501 darts
Start at 501. Finish on a double.
Visit after visit, Matchito does the subtraction and spots the bust. You just aim.
Score a gameOne visit, one number.
Enter the total of your 3 darts, from 0 to 180. Matchito takes it off what’s left. Try it!
- Start at 501
- 180 max per visit
- 3 legs to win
- Pick darts, and name the two players.
- After each visit, enter its total. Matchito takes it off what’s left, and rejects a visit that goes over or leaves 1.
- A visit equal to what’s left wins the leg: checking the finishing double is up to you. At 3 legs, the match ends.
The rules, in short.
What the World Darts Federation’s rules say, and nothing more.
- 501
The start
Each player starts at 501, and every visit comes off what they have left. Every dart in the board counts from the first one. An event can also set 701 or 1001.
WDF, Playing and Tournament Rules, revised 20th edition, 2018, 2.01 and 3.01 - 3
A visit
A visit is up to 3 darts. A dart thrown after the leg is over doesn’t count.
WDF, Playing and Tournament Rules, revised 20th edition, 2018, 1.03 and 2.09 - Double
The finish
To finish, you have to hit the double of half what’s left: on 32, you aim for double 16. The bull is worth 50 and counts as double 25.
WDF, Playing and Tournament Rules, revised 20th edition, 2018, 2.02 to 2.04 - Bust
The bust
A visit that scores more than what’s left, reaches it without finishing on a double, or leaves 1, doesn’t count: the score goes back to what it was before.
WDF, Playing and Tournament Rules, revised 20th edition, 2018, 2.05 - Bull
Who starts
Each player throws one dart at the bull. The closest to the center starts the match, then every odd leg, the deciding leg included.
WDF, Playing and Tournament Rules, revised 20th edition, 2018, 12.01 to 12.03 - Legs
The match
It’s played as the best of 3, 5 or 7 legs, sometimes in sets. The first to win a majority takes it; the rest aren’t played.
WDF, Playing and Tournament Rules, revised 20th edition, 2018, 2.10 and 2.11 - 1 to 20
The board
Twenty segments, numbered 1 to 20. The narrow outer ring doubles the number, the inner ring trebles it. The centre, the bull, is worth 50; the ring around it, 25. Outside the double ring, a dart scores nothing.
WDF, Playing and Tournament Rules, revised 20th edition, 2018, 3.02 and 4.01
The leg, in one press.
One press on your watch or the three buttons on your earbuds gives the leg to the player: ⏮ for pink, ⏭ for yellow. Visits are entered on the phone; ⏯ undoes the last entry.
The questions people ask.
How do you keep score in darts?
In 501, each player starts at 501. You add up your 3 darts and take the total off what’s left. The first to zero, on a double, wins the leg.
WDF, Playing and Tournament Rules, revised 20th edition, 2018, 1.03, 2.02 and 3.01What is the highest score in one visit?
180: three treble 20s. To finish in one visit, the highest possible checkout is 170: two treble 20s and the bull. These are calculations; the rules don’t spell them out.
What does bust mean?
Your visit scores more than what you have left, reaches it without finishing on a double, or leaves 1: it doesn’t count, and your score goes back to what it was.
WDF, Playing and Tournament Rules, revised 20th edition, 2018, 2.05How far away and how high do you throw from?
The center of the bull is 1.73 m off the floor. You throw from at least 2.37 m, measured horizontally from the back of the throw line to the face of the board.
WDF, Playing and Tournament Rules, revised 20th edition, 2018, 6.01 and 6.02What’s the difference between 301 and 501?
Just the starting score. The rules provide for 501, 701 or 1001; 301 is a common setting on electronic boards, outside the rules.
WDF, Playing and Tournament Rules, revised 20th edition, 2018, 3.01How do you finish a leg, for example?
You have 40 left. You hit 20, then double 10: exactly 40, on a double, and the leg is yours. If you hit 20 then 19, 1 is left: bust, and you are back to 40.
WDF, Playing and Tournament Rules, revised 20th edition, 2018, 2.02 and 2.05Does a dart that falls out count?
No. A dart that bounces off, or falls out before the throw is over and the score recorded, does not count. It is not thrown again.
WDF, Playing and Tournament Rules, revised 20th edition, 2018, 1.05, 1.06 and 3.02