There comes a moment in every pub darts game when someone confidently announces the score, everyone nods, and nobody actually knows if it is right. Darts scoring seems arcane from the outside — the treble 20, the “180,” the mysterious arithmetic of the checkout — but the system is beautifully logical once decoded. Whether you want to hold your own on a Friday night, follow the PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace without confusion, or just stop being the person who asks “wait, what did I get?”, this guide explains darts scoring from zero.
The Board: What the Numbers Mean
A standard bristle dartboard (the Winmau Blade 6 is the current professional tournament standard) has 20 numbered segments arranged in a specific, non-sequential order (20, 1, 18, 4, 13, 6, 10, 15, 2, 17, 3, 19, 7, 16, 8, 11, 14, 9, 12, 5). The sequence is traditionally credited to Brian Gamlin, a Lancashire carpenter, in 1896 — designed to punish inaccuracy by placing large numbers beside small ones, so a slightly-off dart at the 20 lands in the 1 or 5.
Each segment is divided into zones. Hit the large single area and you score the segment’s face value. The thin outer ring (between the two wire boundaries near the edge) is the double ring — double the segment’s value. The thin inner ring (about halfway to the centre) is the treble ring — triple the value. The outer bull (the green ring around the centre) scores 25; the inner bull (the red centre) scores 50 and counts as a double 25. Darts landing outside the doubles ring, bouncing out, or falling out score zero — “no score.” The PDC’s official rules govern professional play, but pub games follow the same scoring.
Scoring a Throw: The Arithmetic
Each turn (a “throw” or “visit”) consists of three darts, and the scores add. Treble 20 (the holy grail, top of the board) is 60 per dart — three of them is the maximum 180, the score that brings Ally Pally to its feet. A typical decent pub throw might be treble 20 (60), single 20 (20), single 5 (5) for 85. A poor one: single 1, single 5, bounce-out for 6.
The key skill in scoring others’ throws is instant recognition of the treble and double rings — with practice, you read “treble 20, single 20, double 16” as “60 + 20 + 32 = 112” without conscious effort. Beginners should volunteer as scorer (or “chalker” — traditionally the score was kept in chalk on a board): scoring forces you to learn the board layout fast, and pub etiquette considers it good manners. Call the score clearly after each throw, and confirm with the thrower — disputes are rare when the scorer announces confidently.
The Standard Game: 501 and the Checkout
Pub and professional standard is 501: each player starts at 501 and subtracts their throw totals, racing to reach exactly zero. The catch — and the source of all the drama — is the finish must be a double (or the bull, which counts as double 25). If you need 32, you must hit double 16; hit single 16 instead and you are left on 16, still needing a double (double 8). Go below zero or land on 1, and it is “bust” — the throw does not count and your score reverts to what it was before the throw.
This creates the beloved science of checkouts. Every number from 2 to 170 (the maximum, treble 20 + treble 20 + bull) has a standard route memorised by serious players: 40 is double 20 (the classic), 32 is double 16, 36 is double 18, 50 is the bull. Odd numbers require setup: 51 is often single 19 then double 16 (19 + 32 = 51), 45 might be single 13 then double 16. Pub players typically learn the common ones (40, 36, 32, 24, 20, 16) and work the rest out. The golden rule beginners violate: always leave yourself a double you can hit — setting up 40 (double 20, the biggest double on the board) beats leaving 38 (double 19) every time.
Pub Game Variants You’ll Encounter
Around the clock (or “round the board”): hit each number 1–20 in sequence, then the bull. The standard warm-up and beginner game — pure accuracy training disguised as fun. Variants require doubles or trebles of each number for the masochistic.
Cricket: the tactical American import. Only the numbers 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15 and the bull count; you must hit each three times to “close” it, scoring points on closed numbers your opponent hasn’t closed. Strategy-heavy and increasingly popular in UK pubs with electronic boards.
Killer: the party game. Each player is assigned a number; you must hit your own double to become a “killer,” then hit opponents’ doubles to eliminate their lives. Chaotic, social, and the best introduction for non-players.
Shanghai: seven rounds, hitting 1–7 in sequence, scoring normally — with bonus glory for a “Shanghai” (single, double and treble of the same number in one throw). Watching darts at the pub is more fun when you understand the formats — and if you want to follow the professionals, our guide to watching live sport without Sky covers catching the PDC action.
Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules
Darts has a strong etiquette code, and violating it marks you instantly. Stand still and silent when someone is throwing — movement in peripheral vision is the cardinal sin. Retrieve your darts promptly but never cross the oche (the throw line, 2.37m from the board) while someone is throwing. Do not offer unsolicited checkout advice mid-throw — it is distracting and patronising; save it for between throws if asked. Buy your round — darts is a pub game, and the round system is sacred. Shake hands before and after a match, win or lose.
On scoring disputes: the scorer’s call stands unless clearly wrong — which is why confident, quick calling matters. If you are unsure whether a dart was in the treble or single, ask the thrower before announcing; guessing wrong causes more friction than a moment’s hesitation. And the golden pub rule: the loser buys the winner a drink, or puts the next pound in the board fund. These rituals are what make darts the most sociable of pub sports — the scoring is just the excuse. It is also one of the most accessible competitive sports: the oche demands minimal joint stress, making darts genuinely playable for people whose knees rule out running sports — for more low-impact options, see our guide to the best exercise for bad knees.
Conclusion
Darts scoring is simple at heart: three darts, add the zones (singles, doubles, trebles, bulls), subtract from 501, finish on a double. The apparent complexity — the checkouts, the 180s, the bust rule — is just arithmetic layered on that foundation, learned fastest by volunteering to chalk. Master the board layout, memorise the common checkouts, respect the etiquette, and you will go from confused spectator to competent pub player in a handful of Friday nights.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest possible score in darts?
180 — three treble 20s (60 × 3). It is the maximum with three darts and the most celebrated score in the sport, traditionally greeted with the “ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY!” call.
What does “checkout” mean in darts?
The final throw(s) that take your score to exactly zero, which must end on a double (or the bull). The highest possible checkout is 170 (treble 20, treble 20, bull).
Why do you have to finish on a double?
It is the traditional rule of 501 — it adds skill and drama to the finish, preventing games from ending anticlimactically on a single 1. It is what makes checkouts a science and the end of legs so tense.
How far do you stand from a dartboard?
The oche (throw line) is 2.37m (7ft 9.25in) from the board face, and the bull should be 1.73m (5ft 8in) from the floor. These are the official measurements for bristle boards.
