Darts statistics explained: how to read your game
Every darts player ends up staring at the same handful of numbers: 3-dart average, checkout percentage, first-9, 180s. This is a plain-English guide to darts statistics - what each stat means, what counts as a good score at amateur and pro level, and how to track your own darts stats automatically instead of working them out on paper.
The 3-dart average
Your 3-dart average is the single most important number in darts. It is the average number of points you score per three darts (one visit), across a whole leg or match. The maths is simple: total points scored, divided by darts thrown, multiplied by three.
So if you score 501 in 18 darts, that is (501 / 18) x 3 = an 83.5 average. The higher the number, the faster you are clearing the board. Use the darts average calculator to work out yours from any score and dart count.
What is a good 3-dart average?
It depends entirely on your level, anywhere from the 40s for a regular pub player up to 95+ for the elite of the PDC. See what's a good darts average for the full breakdown by standard, plus how many legs you need to play before your average actually settles into a trustworthy number.
First-9 average
The first-9 average is your 3-dart average over just the opening three visits of a leg, before checkouts come into play. It is a pure measure of scoring power, because it strips out the slower finishing darts. A big gap between your first-9 and your overall average usually means your scoring is fine but your finishing is costing you time.
Checkout percentage
Your checkout percentage is how often you take out a finish when you have a dart at a double. If you had 10 chances to win the leg and converted 4 of them, that is a 40% checkout rate. Doubles win legs, so this number often matters more than your scoring. Pros sit around 40-45%; club players are commonly in the 15-30% range, which is exactly where most legs are won and lost. The darts checkout chart has the standard route for every finish from 2 to 170.
180s, tons and scoring breakdown
A 180 is the maximum score with three darts (three treble 20s). Counting your 180s, 140+ visits and 100+ visits ("tons") shows how often you hit the big scores. A scoring breakdown groups every visit into bands so you can see whether you are consistently posting 60s and 80s or spiking the odd big score between weaker visits. Solo drills like Bob's 27 and Shanghai are a fast way to work on both, see the darts practice games page for the rules.
How to keep track of your stats
You can work all of this out on paper, but it is slow and it is easy to lose. The simplest option is to score the leg itself in something that does the maths as you go: our free scoreboard gives you the 3-dart average, darts thrown and checkouts at the end of every game, with no app and no account. For a longer view, write the average and the darts thrown down after each session. Ten sessions is enough to see a real trend; one night is noise.
How your numbers compare to the professionals
Context helps. A tour professional averages somewhere in the mid-90s to low 100s across a televised match, and the very best push past that in a good week. That is roughly double a strong league player, which is worth knowing before you judge your own 60. If you want to see where the top of the game actually sits, the PDC world rankings list the top 40 and how they got there.
Want to see your own numbers? Score a game in the browser and read the stats off it, no account needed.
Common questions
What is the average 3-dart score for a pub player?
Most regular pub and league players average somewhere between 40 and 55. Breaking 60 consistently puts you among the stronger players in any local league.
Is a higher or lower darts average better?
Higher is better. The average is points-per-visit, so a bigger number means you are scoring more and clearing the board in fewer darts.
Do I need an app or a smart board to track my stats?
No. A pen and paper works, and our free scoreboard does the maths for you in a browser tab. A smart board adds dart-by-dart position data, which is interesting but not necessary to know your average.