Whether you play darts occasionally for fun or you’ve considered joining a dart league, you should familiarize yourself with how to play. Like any game, there are rules. If you don’t know the basics, you won’t get as much out of the game and, if you play with others, you may risk offending your opponents.

4 Common Rules Among Dart Leagues

1. Winning the Game

The first fact to know is the objective of a game. While there are different types of dart games, the most common is 501, which involves starting with a score of 501 and trying to reduce your score to zero. Most games are played on electronic dartboards that keep score for each player, but you must track scores on paper with a simple dartboard. If you can get your score down to 50, throwing a double or hitting the bull's-eye gives you the win.

2. Earning Points

When playing against one other opponent or as a member of a dart league, a player’s turn consists of three throws with a possible maximum score of 180. This can be done by hitting the 20 triple-score space three times in a row. The bull's-eye is valued at 50 points, and the outer bull's-eye ring is valued at 25 points. The remaining spaces are numbered accordingly with double- and triple- score spaces.

3. Each Player Gets Three Throws 

For a turn, each player can throw three darts, and the points are tallied after all three darts have been thrown. Some soft-tip darts tend to bounce off of the board. In this case, the dart cannot be thrown again, and any darts that bounce off the board or hit an out-of-bounds portion of the board are counted as zero.

4. Exceeding Your Remaining Points Results in a Foul

When it nears the end of the game, players have fewer points and must score precisely the number of points remaining. For example, if you have 15 points left, scoring 16 or more terminates your turn and scores you zero points for that round. In this situation, your goal would be to score 15 or fewer points.

Joining a dart league will provide you and your friends with the competition and team spirit that makes the sport worthwhile. Register for a league with Lorain Music & Vending Co. in Amherst, OH, who can also supply the equipment. They also carry other gaming and vending machines to make your home, venue, or workplace break room a hub of entertainment. To find out more about joining or setting up a league, visit their website or call (440) 984-2235.