How to use the darts scorer
- Pick 501, 301 or Around the Clock and add up to four players. For 501 and 301, choose whether players have to finish on a double.
- After each visit, tap in the total of the three darts and press Enter. The common scores, 26, 41, 45, 60, 81, 100, 140 and 180, are one tap each.
- The scorer takes it off that player's total and moves on to the next player. On 170 or less it shows a standard checkout.
- When a player hits zero, say how many darts the finish took, so their average comes out right.
On a computer you can use the keyboard: type the score and press Enter. Backspace deletes a digit.
What it keeps track of
- What everyone has left, and whose throw it is.
- Three-dart average and darts thrown for every player, updated after each visit.
- Busts. A visit that goes below zero, leaves 1 or finishes without a double scores nothing and ends the turn.
- Impossible scores. Nobody can throw 179 or 163 with three darts, so the scorer won't take them. A typo can't cost anyone the leg.
- The result. A table at the end you can share as a picture. Signed in, you can also save the game to your own stats.
How 501 scoring works
Each player starts on 501 and throws three darts a turn, known as a visit. The total of the visit comes off their score, and the first to reach exactly zero wins the leg. Under the usual double-out rule the last dart has to land in a double, or the bullseye, which counts as double 25.
A visit that would take a player below zero, leave them on 1, or reach zero without a double is a bust. It scores nothing and the score stays where it was.
The most anyone can score with three darts is 180, three treble 20s. Nine totals below that can't be thrown at all: 163, 166, 169, 172, 173, 175, 176, 178 and 179.
301 plays the same way from a lower start, so legs are quicker. Around the Clock is a practice game: hit 1 to 20 in order, then the bull. The full rules of 501 cover the rest, including who throws first.
Checkouts
From 170 down, most scores can be finished in three darts or fewer. The scorer shows the standard route as soon as a player is on one: 170 is T20 T20 BULL, 121 is T20 T11 D14 and 100 is T20 D20.
Seven scores of 170 or less can't be checked out in three darts: 159, 162, 163, 165, 166, 168 and 169. They're known as bogey numbers, and the scorer says so when a player is on one. Every finish is on the checkout chart, and the checkout trainer is there to practise them.
A three-dart average is the points scored, divided by the darts thrown, times three. Wondering how yours compares? Here is what counts as a good darts average.
Questions
- Is the darts scorer free?
- Yes. It runs in your browser, with no app to download and no account needed.
- Does it work on a phone?
- Yes. It is laid out for one hand at the oche: the scores, the keypad and Enter fit on one screen.
- How many players can it score?
- Up to four, in 501, 301 or Around the Clock.
- Does it suggest checkouts?
- Yes. With double out on, it shows the standard route whenever a player is on 170 or less, and says when a score is a bogey number with no checkout.
- Can I save my games?
- Yes, if you sign in. When a 501 or 301 game finishes you can save it to your stats, so your averages, checkouts and 180s build up over time.