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Playing Darts





How To Play Darts

From installing the board to playing new games, this guide is designed to help you cover the basics and a few neat tricks of dart playing.

Instructions and Rules

Board Set Up

The board setup is quite simple. The following are guidelines to make sure your board meets regulation.

  • Mount the dart board on a wall with the center of the double bull at 5 ft 8 in from the floor.
  • Mark the oche, or toeline, at 7 ft 9.25 in from the face of the board. Remember to take into account the dart board depth when measuring the toeline. A bristle dart board has an average depth of 1.5 inches.

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General Rules

While most places have their own house rules, the following are some standards to get you started:

Shooting order

  • To decide who shoots first, both players shoot for the bullseye. The player who comes closest shoots first and turns alternate thereafter.
  • A turn consists of three darts, each thrown from behind the oche.

Legal throws

  • The point of the dart must touch the board to count.
  • Darts that miss the board or bounce to the floor do not score and cannot be rethrown. A player may pick up and play a dropped dart.

Scoring

The playing area is divided into wedges, each with a point value marked along the outer edge. Two rings overlap the playing area, signaling double or triple points if a dart lands within them.

  • A. Single (face value) points
  • B. Double points ring
  • C. Triple points ring
  • D. Single bull, 25 points
  • E. Double bull, 50 points

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Games

Round the Clock

Often the first game people learn is Round the Clock. Players alternate turns trying to hit each number, beginning at 1 and finishing at 20.

  • Each player thows three shots per turn, advancing to the next number on the board only by hitting each one in order.
  • The first player to reach and hit 20 wins.

Variations:

  • If all three darts in a turn score, the shooter continues to shoot for another turn.
  • Doubles and triples advance a player two and three numbers respectively.
  • After reaching 20, the player must finish with either a bullseye or a double 20 in order to win the game.

The X01

The most popular dart variation is the X01 game, with 301 and 501 as the most common singles' games, and 701 or 1001 for teams. The object of the game is to count down from the starting number to exactly zero.

  • Each player takes a three-throw turn subtracting the point value of their hits from the number (301, 501, 701, etc.) chosen at the start of the game.
  • In all X01 games the player must finish the game with a double.
  • If the total score of the three darts in a turn exceeds the remaining score for that player or team, the player has busted and the score returns to what is was at the beginning of the turn.
  • A double bull counts as 50 and can be used to finish or start a game
  • One variation dictates that in order to start scoring a player must first hit a double. This is in fact the customary way to play 301.

Cricket

Cricket uses only the numbers 15-20 and the bullseye. The object of the game is to be the first player (or team) to hit each number and the bullseye 3 times each while maintaining the most points.

  • The first player to hit a number and the bullseye 3 times has "closed" that number.
  • The Cricket board utilizes the single, double and triple-point value areas. This makes it possible to close a number with a single dart.
  • For a player who has closed a number, any additional hits to that number count as points in the appropriate amount (hitting the triple 20 gives the player 60 points) until their opponent succeeds in closing the number as well. In a close match, the number of points often decides the winner.
  • Once all players have closed a number it is out of play even in terms of gaining points.
  • Once a player has hit each of the 15-20 spots and the bullseye 3 times and has the highest score (number of points), that player has won.

Variations:

  • Some players score doubles and triples in a separate tally as above. This variation can be played according to either "easy" or "hard" rules. In easy rules any double or triple counts. In hard rules only the triples and doubles on the numbers from 15-20 count. In both variations a double bull can be used as a double.
  • Another variation is an added "miss" tally, counting the number of three-throw turns a player fails to score. Once the player has three missed turns, each subsequent miss scores for the opponent until the opponent also has three misses.

Assasin

A game for 2-10 players, where each player throws one dart with their opposite throwing hand (right-handed players throw with the left hand and vice versa). This game is won by eliminating your opponents while defending your number.

  • The first number or bull each player hits is their assigned number.
  • Each player must have a different number; if a player hits a number that is already taken the player shoots again until the player hits a unique number.
  • Each player shoots for their own number at first. Once a player has hit their number 5 times, the player becomes an Assassin.
  • Doubles and triples count as two and three hits respectively.
  • Once a player or players become an Assassin, they can shoot for their opponents' numbers, taking one hit from an opponent each time they hit their number.
  • If a player loses all their hits, that player is eliminated from the game.
  • This continues until there is only one player left.
  • An important note: if, for example, player 1 is an Assassin and another Assassin hits player 1's number, player 1 must get their number of hits back up to 5 before regaining Assassin status.

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