Darts Rules - for CCCCDA Events
Set up a dartboard
How to Score Darts
Three dart finishing guide

The darts rules and other information on this page are designed to get you started on the road to enjoying darts. The basic rules (heavily edited) along with a three dart finishing sheet are included. There is enough help here for you to play a standard darts match according to the rules and to set up your own practice darts board at home. If you need a detailed set of darts rules, please contact your Club Secretary. You can also learn how to score a darts match.


Darts Rules

The rules for the sport of darts are quite simple and a very simplified version is set out here. Following these rules will allow you to play in most competitions without mishap.

1. To start the game the captains of the opposing teams toss a coin to decide who is to "bull up" first.
2. "Bulling up" is when a member of each team throws a dart at the bull (Picture of the bull) in the centre of the dartboard. The person with the dart closest to the bull gets to choose whether their team will play first or second.
3. The player stands up to the line on the floor and starts throwing their darts. No part of the foot or footwear may be over the line. In darts "on the line is out". Stay behind the line.
4. All games, except special promotional games, must start and end with a "double". Learn more about How to Score Darts.
5. The Chalker or Caller is the person who records the score of the game and will write the score achieved on the board beside the game. They will calculate the new score and write it for all to see.
6. The Chalker may tell you the remaining score needed but must not tell you how to score the necessary points, e.g. "44 left" as opposed to "Double 20, Double 2".
7. If a dart falls out of the board before the score is called it will not be counted.
8. You may not use unfair tactics to disadvantage your opponents, e.g. excessive talking, heckling.
9. The decisions of the match Referee are absolute!


Set up a Darts Board

When you're ready to practice and play darts at home it is helpful to use competition conditions so you don't need to adjust your technique when taking part in matches. Follow these simple instructions.....
1. Hang your dartboard,flat against the wall, so that the centre of the bull (the little dot in the middle of the board) is 1.73m (173cm) above the floor.
2. Mark a line on the floor 2.37m (237cm)from the face of the dartboard. You throw your darts from behind this line.


Three Dart Finishing Guide for Beginners

This guide gives suggestions for combinations of scores to finish a darts match with three darts or less. Where there are blanks you need four darts to finish. Please note:
S=Single
D=Double
T=Triple
Score 1stDart 2ndDart 3rdDart Score 1stDart 2ndDart 3rdDart Score 1stDart 2ndDart 3rdDart
170 T20 T20 Bull 113 T19 S16 D20 56 S16 D20
169 112 T20 S12 D20 55 S15 D20
168 111 T19 S14 D20 54 S14 D20
167 T20 T19 Bull 110 T19 S13 D20 53 S13 D20
166 109 T19 S12 D20 52 S12 D20
165 108 T18 S18 D18 51 S19 D16
164 T20 T18 Bull 107 T19 S10 D20 50 S10 D20
163 106 T20 S6 D20 49 S17 D16
162 105 T19 S16 D16 48 S16 D16
161 T20 T17 Bull 104 T18 S10 D20 47 S15 D16
160 T20 T20 D20 103 T19 S6 D20 46 S6 D20
159 102 T20 S10 D16 45 S13 D16
158 T20 T20 D19 101 T17 S10 D20 44 S4 D20
157 T20 T19 D20 100 T19 S19 D12 43 S3 D20
156 T20 T20 D18 99 T19 S10 D16 42 S10 D16
155 T20 T19 D19 98 T20 D19 41 S9 D16
154 T20 T18 D20 97 T19 D20 40 D20
153 T20 T19 D18 96 T20 D18 39 S7 D16
152 T20 T20 D16 95 T19 D19 38 D19
151 T20 T17 D20 94 T18 D20 37 S5 D16
150 T20 T18 D18 93 T19 D18 36 D18
149 T20 T19 D16 92 T20 D16 35 S3 D16
148 T20 T16 D20 91 T17 D20 34 D17
147 T20 T17 D18 90 T18 D18 33 S17 D8
146 T20 T18 D16 89 T19 D16 32 D16
145 T20 T15 D20 88 T20 D14 31 S15 D8
144 T20 T20 D12 87 T17 D18 30 D15
143 T20 T17 D16 86 T18 D16 29 S13 D8
142 T20 T14 D20 85 T15 D20 28 D14
141 T20 T19 D12 84 T20 D12 27 S11 D8
140 T20 T20 D10 83 T17 D16 26 D13
139 T20 T13 D20 82 T14 D20 25 S17 D4
138 T20 T18 D12 81 T19 D12 24 D12
137 T20 T15 D16 80 T16 D16 23 S19 D2
136 T20 T20 D8 79 T13 D20 22 D11
135 S25 T20 Bull 78 T18 D12 21 S17 D2
134 T20 T14 D16 77 T15 D16 20 D10
133 T20 T19 D8 76 T20 D8 19 S15 D2
132 S25 T19 Bull 75 T17 D12 18 D9
131 T20 T13 D16 74 T14 D16 17 S13 D2
130 T20 S20 Bull 73 T19 D8 16 D8
129 T19 T16 D12 72 T16 D12 15 S11 D2
128 T20 S18 Bull 71 T13 D16 14 D7
127 T19 S20 Bull 70 T18 D8 13 S9 D2
126 T19 S19 Bull 69 T15 D12 12 D6
125 T20 S15 Bull 68 T20 D4 11 S7 D2
124 T20 S14 Bull 67 T17 D8 10 D5
123 T19 S16 Bull 66 T10 D18 9 S5 D2
122 T18 S18 Bull 65 T11 D16 8 D4
121 T17 S20 Bull 64 T16 D8 7 S3 D2
120 T20 S20 D20 63 T13 D12 6 D3
119 T19 S12 Bull 62 T10 D16 5 S1 D2
118 T20 S18 D20 61 T15 D8 4 D2
117 T20 S17 D20 60 S20 D20 3 S1 D1
116 T19 S19 D20 59 S19 D20 2 D1
115 T15 S20 Bull 58 S18 D20
114 T20 S14 D20 57 S17 D20