Soft-tip darts played on electronic boards use the same height but a slightly shorter throwing distance of 8ft (2.44m), though this varies between electronic formats.
The oche must be clearly marked. Players may lean forward over the line when throwing, provided they do not step past it with their leading foot.
Equipment
A dart used in official competition must not exceed 50g in total weight and must not be longer than 30.5cm (12 inches) tip to flight. There is no minimum weight.
No rules govern barrel material, shape, or number of components. The shaft and flight can be any legal configuration. Points must be undamaged and free from barbs that could damage the board.
Electronic dartboards use soft-tip darts with plastic points. These are subject to the same weight limit.
Scoring
The dartboard is divided into 20 numbered segments arranged in a specific order around the board. Each segment contains three scoring areas:
Single: The large areas either side of the thin rings. Score is face value (1 through 20).
Double ring: The thin outer ring. Score is twice the face value. Double 20 = 40 points; double 1 = 2 points.
Treble ring: The thin inner ring. Score is three times the face value. Treble 20 = 60 points; treble 5 = 15 points.
Outer bull (25 ring): The green ring around the bullseye. Worth 25 points. This is a single score.
Bullseye (inner bull): The small red centre. Worth 50 points. For checkout purposes, this counts as a double.
The maximum score from three darts is 180, achieved by hitting treble 20 three times.
When a Dart Scores
A dart scores if its point is in a scoring segment and it remains in the board when the player walks up to retrieve their darts. The dart must be judged by eye with the point in the board; it is not permissible to touch darts or the board to check where they have landed before all three have been thrown.
A dart that bounces out or falls from the board during a visit does not score and cannot be re-thrown.
Taking Your Turn
Players throw alternately. A visit (also called a turn) consists of throwing up to three darts. You do not need to throw all three; if you finish the game on your first or second dart, your visit ends there.
All darts must be thrown from behind the oche. You can lean forward over the line, but your leading foot must not pass the front edge. Throws made from the wrong side of the oche are void and those darts do not score.
Darts must be thrown by hand. Mechanical aids are not permitted.
The Standard Game: 501
In 501, both players start on a score of 501. On each visit, the player throws three darts and subtracts the total from their remaining score. The first player to reach exactly zero wins the leg. There is no limit on the number of visits.
There is no double-in requirement in standard competitive play. You start scoring from your first dart and every legal throw counts.
The 501 format is used in all PDC competitions and is the default game at any professional level. For a full guide to strategy and common checkout routes, see How to Play 501 Darts.
The Double-Out Rule
You cannot win a leg by hitting any dart that reduces your score to exactly zero. Your final dart must land in the double ring (the thin outer ring) or the bullseye (inner bull, 50 points). The outer bull (25 points) does not count as a double and cannot be used to finish.
This means the lowest possible finishing score is 2 (double 1). Valid checkouts run from 2 up to 170. Any remaining score of 1 is a bust position because there is no double worth 1 point.
Scores above 170 cannot be finished in a single visit. Scores of 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162, and 159 also cannot be finished in a single visit regardless of how they are approached. These are called bogey numbers. The highest single-visit finish is 170: treble 20, treble 20, bullseye.
Bust Rules
A visit is a bust — and all three darts in that visit are void — in any of the following situations:
Going below zero. If you score more than your remaining total, your score reverts to what it was at the start of the visit.
Reaching exactly zero without a double. If your final scoring dart leaves you on exactly zero but lands in a single or the outer bull, it is a bust. The same applies if an earlier dart in the visit leaves zero, but not on a double.
Reaching exactly 1. If any dart in your visit reduces your remaining score to 1, your visit is immediately a bust. Score reverts to the total before the visit started. You do not continue throwing once you reach 1.
In all bust situations, your score is restored to the total at the start of that visit, not after individual darts. If you were on 40 and hit single 20, single 16, and single 6 in that order, your score does not settle at 20 or 4 between darts; the entire visit is void and you return to 40.
Situations That Come Up in Play
Deflected darts. If a dart deflects off the wire or another dart already in the board and lands in a scoring segment with its point in the surface, it scores where it lands. If it bounces out entirely, it scores nothing.
Dart in dart (robin hood). If a dart lodges in the shaft or flight of a dart already in the board, it does not score. Its point is not in the board surface. The dart it is stuck in scores normally based on where that dart’s point is.
Darts falling during retrieval. If a dart falls from the board while you are pulling other darts out, the score it registered still counts provided it was in the board when you first looked at the scoring position. Once you begin removing darts, what is in the board at that moment is what scores.
Darts outside the scoring area. If a dart lands in the frame, wire, or outside the numbered segments entirely, it scores zero. It cannot be re-thrown.
Calling a score. In formal competition, a scorer (or the board display in televised events) confirms the score after each visit. If you have pulled your darts before the score is confirmed and a dispute arises, the marker’s reading is final.
Who Throws First
Before a match begins, both players throw one dart each at the bullseye to determine who throws first in the opening leg. The player whose dart lands closest to the bull wins the right to choose whether to throw first or second. In the event of equal distance, both players re-throw.
In most competitive formats, the loser of each leg throws first in the following leg. This gives the trailing player a slight advantage in catching up, since throwing first means you always have the opportunity to set the scoring pace.
Match Formats
Legs. A single game from 501 to zero. First to finish wins the leg.
Sets. A set is won by the first player to win a specified number of legs. In PDC events, a set is typically first to three legs. Sets provide a structure where a bad leg does not cost the entire match.
Best of legs. Many league and televised formats use a straight best-of format without sets. First to win the majority of legs wins the match. The Premier League, for example, uses best of 11 legs (first to 6).
Best of sets. The PDC World Championship final uses best of 13 sets. A player needs seven sets to win, and each set requires winning three legs. This format suits the longer televised event where the best-of-legs alone would not sustain the occasion.
Differences in Amateur and League Play
The rules above reflect PDC and WDF standards. Some amateur leagues and pub formats introduce additional rules:
Double-in. Some leagues require the first scoring dart of the match to land in a double before any score is counted. Under this rule, darts that hit singles in the opening visits simply do not register. Once a double is hit, scoring begins normally. This rule is not used in any professional competition.
Master-out. A variation where players can finish on a treble as well as a double. Also not used professionally.
Straight-out. A format where no double is required to finish; any combination reaching exactly zero wins. Occasionally used in very casual play.
If you are joining a local league, check which rules apply before playing. Most established leagues in England operate under double-out without double-in, but confirmation is always worth seeking.
Related Guides
- How to Play 501 Darts — Rules, strategy, and checkout routes for the standard format
- Darts Checkout Chart — Every finish from 170 to 2
- How to Set Up a Dartboard — Step-by-step mounting guide with measurements
- How to Hit Doubles — Technique for consistent finishing
- Score Counting Practice — Speed up your mental arithmetic during play