Darts scoring rules
Darts is not one scoring system but several. What the board is worth never changes — a single is its face value, a double is twice it, a treble three times, the outer bull is 25 and the bullseye 50 — but what you do with those numbers depends on the game.
Each turn is three darts. Below are the modes people actually play.
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X01: 301, 501, 701
The classic. Everyone starts on the same total and subtracts what they throw. The first to reach exactly zero wins.
- Start at 101, 301, 501, 701 or 1001 points.
- Throw three darts per turn and subtract the score each turn.
- You must finish on a double, or on the bullseye, landing exactly on zero.
- Go below zero, or leave yourself on 1, and you bust: the whole turn is wiped and your score returns to what it was.
- Points per round (PPR) is your total scored divided by rounds played — the usual measure of form.
Cricket
A territory game rather than a countdown. The targets are 15 through 20 and the bull.
- Close a number by hitting it three times — a treble closes it in one dart, a double in two.
- Once you have closed a number and your opponent has not, further hits on it score its face value.
- The winner is the first to close everything with at least as many points as everyone else.
- Marks per round (MPR) measures your pace: three marks a round is a solid benchmark.
- Cut-Throat inverts the scoring — points you make go to your opponents instead, and the lowest score wins.
The shorter modes
- Around the Clock: hit 1 to 20 in order (plus bull if you want it). Hit the current target to advance, miss and stay. First through the sequence wins.
- Shanghai: each round has one target number. Only hits on it score, at single, double or treble value. Hit all three in one round — a "Shanghai" — and you win on the spot.
- Killer: each player defends a number. Become a killer by hitting your own number, then take opponents' lives by hitting theirs. Three lives each; last player alive wins.
- Count Up: no target, just score as much as you can over a fixed number of rounds. Highest total wins.
- Bingo: everyone has a card of 1 to 20. Cross a number off by hitting it, doubles and trebles counting as the base number. First to clear the card wins.
Frequently asked questions
In standard X01, yes — the winning dart must land in a double or the bullseye and bring you to exactly zero. Straight-out play, where any segment finishes, is a common relaxation; master-out also allows a treble.
Scoring more than you have left, or leaving yourself on 1 with a double-out rule, so that finishing becomes impossible. The turn is void: your score goes back to what it was before you threw and play passes on.
Casual players sit around 40 to 60 for three darts. Strong club players reach 70 to 90, and professionals average above 95. In Cricket the equivalent measure is marks per round, where 2 is respectable and 3 is strong.
The inner bullseye is 50 and the outer ring around it is 25. The bullseye counts as a double, so it can finish a leg of X01.