501 Darts Rules: How to Play 501, Double In & Double Out
Dart Meister
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501

How to play 501 darts

Every player starts on 501. Subtract every dart you throw. Get to exactly zero, finishing on a double. That is the whole game, and it is the format every professional match is played in.

The complications are all at the end. Going below zero, or landing on exactly one, wastes the whole turn, which is why good players spend the middle of a leg setting up a double rather than chasing the biggest number. If you want the shorter game, the rules are the same on 301. For a game that four people can play without anyone waiting long, how to play Cricket darts is the one to read.

Written and maintained by Timothy Moose, who builds Dart Meister. On the App Store since 2012. These are the commonly played rules, not sanctioned tournament rules; how we write these pages.

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Dart Meister subtracts every dart and shows your checkout the moment you are in range. Free for up to eight players.

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The rules, in order

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How to check out 141

TRIPLE 20 · TRIPLE 19 · DOUBLE 12

Three darts, in order, from 141 to zero. The last one has to land in a double, which is why good players spend the middle of a leg setting one up.

501 or 301?

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501 setup screen showing team mode, starting score, double in, double out and expert checkout advice

Every option set before the first dart, in the app

Strategy: the leave matters more than the score

Beginners chase the biggest number. Good players think one turn ahead about what they're leaving themselves.

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Every finish from 2 to 170 is on the checkout chart.

The unwritten rules

Especially the last one. People take it seriously.

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Things worth knowing

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Common questions

What are the rules of 501 darts?

Every player starts on 501 and subtracts each dart thrown. First to exactly zero wins the leg, and the last dart must land in a double or the bullseye. Scoring past zero, landing on exactly 1, or reaching zero without a double all void the turn.

What does double out mean in 501?

Your final dart has to land in a double, or the bullseye, which counts as double 25. The outer bull is a single 25 and will not finish a leg.

What happens if you go below zero in 501?

You bust. The whole turn is void and your score returns to what it was before you threw those three darts.

What is the highest checkout in 501?

170, thrown as triple 20, triple 20, bullseye. It is known as the big fish and is the highest finish possible with three darts.

Which numbers cannot be checked out?

169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162 and 159. They are called bogey numbers, and landing on one costs you a full turn of setup.

How many darts does a good player take to win a leg of 501?

A strong league player clears 501 in roughly 18 to 21 darts. The professional benchmark is under 15, and the perfect leg is nine.

Where these rules come from

501 is the format every televised match is played in. The Professional Darts Corporation runs the World Championship and the Premier League. The World Darts Federation is the international governing body for steel tip, and the American Darts Organization publishes the tournament rulebook used across the US.

If your league does it differently, your league wins. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

It tells you what to leave yourself

Drop under 170 and the out comes up on screen, then changes after every dart. Novice, expert, or switched off entirely if you'd rather work it out, plenty of people do.

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