If you're new to darts, the rules look more complicated than they are. This page explains the board, the scoring, and how a game of 501 or 301 works.
The dartboard
A standard board has 20 numbered segments arranged, clockwise from the top, as 20, 1, 18, 4, 13, 6, 10, 15, 2, 17, 3, 19, 7, 16, 8, 11, 14, 9, 12, 5. The order is designed to punish inaccurate throws: the big numbers sit next to small ones.
Each segment has three scoring zones:
- Single: the large areas, worth the number shown.
- Double: the thin outer ring, worth twice the number.
- Treble: the thin inner ring, worth three times the number.
In the middle, the outer bull (green) is worth 25 and the bullseye (red) is worth 50.
Maximum score
The most you can score with three darts is 180: three treble 20s.
How a game of 501 works
Each player starts on 501 and takes turns throwing three darts. The total of the three darts is subtracted from the player's score. The first player to reach exactly zero wins the leg.
Finishing (double out)
In standard play you must finish with a double, or with the bullseye. This is called "double out". A game can also be played "straight out", where any scoring dart may finish, but this trainer follows double-out rules.
Busting
You bust, and your score goes back to what it was at the start of your turn, if you:
- score more than you have left,
- reduce your score to exactly 1 (no double can finish from 1), or
- reach zero without finishing on a double.
301 and other variants
301 works the same way but starts lower, so games are shorter. Some formats also use "double in", meaning you must hit a double before your score starts to count. Matches are usually played over several legs, and in some formats legs are grouped into sets.
Throwing order and the oche
Players alternate turns. A dart must land in the board and stay there to score, so darts that bounce out don't count. Stand behind the oche (the throw line), which is traditionally 7 feet 9¼ inches (2.37 metres) from the face of the board, with the centre of the bullseye 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 metres) from the floor.
Want to practise finishing? Try the checkout trainer or read the checkout guide.