Outdoor & pub games
Darts 501
- players
- 1–8
- minutes
- 20
- years
- 10+
In the box
1 target · 3 darts per player
Box details
- Origin
- Traditional game, with no specific designer or publisher
- Mechanics
- DexterityPaper and Pencil
Where to buy it
Near you
In a shop
Within 50 km.
The basics
Each player starts from 501 points and must come down to exactly zero, finishing on a double. On your turn, throw three darts and subtract the visit's total from your score: each segment is worth its number, doubled or tripled depending on the ring. Going below zero, landing on 1 or finishing without a double cancels the visit; the first to zero wins the leg, matches often being best of three or five.
Checked against the official rules · September 2026
The rules, step by step
Setup
Board 1.73 m from floor, Oche at 2.37 m, 3 darts per visit
- A regulation board with its centre 1.73 metres from the floor.
- The throwing line, the oche, is 2.37 metres from the board, measured horizontally; diagonally, from the centre of the board to the back of the oche, it is 2.93 metres.
- Three darts per player per visit.
- To decide who starts, each player throws one dart at the bull: the closest goes first. In competition, that player also starts every odd-numbered leg.
How to play
Total taken off score, Fallen dart is lost
- Each player throws their three darts, then the visit's total is subtracted from their remaining score.
- Only darts stuck in the board count, and they must stay there until the visit is over and the score called. A dart that bounces out or falls is lost and is not thrown again.
- Touching a dart already in the board during your visit ends that visit.
- Players alternate, visit after visit, until one reaches zero.
Scoring
Segment = its number, Double and treble rings, Bull 25 or 50
- Each segment is worth its number. The outer ring doubles the value, the inner ring triples it. A dart outside the double ring scores nothing.
- Straight in: any dart stuck in the board starts counting.
- The outer bull is worth 25 points; the inner bull is worth 50 points and counts as a double.
- The best possible visit is 180 points: three treble 20s.
End of the game
Exactly zero, Finish on a double, Else visit cancelled
- You must reach exactly zero, and the last dart must be a double: this is double out.
- Going below zero, landing exactly on 1, or finishing without a double cancels the visit: the score goes back to what it was before the visit. This is a bust.
- A dart thrown after the checkout does not count.
- Matches are often played over several legs, best of three or best of five: the first to win a majority of them wins, and the remaining legs are not played.
House rules and pitfalls
Checkouts to know: 40 finishes with double 20, 32 with double 16, 170 with treble 20, treble 20, bull.
- Checkouts to know: 40 finishes with double 20, 32 with double 16, 170 with treble 20, treble 20, bull.
- In straight out, a pub variant, any dart can finish the game.
Going further
Variants · Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Variants
Starting score
301
501 (standard)
701
Checkout
Double out
The last dart must be a double.
Straight out
Any dart can finish.
choose them when you start a game: the scorer adapts
Frequently asked questions
What is a bust in darts?
Going below zero, landing exactly on 1, or reaching zero without a double: the whole visit is cancelled and the score goes back to its value before the visit. That is why you aim for 40 or 32 rather than 41.
Do you really have to finish on a double?
In double out, yes, and that is the official format. In straight out, a pub variant, any dart can finish the game — the scorer offers both.
What is the bull worth?
Twenty-five points for the outer ring, fifty for the bullseye. The bullseye counts as a double, so it can finish a game.
What is the best possible visit?
One hundred and eighty: three treble 20s. The highest three-dart checkouts go up to 170 — treble 20, treble 20, bullseye.
How high and how far do you stand?
The centre of the board is 1.73 metres from the floor, and the throwing line is 2.37 metres from the board, measured horizontally.
Does a fallen dart count?
No. Only darts still in the board at the time of counting count, and a fallen dart is not thrown again.