Darts 501 Rules: How to Play, Score, and Win at 501

What Is 501 Darts?

501 is a countdown game. Two players (or two teams) each start with 501 points. They take turns throwing three darts each. The points scored in a turn are subtracted from the player's remaining total. The first player to reduce their score to exactly zero wins the leg. That is it: count down, first to zero wins.

The name "501" simply refers to the starting score. The entire family of countdown games are called "X01" or "01" games: 301, 501, 701, and 1001. 501 is the tournament standard because it is long enough to demand consistency and allow comebacks, but short enough to keep matches within a broadcast-friendly window. A typical leg takes 15 to 18 darts at professional level and 30 to 40 for amateur players. If you are brand new to darts entirely, our complete beginner's guide covers the absolute basics before diving into 501-specific rules.

At its core, 501 is a race. But unlike a sprint, it is a race where the finish line is a moving target: you cannot just cross it any way you want. You must land on it precisely. That precision requirement is what makes 501 the defining format of competitive darts.

Dartboard Setup: Height and Oche Distance

Before throwing a single dart, you need the board set up correctly. The official darts 501 rules include standardized dimensions that every league and tournament follows. Get these right and your practice at home translates directly to competition.

• Board height: The center of the bullseye must be exactly 1.73 meters (5 feet 8 inches) from the floor.
• Oche distance: The throwing line is 2.37 meters (7 feet 9.25 inches) from the face of the dartboard, measured horizontally along the floor. This is the steel-tip standard. Soft-tip boards use 2.44 meters (8 feet).
• Diagonal measurement: From the center of the bullseye to the oche, diagonally through the air, it is 2.93 meters. This is a useful check when setting up at home.

The board itself has a standard diameter of 45 cm with a playing area of 34 cm. For a full breakdown of how to measure and mark your oche, see our complete guide to darts oche distance.

Who Throws First: The Diddle (Cork)

Before the game begins, you need to decide who throws first. In 501, going first is a genuine advantage because the player who starts gets the first chance to reach a finish. The standard method is called a "diddle" or "cork." Each player throws one dart at the bullseye. Whoever is closest to the center throws first in the opening leg.

A few tiebreaker rules come up often: a double bullseye (inner red center, 50 points) beats a single bullseye (outer green ring, 25 points). Two single bullseyes tie, and two double bullseyes tie. If the distance to the center is too close to call, both players throw again. A coin toss works too for casual games, but the diddle is the tournament standard.

The Scoring Zones: How Each Part of the Board Counts

To play 501, you need to understand what each area of the dartboard is worth. The board has 20 numbered segments, and each segment has multiple scoring zones. Here is how each zone scores.

The Single Ring

The single ring is the largest area on the board — the wide colored and black sections between the double ring and triple ring, and between the triple ring and the bullseye. Hitting a single scores the face value of that segment. A single 20 gives 20 points. A single 3 gives 3.

The Double Ring

The double ring is the thin outermost ring on the board. A dart landing here scores double the segment's number. Double 20 is worth 40 points. Double 10 is worth 20. This ring is the most important on the board because you must hit it to finish a leg of 501.

The Triple Ring

The triple ring is the thin inner ring, roughly halfway between the double ring and the bullseye. A dart here triples the segment value. Triple 20 is 60 points, triple 19 is 57, and three triple 20s in one turn gives you 180 — the highest possible score from three darts.

The Bullseye: Outer and Inner

The outer bull (green ring) is worth 25 points. The inner bull (red center) is worth 50 points. The inner bull also counts as a double, which means you can finish a leg on it. If you need 50 to win, you must hit the red center — the outer bull is just a 25-point single. Our guide to bullseye scoring explains why the bullseye is not actually the highest-value target on the board.

How a Turn Works in 501

In 501, a turn (also called a "visit") consists of exactly three darts. You throw all three darts, then add up the total points scored, and subtract that total from your remaining score. You cannot stop after one or two darts unless you win. If your third dart leaves you on an odd number like 15, that is fine — you just need to set up a double on your next turn.

The maximum possible score in one turn is 180: three triple 20s. This is called a "ton eighty" or a "max." The second highest is 177 (triple 20, triple 20, triple 19) and then 174 (triple 20, triple 20, triple 18). At the professional level, you will see multiple 180s in a single match. At the amateur level, hitting one is a moment worth celebrating.

Darts that miss the board entirely, bounce out, or land in the area outside the double ring score zero points but still count as one of your three throws. There are no re-throws. Once a dart leaves your hand, it counts as thrown, regardless of where it lands or whether it stays in the board.

The Double-Out Rule: How to Finish a Leg

The double-out rule is the single most important darts 501 rule to understand. It says: to win a leg, your final dart must land in a double segment (the narrow outer ring) or the inner bullseye (which counts as double 25), and it must bring your score to exactly zero.

Here is a concrete example. You have 32 points remaining. You must hit double 16, which is worth exactly 32 points. If you hit a single 16 instead, you now have 16 remaining and must hit double 8 to finish. If you hit double 8, you win. If you hit single 8, you have 8 left and need double 4. This chain — double 16 to double 8 to double 4 to double 2 — is called the "doubles breakdown" and it is why double 16 is one of the safest checkouts: a miss still leaves you on a double.

The bullseye (inner red center, 50 points) is a valid double. So if you have 50 remaining, you can finish on the bullseye. The outer bull (green ring, 25 points) is a single and cannot finish a leg. Beginners often mix this up, so remember: red center = double finish, green ring = just 25 points.

Reaching zero with a single or a triple does not count. If you have 20 left and hit a single 20, you did not win. You are still on 0 in theory, but you did not finish on a double. Your score remains 20 and you will need double 10 on your next visit. This is the most common beginner mistake in 501.

The Bust Rule: When Your Turn Is Wasted

A "bust" happens when your three-dart turn would take your score below zero, or when you are left on exactly 1 point. In both cases, your turn ends immediately and your score returns to what it was before the turn started. No points are deducted.

Why does 1 bust? Because 1 has no double. Double 1 scores 2 points, not 1. There is no way to finish from 1 in standard darts. Some house rules allow you to finish on a single 1, but that is not the official darts 501 rule — in tournaments, leagues, and competitive play, being on 1 is a bust and your turn is over.

Here are the classic bust scenarios: you have 16 remaining and aim for double 8, but hit single 16 instead. Single 16 = 16 points, which would leave you on 0, but you did not finish on a double. Bust. You have 5 remaining, throw a dart, and hit a single 3. Now you are on 2 and need double 1. But if you had hit a single 5, you would be on 0 — except you did not hit a double. Bust. You have 40 remaining and throw 60 (triple 20). That takes you below zero. Bust.

The bust rule gives 501 its tension. You cannot just throw as hard as possible at the treble 20 all the way to zero. As you get close to finishing, every dart must be aimed with care, knowing that one wild throw can throw away your entire turn.

Double-Out Reference: Which Double Finishes Which Score

Below is every one-dart double finish from 2 to 50. Click any score to see which double you need to aim for. Memorize these and you will never step up to the oche wondering what to throw.

The most common finishes you will encounter: double 16 (32 points) is the most popular checkout in professional darts because a miss inside leaves a double 8 (16 points), then double 4 (8 points), then double 2 (4 points). It is the safest checkout chain on the board. Double 20 (40 points) is also common because most of your practice is on the 20 segment. The bullseye (50 points) is used when players need a high-value finish or as part of a two-dart combination like 10 + double 20.

Match Formats: Legs, Sets, and How Tournaments Work

A single game of 501 is called a "leg." A match is made up of multiple legs, and sometimes legs are grouped into "sets." Here is how the formats break down.

Matchplay Format (Straight Legs)

In the matchplay format, the winner is the first player to win a set number of legs. A "best of 11 legs" match means the first player to win 6 legs takes the match. Most PDC Pro Tour events use best of 11 legs, with semifinals extending to best of 13 and finals to best of 15. This format is simple: win more legs than your opponent and you advance.

Set Format (Legs Grouped Into Sets)

In the set format, a set is a mini-match of its own. You must win a certain number of legs to win a set, and a certain number of sets to win the match. The PDC World Championship uses "best of 5 legs per set, best of 13 sets" in the final. So to win the final, you need to win 7 sets, each of which requires winning 3 legs first. This format tests consistency across longer periods and rewards players who can string together multiple strong legs without a dip. For a complete breakdown, see our guide to legs and sets in darts.

Double-In Variation: The World Grand Prix Rule

In most 501 tournaments, you can start scoring immediately with any dart. But one major tournament does it differently: the PDC World Grand Prix. In this event, the "double-in, double-out" rule applies. You must hit a double to start scoring, and you must hit a double to finish. Until you land a double, every dart you throw counts for zero points.

The maximum opening turn under double-in rules is 170: inner bull (50), triple 20 (60), triple 20 (60). This is extremely difficult and almost never seen. More commonly, players open with a simple double 20 (40 points), then use their remaining two darts to score more. The double-in rule changes the entire strategy of the opening leg because a player who struggles to hit a double might see their opponent already down to 300 before they have scored a single point.

Apart from the World Grand Prix, standard 501 does not require double-in. You can throw three darts at any scoring zone from the first turn and subtract the total from 501 immediately.

Common Beginner Mistakes in 501

Every new player makes these mistakes at some point. Knowing them ahead of time saves you from losing legs you should have won.

Forgetting You Need a Double to Finish

You have 20 left and hit a single 20. You think you won. You did not. You needed double 10. Your score stays at 20 and your opponent gets to throw. Always check: did my last dart land in the double ring? If the answer is no, you have not finished.

Mental Math Errors Under Pressure

When the pressure is on, subtracting 45, 57, or 60 from a three-digit number in your head goes wrong. You might think you are on 82 when you are really on 76, and then aim for the wrong double. Say the arithmetic out loud before you throw. "184 minus 60 is 124" stated clearly gives your brain a chance to catch itself.

Busting When You Are Close to a Finish

When you are on a low score like 8, the temptation is to throw fast at double 4. But a slip into single 4 leaves you on 4, which is fine — you need double 2. The real danger is hitting a triple 4 (12 points) or a double 20 by accident, which busts you. On any score under 40, aim deliberately. Speed is not your friend near a finish.

Confusing the Outer and Inner Bullseye

You need 50 to finish. You throw at the bullseye and hit the outer green ring. That is 25 points. You have 25 remaining. You did not finish. The outer bull is a single. Only the inner red bull counts as a double. This mix-up has cost countless beginners their first match win.

Basic Checkout Strategy for 501

Once you understand the darts 501 rules, the next step is learning how to think when you are within finishing range. Here are the principles that turn rule knowledge into match wins.

Know Your Preferred Doubles

Most players have one or two doubles they are most confident on. For many, it is double 16 or double 20. When setting up a finish, aim to leave yourself on your preferred double, not just any even number. If you are on 62 with one dart in hand and can choose between leaving 20 (double 10) or 32 (double 16), choose the one you hit more often. Dartsva's performance dashboard tracks your checkout percentages and shows you which doubles you hit most consistently.

Always Leave Yourself an Even Number

You cannot finish on an odd number with one dart because doubles always produce even scores. If your remaining score is odd, you need at least two darts: one to make it even, and one double to finish. So if you have three darts in hand and 123 remaining, your goal should be to leave yourself on an even checkout like 40 (double 20) or 32 (double 16) rather than just scoring as much as possible.

Avoid the Bogey Numbers

Seven scores under 170 cannot be finished in three darts: 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162, and 159. These are called "bogey numbers." If you leave yourself on one of these, you are giving your opponent a free turn because you mathematically cannot finish. Learn them and plan your setup shots to avoid leaving them. Our bogey numbers guide explains each one and how to steer clear.

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