How to Play Darts: A Complete Beginner's Guide | Oche

Darts looks simple — throw three darts, add up the score — but the moment someone mentions “double out” or “treble twenty,” it can feel like a different language. This guide walks you through everything a complete beginner needs: the board, the throw, the rules of the standard game, and how scoring really works.

What you need to start

You only need three things: a set of darts, a regulation board, and somewhere safe to hang it. A starter set of brass darts is fine — you do not need expensive tungsten to learn. Mount the board so the bullseye is 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) from the floor and stand 2.37 m (7 ft 9.25 in) back, measured along the floor. Our dartboard height and distance guide has the exact measurements and a setup checklist.

Understanding the dartboard

The board is split into 20 numbered segments. Each segment has four scoring zones:

• Single — the large inner and outer areas (face value).
• Double — the thin outer ring (value × 2).
• Treble — the thin middle ring (value × 3).
• Bull — the green outer bull (25) and the red inner bull (50).

The highest single-dart score is the treble 20 (60 points), which is why most players aim at the 20 at the top of the board. The scoring guide breaks down every zone in detail.

How to throw

Keep it simple while you build consistency:

1. Stand with your throwing-side foot near the oche, body angled toward the board.
2. Hold the dart with three or four fingers — comfort beats theory.
3. Bring the dart to a steady aiming point near your eye.
4. Throw with your forearm, keep your elbow up, and follow through toward the target.

Don’t chase power. A relaxed, repeatable motion lands more darts than a hard one.

The rules of 501

501 is the game you’ll play most. Here’s the whole thing:

• Both players start on 501.
• Each turn you throw three darts and subtract the total from your score.
• You must reach exactly zero, and your final dart must land in a double (the double-out rule).
• If you score more than you need, or leave yourself on 1, you bust — your score returns to what it was at the start of the turn.

That’s it. The full ruleset, including starting variations, lives in our X01 rules guide and the dedicated 501 rules page.

Worked example

Say you’re on 40. The cleanest finish is a single dart at double 20. Miss into the single 20 and you’re left on 20 — throw double 10. Beginners should learn a handful of these go-to finishes (40, 32, 16, 8) before worrying about big three-dart checkouts.

The fastest way to improve

The single biggest jump for new players is automatic scoring and checkout suggestions — so you can focus on throwing instead of mental arithmetic. The Oche app scores your 501 game, tells you what to aim at the moment you’re on a finish, and tracks your doubles so you can see yourself improve week to week.