How to Play Darts 501

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

Darts 501 is the standard competitive darts format played in pubs, clubs, and tournaments across Britain and beyond. Two or more players each begin on 501 points and race to reduce their score to exactly zero, with the critical rule that the winning dart must land on a double or the bull. It is fast, tense, and endlessly replayable.

The game rewards both precision and mental arithmetic under pressure, which is a large part of why it has remained the go-to format for serious darts players for generations. A single visit to the board can swing a leg completely, and the double-to-finish rule means the game is never truly over until that last dart lands.

A little history

Darts as a pub game became widespread across Britain during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and 501 emerged as the dominant competitive format during the twentieth century as regional and national leagues standardised their rules. Its origins as the specific format of choice are not precisely documented, but it is widely noted that the double-start or double-finish convention was established to ensure a consistent and skill-based conclusion to each leg. The British Darts Organisation, founded in 1973, and subsequent governing bodies codified the rules now recognised internationally.

Setting up

1. Hang the dartboard so the centre of the bull is exactly 1.73 metres (5 ft 8 in) from the floor.
2. Position the oche (throwing line) 2.37 metres (7 ft 9.25 in) from the face of the board, measured horizontally.
3. Agree the number of legs and/or sets that will constitute the match before play begins.
4. Decide who throws first: each player throws one dart at the bull, and the player closest to the centre goes first. In casual play, a coin toss is equally acceptable.
5. Write each player's name on the scoreboard and mark their starting score of 501.

How to play

1. Players take turns. Each turn (called a visit) consists of throwing three darts with the player standing at or behind the oche.
2. Score the value of each dart that sticks in the board. The thin outer ring scores double the segment number; the thin inner ring scores triple. The small inner circle (bull) scores 50; the outer bull scores 25.
3. Add the three scores together and subtract the total from the player's current running score. Record the new total on the scoreboard.
4. If a dart bounces out or misses the board entirely, it scores zero and may not be rethrown during that visit.
5. A player must finish on exactly zero. The dart that takes the score to zero must land in a double or in the bull (which counts as a double 25).
6. If the three darts would reduce the score below zero, to exactly one, or to zero without the final dart being a double or the bull, the visit is a bust. The score returns to what it was at the start of that visit and play passes to the next player.
7. The player who reaches exactly zero with a valid double or bull wins the leg.
8. If playing a match of multiple legs, reset to 501 and begin the next leg. The player who did not throw first in the previous leg throws first in the next.

Winning and scoring

A player wins a leg by reducing their score from 501 to exactly zero, with the final dart landing in a double segment or the bull. Any visit that would take the score below zero or to zero via a non-double is a bust and does not count. In match play, the player who wins the agreed number of legs first wins the match. For example, in a best-of-seven legs match, the first player to win four legs takes the match.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns busted visits. The rule is clear: if the third dart finishes on zero but does not land in a double or bull, the entire three-dart visit is cancelled and the score reverts to the total before that visit began, even if the first two darts scored legitimately. Similarly, if the running score reaches one after any dart in the visit, the remaining darts in that visit cannot help because no single segment scores one on a double, so the visit is effectively bust from that point.

A dart is only counted as scoring if it remains in the board when the player retrieves it. If a dart falls out before the player walks to the board, it scores zero. Darts that land in a segment but are knocked out by a subsequent dart from the same player score the value they originally registered, provided the scorer has already noted or confirmed the score before the dart is displaced. Players should agree on how to handle this before a match rather than dispute it mid-game. On the oche, a player's foot may be on the line but must not cross over it; a dart thrown while the player's foot is across the oche is typically voided in organised play.

How to win more often

• Learn the standard checkout routes for common scores: 170 (treble 20, treble 20, bull), 121 (treble 17, treble 18, double 18), and 61 (treble 15, double 8) are worth knowing cold.
• Aim to leave yourself on a recognised double: 32 (double 16) is the classic finishing target because a missed single leaves you on 16, a further miss leaves 8, then 4, then 2, all finishable with one dart.
• In the early stages of a leg, target treble 20 consistently to close the gap quickly, but shift to setting up your finish once you are below 170.
• Avoid leaving yourself on an odd number above 1 with one dart remaining in a visit, as you cannot finish on a double from an odd number without first hitting a single to make it even.
• Under pressure, aim at a larger double segment such as double 16 or double 8 rather than double 1 or double 3; the bigger bed gives you more margin for a slightly wayward dart.

Variations

301

Played identically to 501 but each player starts on 301 points. This makes legs significantly shorter and is popular for informal games or when time is limited. Some rule sets add a double-start requirement, meaning a player must hit a double before any score counts, which extends the game slightly and adds an early-game challenge.

Double In, Double Out (601 / 701)

Starting totals of 601 or 701 are used in team formats, often with two to four players per side combining their scores within a visit or alternating throws. The same double-out rule applies. The higher starting total suits team play where several players contribute darts per leg.

Cricket (Clock)

An entirely different objective using the same board. Players must hit each number from 1 to 20 in order, then the bull. Each number must be struck once to be open and three times to be closed. It has no relation to the 501 scoring system but is a popular alternative in the same pub setting for players wanting a change of format.

Shanghai

Players throw at each number from 1 to 7 in sequence over seven rounds, scoring only darts that land in the nominated segment. A player who hits a single, double, and triple of the same number in one visit achieves Shanghai and wins outright immediately, regardless of the scores. Otherwise the highest total after seven rounds wins. It is a useful format for practising precision on specific segments.

Darts 501: frequently asked questions