How does scoring work in darts?
Standard professional darts is 501, double start optional, double out. Both players begin on 501 and subtract what they score, aiming to reach exactly zero.
The board. Twenty numbered segments arranged in a deliberately awkward order so that missing a high number lands you on a low one — 20 sits between 1 and 5, and 19 between 3 and 7. This is the defining design feature and it punishes inaccuracy.
Scoring rings, from the outside: the doubles ring (outer ring, doubles the segment value), the large outer single, the trebles ring (inner ring, triples it), the inner single, then the outer bull worth 25, and the bullseye worth 50.
The maximum with three darts is 180 — three treble 20s.
Finishing requires a double. You must land exactly on zero with a dart in a double or the bullseye, which counts as a double 25. Overshooting, or leaving exactly 1, is a bust — the score for that visit does not count and you return to where you started the turn.
This is why the game is genuinely difficult at the end rather than simply a matter of scoring fast. Players must think two or three darts ahead to leave themselves a preferred finish, usually an even number allowing a double, and ideally 32 (double 16), which halves neatly if missed.
The nine-dart finish is the perfect leg — 501 checked out in nine darts, the minimum possible. Common routes are 180, 180, then 141 (treble 20, treble 19, double 12), or 180, 177, 144. It is the sport's equivalent of a 147 break or a perfect game, and remains rare enough to be a notable event.
Match structure uses legs and sets, with formats varying by tournament.
Throw alternates by leg, and the player throwing first has an advantage.