The General Rules Of Darts

The General Rules Of Darts: The following rules are generally accepted for all games played with steel-tipped darts on a standard English dart board. There will always be some variations on these rules depending on area, game and people you might be playing with. Most of the rules I am not going to go into great detail about because of exactly this reason. I recommend if you are a beginner to be sure and check with your opponent(s) and/or partner(s) about any rulings until you are comfortable with the way the games are played in your area.


  • Any dart may be used provided it's total weight is under 55 grams.
  • The dart board and throw line are set up as described in Dart Board Setup.
  • Playing order is determined by a throw of one dart at bullseye from one player on each team. Closest to the bullseye goes first. If the first dart hits the bullseye, the next shooter has the option of removing the dart from the board. If the second shooter then hits the bullseye, another throw at bullseye is done with the throwing order reversed. If the dart is not removed from the board, and the second shooter hits the bullseye, the second player "wins" the bullseye.
  • Winner of the bullseye throw has the choice of what game will be played.
  • Players take turns, one player from each team, alternating throughout the game. If a player plays out of turn, and it is discovered before the next player on the same team throws, the darts are voided and playing order resumes. If it is discovered after the next player on the same team throws, the offending player on that team should skip a turn to return to normal playing order.
  • Each player throws up to three darts as needed in each turn.
  • If a player's foot extends over the throw line, it is called a foul and all three darts thrown in that round do not count.
  • A player may lean as far over the line as they desire, as long as they are not standing with any part of their foot over the line.
  • The dart is scored where the point enters the board.
  • The wires that divide the board determine where the dart entered the board, not the colors.
  • If a dart bounces out of the board or is knocked out, the dart does not count nor may it be thrown again.
  • If a dart falls out of the board before it is scored or pulled out by the player, it does not count. It is, however, legal to go to the board a grab a dart before it falls out, but only after all darts for that round have been thrown.
  • When a player has thrown their darts for the round, they should be agreed upon with the scorekeeper or the opponent and marked on the scoreboard (appropriately for the game being played) before they are pulled from the board.