To play darts, each player starts on 501 and takes turns throwing three darts, subtracting whatever they score; any dart inside the outer double wire counts from the very first throw, but you only win the leg by finishing on a double, or the bull, that takes you to exactly zero. Go over, leave 1, or hit your exact score without a double, and that whole throw doesn't count.
I've built this page from the World Darts Federation's Playing and Tournament Rules, as of November 2026. It's the governing body's version, which is stricter than many pub games, so I've flagged where your local rules might differ.
Setting up the board and the oche
Get the measurements right first, because everything else depends on them. These are the WDF figures:
| Measurement | WDF figure |
|---|---|
| Height of the bull | 1.73 metres from the floor to the centre of the bull |
| Throwing distance | 2.37 metres along the floor, from the back of the oche to a plumb line at the face of the board |
| Diagonal check | 2.93 metres from the centre of the bull to the back of the oche at floor level |
| Raised oche | 38 mm high and 610 mm long |
| Where opponents stand | At least 60 cm behind the player at the oche |
| Darts | No longer than 30.5 cm overall and no heavier than 50 grams |
I'd use the diagonal as a cross-check once the board's up: if the height and the floor distance are right, the diagonal should come out at 2.93 metres too.
The oche is the throw line. You can't tread on any part of a raised oche, and your feet have to stay behind it when you throw. If you throw from one side of it, your feet stay behind an imaginary line extending out from either end.
A leg of 501, step by step
- Both players start on the same total. The rules allow fixed odd totals such as 501, 701 or 1001; 501 is the one most people mean.
- On your turn you throw up to three darts, one at a time, point first towards the board. That's a throw, often called a visit.
- A dart scores only if its point stays in, or touches, the face of the board inside the outer double wire until the throw is complete and the score has been called and recorded.
- The score counts from the side of the wire where the point went in, so a dart touching a wire belongs to the segment it entered.
- Your score comes off your remaining total. A dart that bounces off or falls out doesn't count and can't be thrown again.
- To finish, your last dart must land in the double of half your remaining score, or the bull.
- The first player to finish wins the leg. Any dart thrown after finishing doesn't count.
The double finish and the bust rule
The WDF rule is a straight start and a double finish. Straight start means you don't need a double to begin; any dart inside the outer doubles wire scores. Double finish means the final dart must land in the double ring, or the bull, for the number equal to half what you've got left. With 32 left, you need double 16. The bull counts as 50 and as a double 25, so it can finish a leg on 50.
A small etiquette point from the rules: the referee or caller announces what you need as a number, '32' not 'double 16'. Officials don't tell you which double to go for.
The bust rule applies in three situations. Your throw is bust if you score more than you have left, if you reach your exact score without finishing on a double, or if you leave yourself on 1, which can't be finished with a double. When that happens, the throw doesn't count and your score goes back to what it was before the throw.
Here's the catch people get wrong: a bust wipes the whole visit, not just the last dart. Say you're on 32. Your first dart lands in single 16, leaving 16, so you now need double 8. Your second dart hits single 8 and leaves 8, which is still fine. If your third dart then lands in single 8, you've reached zero without a double. That's a bust, and you're back on 32 for your next turn, not on 8 or 16.
Legs, sets and match length
Matches are played over a fixed odd number of legs, such as best of three, five or seven, and the first player to win a majority takes the match. Longer matches group legs into sets, which work the same way: best of three, five or seven sets. Any legs or sets left once someone has a majority aren't played.
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Two scoring rules are worth knowing before a league night. Arithmetic errors on the scoreboard stand unless they're corrected before that player's next throw. And once a score has been recorded and the darts retrieved, you can't protest it.
Pub rules versus the official rules
Plenty of pub and home games play straight in and straight out, with no double needed to finish. The WDF rule is a double finish. Neither is wrong for a friendly, but it's the one argument that's guaranteed if you don't settle it, so say which you're playing before the first dart.
A couple of official rules that tend to get bent in casual play. If you touch a dart that's already in the board during your throw, your throw is over. And you can't push a dart further into the board, or hold it there, to stop it falling out before the score's recorded; if you do, that dart doesn't count. If you'd rather practise against the computer before facing friends, my roundup of free darts games is a good place to start.
My verdict for beginners
I'd start with the measurements: hang the board so the bull is at 1.73 metres and mark the throw line at 2.37 metres, because practising at the wrong distance builds the wrong habits. Then I'd play 501 with a double finish from the beginning, since learning your doubles early is what makes the finish feel normal rather than impossible. I'd skip the sets format, the 701 and 1001 totals and the tournament etiquette until you're in a league. For a mixed group where not everyone's keen, darts sits well alongside other party games so nobody's stuck watching.
Frequently asked questions
How far do you stand from a dartboard?
Under WDF rules the back of the oche is 2.37 metres, measured horizontally along the floor, from a plumb line at the face of the board.
How high is a dartboard?
The centre of the bull is 1.73 metres from the floor, measured at the same level as the oche.
Do you have to finish on a double?
Yes in WDF rules. Your final dart must land in the double of half your remaining score, and the bull counts as a double 25. Many pub games play straight out instead, so agree it first.
What is a bust in darts?
A throw that scores more than you have left, leaves 1, or reaches your exact score without a double. The whole throw doesn't count and your score goes back to what it was.
