How to Play Darts 301

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Darts 301 is a fast, competitive darts format played on a standard bristle board. Both players begin on 301 and race to reduce their score to exactly zero, with the added pressure of having to finish on a double. It rewards accuracy under pressure and is easy to pick up but genuinely difficult to master.

It is the staple format of pub darts across the United Kingdom, chosen when players want a brisk, decisive leg rather than the longer grind of 501. Because every dart counts and a single bust can hand the momentum straight to your opponent, 301 keeps both players locked in from the opening throw to the final double.

A little history

Darts as a pub game is widely documented in Britain from at least the late nineteenth century, and the specific format of counting down from a fixed score to zero on a double out became standard practice in organised pub leagues throughout the twentieth century. Why 301 rather than another number is not definitively recorded; traditionally it is considered the shortest count-down game that gives both players a meaningful chance to warm into the leg before closing out. Its broader origins as a competitive format are otherwise unclear.

Setting up

1. Mount the dartboard so the centre bull is exactly 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) from the floor.
2. Mark the throwing line (oche) on the floor 2.37 m (7 ft 9.25 in) from the face of the board, measured horizontally.
3. Decide who throws first. The standard method is for each player to throw one dart at the bull; nearest to the bull throws first. If a dart falls out it does not count.
4. Set both players' scores to 301, on a chalkboard, whiteboard, or scoreboard app.
5. Agree on any house rules before play begins, particularly whether the game uses double-in as well as double-out.

How to play

1. Players take turns. On your turn, throw all three darts at the board from behind the oche. You must not step on or over the oche line as you throw.
2. Add up the score for any dart that sticks in the board at the end of the throw. A dart that bounces out or falls out does not score and may not be rethrown.
3. Subtract your three-dart total from your current score. Record the new total on the scoreboard immediately.
4. Standard segments score their face value (1 through 20). The outer narrow ring is a double (twice the segment value). The inner narrow ring is a treble (three times the value). The outer bull scores 25. The inner bull (bullseye) scores 50.
5. To win the leg you must reach exactly zero. Your final dart must land in a double segment or the inner bull (which counts as double 25).
6. If your remaining score is reduced to exactly 1, or if your total would go below zero, it is a bust. Your score returns to what it was at the start of that turn and play passes to your opponent.
7. If you reach exactly zero but your final dart is not a double (or the inner bull), it is also a bust. Your score returns to the start of that turn.
8. Play continues, alternating turns, until one player checks out on a double. That player wins the leg.
9. In a match format, agree the number of legs before play begins. The player who wins the agreed number of legs first wins the match.

Winning and scoring

The first player to reduce their score from 301 to exactly zero with their final dart landing in a double or the inner bull wins the leg. The inner bull counts as double 25 and is a valid checkout dart. A perfect checkout requires both accurate reduction of the score and the discipline to leave yourself a double finish; common closing doubles are D16 (leaving 32), D20 (leaving 40), and D18 (leaving 36). In match play, win the agreed number of legs to win the match.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns busts. The rule is absolute: if your score would go below zero, reaches exactly one, or hits zero on anything other than a double or the inner bull, your score reverts to the total you held at the start of that turn and your visit ends immediately. Darts thrown after a bust in the same visit do not count and do not need to be rethrown; the turn is simply over. Some pub venues play that only the offending dart ends the turn, but the standard competitive ruling is that all three darts in the visit are void once a bust is confirmed.

A dart must be sticking in the board when the player retrieves it to count. If a dart hits a wire and falls to the floor, it scores nothing. Players must not touch the darts until all three have been thrown and the score has been called or acknowledged. Touching a dart early forfeits that dart's score in most organised play. On the oche, any part of the foot crossing the line before the dart leaves the hand is a fault; the standard remedy is that the dart scores nothing, though in friendly play this is often just a warning on the first offence.

How to win more often

• Leave yourself on a recognisable double early. After your first visit, aim to land on a score that breaks down neatly into a double finish, ideally 40 (D20), 32 (D16), or 36 (D18), as these are the most reliable closing targets.
• Treble 20 is the highest-scoring single segment at 60 points, but treble 19 (57) is a better target if your D20 accuracy is stronger than your T20 accuracy, since missing low leaves you on 19 rather than the awkward single 5 or 1.
• Count backwards before you throw. Always know what you need to leave before releasing your first dart. Throwing without a plan regularly leaves you on odd numbers with no clean finish.
• Practise your doubles separately. Most games are lost on the doubles, not in the middle of the leg. Spend at least half your practice time on D16, D8, D4, and D2 to build a reliable escape route if you miss your preferred double.
• Stay calm after a bust. Emotional throws on the next visit are the fastest way to hand the leg to your opponent. Reset your stance, recalculate your leave, and treat the next visit as a fresh start.

Variations

Double-In, Double-Out

In this stricter version, players must also start their scoring with a dart in a double segment. Darts thrown before the opening double are ignored and score nothing. Only once the first double is hit does the player begin subtracting from 301. This format is used in some regional leagues and adds a second pressure point at the start of each leg.

501

The same format but starting from 501 instead of 301. This is the standard format used in professional and televised darts. The longer starting score rewards consistent high scoring in the middle of the leg and reduces the influence of a lucky early double. For a pub leg, 501 typically takes twice as long as 301.

Cricket (UK Rules)

An alternative darts game played on the same board where players must close numbers 15 through 20 and the bull by hitting each three times, while also scoring points on numbers their opponent has not yet closed. It is a completely different scoring system to 301 but is commonly played back-to-back with a 301 leg as a two-game set.

Team 301

Two teams of two or more players share a single 301 score. Players alternate within each team, and the combined team score must be reduced to zero on a double by any one team member. This version suits larger groups and works well in a pub setting where four or six people want to play together rather than in separate pairs.

Darts 301: frequently asked questions