Guides · How to score darts · 10 min read
How to score darts: points, rings and keeping score
A dart scores the number of the segment it lands in. The thin outer ring doubles that number, the thin inner ring trebles it, the outer bull is worth 25 and the bullseye 50. Add up your three darts and you have the score for the visit.
In short
- Segments: 1 to 20 points, as printed on the number ring.
- Red and green rings: the outer ring scores double, the inner ring treble.
- Bull: the outer bull is 25, the bullseye 50.
- Maximum: 180 with three treble 20s. Nine totals below it, such as 179, are impossible.
The board
How does scoring on a dartboard work?
The board is split into 20 numbered segments, and every dart scores the number of the segment it sticks in. Two thin rings multiply that number, and the bull in the middle has fixed values of its own.
- ×1the wide single areas, inside and outside the treble ring
- ×3treble ring, the inner thin ring
- ×2double ring, the outer thin ring
- 25outer bull
- 50bullseye, which also counts as a double
- 0anything outside the double ring
Each number has two single areas: the big one between the bull and the treble ring, and the smaller one between the treble and the double ring. Both are worth the same. The outer edge of the double ring is the edge of the scoring area, so the number ring around it scores nothing.
Colours
What do the red and green rings on a dartboard mean?
The red and green bands are the doubles and trebles. They alternate so you can tell the segments apart: on a standard bristle board the black segments have red rings and the cream segments have green ones.
The colour does not change the score
A red treble and a green treble both count three times the number. Only the ring matters, never its colour.
The 20 is always a dark segment at the top, which the WDF rules require. That is why the treble 20 is red on almost every board, and the bull is a green outer ring around a red bullseye.
Points table
How many points is each field worth?
Single, double or treble of every number, plus the bull. A single dart scores anything from 0 to 60, and the treble 20 is the most valuable field on the board.
| Number | Single | Double | Treble |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 20 | 40 | 60 |
| 19 | 19 | 38 | 57 |
| 18 | 18 | 36 | 54 |
| 17 | 17 | 34 | 51 |
| 16 | 16 | 32 | 48 |
| 15 | 15 | 30 | 45 |
| 14 | 14 | 28 | 42 |
| 13 | 13 | 26 | 39 |
| 12 | 12 | 24 | 36 |
| 11 | 11 | 22 | 33 |
| Number | Single | Double | Treble |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10 | 20 | 30 |
| 9 | 9 | 18 | 27 |
| 8 | 8 | 16 | 24 |
| 7 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| 6 | 6 | 12 | 18 |
| 5 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| 4 | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Bull | 25 | 50 |
The bull has no treble. Its outer ring counts 25 and the bullseye 50, which the rules treat as double 25.
Number order
In what order are the numbers on a dartboard?
Clockwise from the top the order is 20, 1, 18, 4, 13, 6, 10, 15, 2, 17, 3, 19, 7, 16, 8, 11, 14, 9, 12, 5. High numbers sit next to low ones, so a loose dart gets punished.
- 20 at the topIts neighbours are the 5 and the 1, so a miss costs a lot.
- 19 at the bottomBetween the 7 and the 3, a slightly kinder place to miss. The T20 or T19 guide weighs it up.
- Clock positions20 at twelve, 6 at three, 3 at six and 11 at nine o’clock. Learn those four and you find every other number quickly.
Worked examples
How do you add up a visit in darts?
Add the three darts together once all three are thrown, before anybody pulls them out. That total is the visit, the number the caller shouts and the marker writes down.
Scores
- A dart touching a wire: it counts on the side where the point went in
- A dart hanging down, as long as the point is still in the board
- The bullseye, as 50 and as a double for the finish
Scores nothing
- A dart that bounces out or misses the board
- A dart in the number ring, outside the double wire
- A dart that falls out before the score is written down
- A dart you push back in to stop it falling
A bounce out cannot be thrown again, so that dart is simply lost. The full set of match rules, from the throwing line to the bull-off, is in our darts rules guide.
Chalkboard and scoresheet
How do you keep score in darts by hand?
In 501 you count down. Each player gets two columns, one for what the visit scored and one for what is left, and every new remainder is worked out from the one above it.
- Write 501 at the topOne column pair per player, the names above.
- Wait for the third dartAdd the visit up while the darts are still in the board, then write it in the left column.
- Subtract and write what is leftCross out the old remainder so nobody reads the wrong line.
- Call the number, not the doubleSay “32 left”, not “double 16”. In WDF matches the marker may not tell the player which double to aim for.
Check before the next visit. Under WDF rules a wrong subtraction stands unless someone corrects it before that player throws again. A quick check: the score plus the new remainder must equal the old remainder.
Darts maths
How do you subtract darts scores quickly?
Round the visit up to a number that is easy to take off, then give the difference back. Most visits are one of a handful of totals, and after a few nights you know them by heart.
- Learn the regulars26, 41, 45, 60, 81, 85, 100 and 140 come up again and again.
- Tens firstTake 341 minus 41 as 341 minus 40, then minus 1.
- Check by adding256 plus 85 must give back 341.
- Practise at homeScore every practice leg yourself before you look at the app.
The visits you will score most often
| Visit | Usually | Left from 501 | Known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 20 · 5 · 1 | 475 | bed and breakfast |
| 41 | 20 · 20 · 1 | 460 | |
| 45 | 20 · 20 · 5 | 456 | bag of nuts |
| 60 | 20 · 20 · 20 | 441 | |
| 81 | T20 · 20 · 1 | 420 | |
| 85 | T20 · 20 · 5 | 416 | |
| 100 | T20 · 20 · 20 | 401 | a ton |
| 140 | T20 · T20 · 20 | 361 | ton forty |
| 180 | T20 · T20 · T20 | 321 | maximum |
The nicknames come from British pub slang; the darts terms guide has the rest of them.
Limits
What is the highest score in darts, and which scores are impossible?
The highest visit is 180, three darts in the treble 20. Between 160 and 180 several totals cannot be reached with three darts at all.
- 180highest visit
- 177next best: T20, T20, T19
- 170highest checkout: T20, T20, bullseye
- 9darts for a perfect leg of 501
179 is impossible because the second best field after the treble 20 is the treble 19 at 57, and 60 plus 60 plus 57 already drops to 177. If someone writes 179 on the board, a dart was counted wrong.
Finishing is its own skill, because the last dart has to be a double. Every route from 170 down to 2 is on the checkout chart.
Cricket
How is scoring different in Cricket?
In Cricket only the 15 to 20 and the bull count, and you collect marks instead of counting down. Three marks close a number, and after that every hit on it scores points while your opponent still has it open.
Marks per dart
- Single1 mark
- Double2 marks
- Treble3 marks
- Outer bull1 mark, 25 points once closed
- Bullseye2 marks, 50 points once closed
On the scoresheet, marks are a slash, a cross and a circled cross. The player who has closed everything and is level or ahead on points wins.
Other games add up instead of counting down, such as High Score or Shanghai. The darts games guide explains how each one is scored.
Scoring apps
Can an app keep score for you?
Yes. A scoring app does the subtraction, shows what is left and suggests a checkout, so nobody at the board has to do sums between throws.
In Sridu’s online darts scorer you either tap where each dart landed or switch X01 to Type total and enter the visit like on a chalkboard. Totals that cannot be thrown, such as 179, are refused. With webcams pointed at the board, the darts are scored automatically.
FAQ
Questions about darts scoring
How many points is a bullseye?
The bullseye, the small red centre, is worth 50 points. The green ring around it, the outer bull, is worth 25. In 501 the bullseye also counts as a double, so you can finish on it from 50.
What do the red and green mean on a dartboard?
They mark the double and treble rings. The outer thin ring doubles the number, the inner thin ring trebles it. Red and green just alternate so the segments are easy to tell apart, and both colours score the same.
Does a dart on the wire count?
Yes. It scores on the side of the wire where the point entered the board. If the point is not in the board at all, for example after a bounce out, the dart scores nothing.
What is the highest score with three darts?
180, with all three darts in the treble 20. The highest checkout is 170, because the last dart has to be a double and the best double is the bullseye at 50.
Why can’t you score 179 in darts?
After the treble 20 the next highest field is the treble 19 at 57, so the best visit below 180 is 177. 163, 166, 169, 172, 173, 175, 176, 178 and 179 are all impossible with three darts.
Do you count up or down in darts?
In 501 and 301 you count down from the starting score to exactly zero. Games like High Score, Shanghai or Count Up add the points up instead, and Cricket counts marks.
Who keeps score in a darts match?
In leagues and tournaments a marker, also called a scorer or chalker, writes the scores on the board. In a friendly game the players usually do it themselves, or a scoring app takes over.
Leave the sums to the scorer
Open Sridu in the browser, start a leg of X01 and tap your darts or type the visit total. It keeps the remainder, your average and the checkout for you, free and without an account.