Guides · Darts average · 9 min read
Darts average explained: the 3-dart average and how to raise it
The darts average, or 3-dart average, is the points you scored divided by the darts you threw, multiplied by three. It tells you what one visit of three darts is worth to you.
In short
- The formula: points ÷ darts × 3.
- A bust counts its darts but none of its points.
- A checkout counts only the darts you actually threw.
- In 501: 40 to 50 is pub level, 60+ league, 85+ tour.
The formula
How do you calculate your darts average?
Add up the points you scored, divide by the darts you threw and multiply by three. That is the 3-dart average you see on TV, in league results and in scoring apps.
A worked example: one leg of 501
A realistic leg with double out, including a bust, a missed double and a checkout with the first dart. Those are the spots where averages worked out by hand usually go wrong.
| Visit | Darts | Scored | Left | Thrown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 60 | 441 | 20 20 20 |
| 2 | 3 | 100 | 341 | T20 20 20 |
| 3 | 3 | 85 | 256 | T20 5 20 |
| 4 | 3 | 140 | 116 | T20 T20 20 |
| 5 | 3 | 41 | 75 | 20 1 20 |
| 6 | 3 | 43 | 32 | 19 20 4 (at D18) |
| 7 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 16 8 11: bust |
| 8 | 1 | 32 | 0 | D16 (first dart) |
| Total | 22 | 501 |
- 68.33-dart average: 501 ÷ 22 × 3
- 22.81-dart average: 501 ÷ 22
- 81.7first 9 average: 245 ÷ 9 × 3
- 20 %checkout rate: 1 hit from 5 darts
The 5 checkout darts are the one at 36 in visit 6 (aimed at D18), all three in the bust visit and the winning dart at 32.
The common mistake: counting the last visit as three darts gives 501 ÷ 24 × 3 = 62.6, almost six points too low.
Quick check: darts per leg and average
For a whole leg of 501 you need one division: 1503 ÷ darts, because 501 × 3 = 1503. In the middle of a leg, use (501 − score left) ÷ darts × 3.
The fine print
Do busts, checkouts and double in count towards your average?
Every dart you throw counts, and every point that stays on the scoreboard counts. That is how TV statistics work, and it is how Sridu works out your average too.
The bust rule
Under WDF rules a visit is bust if it goes below zero, reaches zero without a double or leaves 1. Your score goes back to where it was before that visit.
The points are gone, but the three darts stay in your average. Two busts in a leg can cost you several points.
Counts
- Every dart of a bust visit
- The darts you threw in the finishing visit
- Darts before your opening double in 301 double in
- Points and darts from legs you lose
Doesn’t count
- The points of a bust visit
- Darts you never threw after the checkout
- The mean of your leg averages
- Double inOfficial WDF matches start straight, but some leagues play 301 double in. The darts before the opening double score nothing, so averages come out lower.
- A whole matchAll points ÷ all darts × 3. A 15-dart leg (100.2) and a 30-dart leg (50.1) make 66.8, not 75.2.
- The ceilingA nine-dart finish is 501 ÷ 9 × 3 = 167, the highest average possible for a leg of 501.
Beyond the average
What do the 1-dart average, first 9 average and checkout percentage tell you?
The 3-dart average mixes scoring and finishing into one number. These figures split it up, so you can see which part of your game is costing you.
- 1-dart averagePoints ÷ darts, without the × 3. A 60 average is 20 points per dart; soft-tip leagues call it PPD.
- First 9 averagePoints from your first 9 darts ÷ 9 × 3. Pure scoring power, before the finish drags the number down.
- Checkout percentageFinishes ÷ darts thrown with a finish on. It shows how well you take your chances at the double, and doubles practice is how you raise it.
- Doubles hit rateHits ÷ darts at doubles, the same as the checkout rate in a double-out match. Bob’s 27 measures it without the pressure of a leg.
- 100+, 140+ and 180Counts of big visits: 100 to 139, 140 to 179, and 180 on its own.
- Best leg, highest checkoutYour fewest darts in a won leg and your biggest finish. Good for bragging, less for spotting weaknesses.
Most players have a first nine a few points above their overall average. In the worked leg the gap is big: 81.7 against 68.3, because the last 13 darts only averaged 59.1.
What counts as a checkout attempt?
In double-out X01, every dart thrown when a single dart could win the leg is an attempt. TV statistics count it this way, per dart.
Some apps count per visit or per leg instead, which gives higher percentages. Compare like with like.
Cricket
What is MPR, the Cricket average?
In Cricket the average is MPR, marks per round: marks ÷ darts × 3. A round is three darts, just as a visit is in X01.
Marks per dart
- Single1 mark on 15 to 20
- Double2 marks
- Treble3 marks
- Outer bull1 mark on the bull
- Bullseye2 marks on the bull
- 4.0MPR for the round on the board
- 2.8MPR for a leg with 42 marks from 45 darts
- under 1.5Where most people start
- 1.5–2.5Typical league play
- 3+Strong
A very rough guide. Leagues don’t all count marks the same way, for example on numbers everybody has already closed, so compare MPR only within one system.
Levels
What is a good darts average?
For steel-tip 501, a 3-dart average of 40 to 50 is solid at pub level, 60 and more marks a strong league player, and professionals on the tour usually average 85 or more.
- under 30Just starting
- 30–45Casual pub player
- 45–60Pub team, local league
- 60–75Strong league player
- 75–85Top amateur, county level
- 85–95Professional tour
- 95+Top of the world rankings
At a given average, a leg of 501 takes about 1503 ÷ average darts. That is roughly 25 to 33 darts at 45 to 60, 20 to 25 at 60 to 75, and 16 to 18 on the tour.
- 15–25 %checkout rate per dart at pub level
- ~40 %checkout rate the best players often reach over a match
Rough guidance, not an official scale. Leagues differ from region to region, and most people average several points more in practice than under pressure.
Practice
How can you improve your darts average?
Score more per visit and waste fewer darts at the end. Measure first, then practise the weakest part; a full weekly plan is in the darts practice routine guide.
- Know your baselinePlay ten legs of 501 and note the average, first nine and checkout rate. The statistics in Sridu keep all three per player, with a trend over the last 30 days, 90 days or all time.
- Compare first nine and averageA gap of ten points or more means the finish is costing you. A small gap with a low first nine means scoring is the problem.
- Group on the 20A tight cluster in the 20 beats a scattered one that sometimes finds the treble. Darts at a Number and Powerscoring train it, and a heatmap shows whether you drift towards the 5 or the 1.
- Cut the low visitsIf your grouping is loose, try the treble 19, where a miss lands in the 7 or the 3 instead of the 5 or the 1. T20 or T19 helps you decide.
- Practise finishesLearn the routes on the checkout chart, then drill them with Checkout King or the 121 ladder. Leaving 32, 40 or 36 saves darts too.
- Play under a little pressureA bot set to your own average is a fair opponent that turns up every night. Your numbers will get closer to what you throw in a league.
Visits under 40 hurt your average more than a missing 180. More tons and fewer low visits beat the occasional maximum.
Sources: WDF Playing and Tournament Rules, 20th revised edition (2018), rules 2.01 (straight start), 2.02 (double finish) and 2.05 (bust rule).
FAQ
Questions about the darts average
Is the darts average per dart or per three darts?
When people say “average” in darts they mean the 3-dart average, the points scored per visit of three darts. The 1-dart average is the same figure divided by three, so a 3-dart average of 60 equals 20 points per dart.
Does a bust count towards my average?
Yes. The darts of a bust count, the points do not, so a bust lowers your average. This matches how matches are scored in leagues and on TV.
How many darts count when I check out with the first dart?
Just one. Only the darts you actually threw count, so a finish with the first dart of a visit adds one dart, and with the second dart two.
Why is my match average lower than in practice?
Pressure, a stranger’s board and waiting between visits all cost points, and matches include every missed double. Most players score a few points less in a match than on their own board, which is why match averages are the better measure of your level.
Can I compare my 301 average with my 501 average?
Only roughly. A shorter game has proportionally more darts at a finish and, with double in, darts that score nothing, so 301 averages usually come out lower. Compare averages within one format.
What average do the professionals have?
On the professional tour, match averages of 85 to 95 are normal, and the very best regularly go above 100 in televised matches. A perfect nine-dart leg of 501 is an average of 167.
Find out your real darts average
Open Sridu in your browser, play a few legs of X01 and let it work out your average, first nine and checkout rate dart by dart. With webcams it scores by itself, and without them you tap your darts in.