How to Play Darts: Rules and 501 Scoring

The standard game of darts is 501. Both players start with 501 points, take turns throwing three darts, and subtract each turn’s total from their running score. The first to reach exactly zero wins, and the final dart has to land in a double or the bullseye to close it out.

That double-out finish is what makes darts a game rather than a math race, and it trips up every beginner at first. Below is the full setup, how scoring works, how a leg of 501 actually plays, and how to land your first checkout.

Setting up: board height and throwing distance

Before the first dart, the board and the throwing line have to be right, and the measurements are standardized worldwide.

Measurement	Official spec
Bullseye height from floor	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Throwing distance (oche)	7 ft 9.25 in (2.37 m)
Diagonal, floor to bull	9 ft 7.5 in (2.93 m)
Darts per turn	3

Measure the 7 ft 9.25 inches horizontally from the face of the board to the throwing line, called the oche. Your feet stay behind that line. You can lean over it, but stepping on or past it makes the throw a foul.

How the dartboard scores

The board is split into 20 numbered segments, plus the central bull. Where your dart lands in a segment decides the multiplier.

• Single: the large area of a segment scores its face value (a single 20 is 20).
• Treble: the thin inner ring scores triple (treble 20 is 60, the highest single-dart score).
• Double: the thin outer ring scores double (double 20 is 40).
• Outer bull: the green ring is 25.
• Bullseye: the red center is 50, and it counts as a double for finishing.

The numbers are arranged so big scores sit next to small ones, with 20 at the top flanked by 1 and 5. Miss the treble 20 and you are punished with a 1 or a 5, which is the board’s built-in penalty for going for the biggest score.

Playing a leg of 501

Each turn, throw three darts and add up what they score, then subtract that from your total. A strong turn is 60 (treble 20) added up three times for 180, though most players score somewhere in the double digits per dart.

The bust rule is the key wrinkle. You cannot overshoot zero, and you cannot land on exactly one, because you would have no double to finish on. If a turn busts, your score snaps back to where it was before that turn and your opponent throws. So once you drop below about 170, you stop firing at the treble 20 and start planning a finish.

Your first checkout

A checkout is finishing the leg, and it always ends on a double. The habit that makes checkouts easier is leaving yourself an even number, because most doubles are even and a missed dart keeps you even.

Here are clean finishes worth memorizing as a beginner:

Score left	Finish
40	Double 20
36	Double 18
32	Double 16
24	Double 12
16	Double 8
50	Bullseye

Double 16 is the classic target to aim for. Miss it high or wide and you often land in the single 16, leaving 16, which is another double, so a single mistake does not wreck your finish. That is why experienced players steer toward 32 rather than an odd number.

Other darts games worth learning

501 is the standard, but a few other games are worth knowing, especially if you are practicing alone or playing with mixed skill levels.

• 301: the same rules as 501 over a shorter distance, faster and good for beginners. Some house rules also require a double to start (double-in) as well as to finish.
• Cricket: players race to “close” the numbers 15 through 20 and the bull by hitting each three times, then score points on numbers they have closed but their opponent has not. It rewards accuracy across the board rather than just the treble 20.
• Around the Clock: hit every number from 1 to 20 in order. It is a pure practice game that forces you to aim at parts of the board you would otherwise ignore.

Playing cricket in particular builds the all-around accuracy that a 501 player leans on when they are forced off the 20 and have to score or check out from an awkward number.

The trick to throwing well

The best return for a beginner is a repeatable motion, not a hard one. Set a stable stance with your throwing-side foot forward and your weight slightly onto it. Bring the dart back to the same point near your eye each throw, keep your elbow up and still, and follow through toward the segment you want. Grouping three darts tightly, even in the wrong spot, is a fixable problem; a different motion every time is not.

For a deeper look at technique, our guide to the best ways to throw darts breaks down grip, stance and release, and you can see it all executed at the top level in our rundown of the greatest darts players. If you enjoy the precision-and-practice loop, how to rack pool balls covers another table-and-pub classic that rewards the same repeatable habits.

Start on 501, throw three darts a turn, and finish on a double. Learn a handful of checkouts, aim for even leaves, and groove one throwing motion. That is the whole game, and everything else is refinement.