How to play 501
501 is the standard game of darts. Each player starts on 501 and subtracts what they score with each turn of three darts. The first to reach exactly zero wins the leg, and the last dart must land in a double.
The board
The board has twenty numbered segments. Each segment is divided by two thin rings.
| Area | Score |
|---|---|
| Large part of a segment | The number shown |
| Outer narrow ring | Double the number |
| Inner narrow ring | Treble the number |
| Outer bull, the green ring | 25 |
| Bullseye, the red centre | 50 |
The highest score with one dart is treble 20, worth 60. Three of them make 180, the maximum for a turn.
Taking a turn
- Stand behind the throw line, known as the oche.
- Throw three darts.
- Add up the three scores and subtract the total from your remaining score.
A dart counts only if it stays in the board until you collect it. A dart that bounces out or falls scores nothing and cannot be thrown again.
Who throws first
Each player throws one dart at the bull, and the nearest throws first. In a match of several legs, players then take turns to throw first.
Finishing
You must reach exactly zero, and the dart that takes you there must be a double. The bullseye counts as double 25.
So from 40 you need double 20. From 32, double 16. From 50, a bullseye will do.
Going bust
Your turn is bust if you:
- score more than you have left;
- leave yourself on exactly 1;
- reach zero without finishing on a double.
When you bust, the turn ends at once and your score goes back to what it was before that turn.
Why 2 is the lowest score you can finish from
Double 1 is the smallest double, so 2 is the lowest finish. That is why being left on 1 is a bust: there is no way to finish from it.
Legs and sets
A leg is one game of 501. Matches are played as the best of a set number of legs, for example best of five, which means first to three.
Longer matches group legs into sets. A common format is that a set is the best of five legs and the match is the best of a number of sets.
The nine-dart finish
The fewest darts that can win a leg is nine. One way is two turns of 180 followed by a finish of 141. It is the rarest feat in the game.
Pub variations
Some pub and local league games also require a double to start scoring, known as “double in”. Others are played from 301 or 701. The countdown and the double finish work the same way in each.