Darts - The Rules Explained

Darts - The Rules Explained

Darts is a popular game, played both as a bit of fun in the pub with friends and as a professional sport, with some people earning a living through their sheer skill at the game. However, people who want to learn the game are often presented with a question. What are the rules? How do you play like the professionals?

So how do you play darts?

First of all, it’s important to understand the basic premise behind darts. The objective of the game is to lower your score to zero from a beginning score, which is usually either 301 or 501, and every circle on the board has a different value. In a casual game, reaching zero would often mark the end of a game, but on the professional circuit, the rules are slightly different. When you reach zero, and you’re able to hit the bullseye, which is the middle of the board, you win what’s known as a “leg”. The actual darts board itself is comprised of twenty sections, and each section is assigned a numerical value, between 1 and 20 points, but no two sections will yield the same number of points. It’s worth remembering that each section of the board is also split into three distinct categories, with each category having the potential to either double or triple your points, to a maximum value of 180 points for getting all three darts into the bullseye.

Are there other ways to play?

There are different types of the darts game for people to enjoy. There’s a variant called ‘killer’, which is where you choose part of the board and try to hit that segment over and over. There’s also ‘round the clock’, where the objective is to hit every section of the board in turn.

There are many other different playstyles in darts, but the standard rules are the ones to memorise. If you’re looking to start playing darts, now that you’ve read the rules and got a feel for how to play, AS Pub Sports has a wide range of darts and boards available, so you can easily get all the things you need to start practising the game.