How to start darts with a short scoring practice

What you need to know

A checked board and lane

Arrange access to an existing steel-tip board with a marked throwing line. Ask staff or its owner to check the lane and any fee.

Three borrowed darts

Have the owner check that the points and flights are intact. Keep the sharp darts away from children and pets.

A score record

Bring paper and a pencil or use an existing score sheet; record each round before removing its darts.

At an existing steel-tip board, try three rounds of three darts and write down your total. This is scoring practice, not a 501 game.

Set your stance and make three throws

Keep everyone behind the thrower. Stop if anyone enters the lane; throw again only when it clears.

Stand behind the line with both feet secure; try your throwing-side foot forward. Stay balanced; do not stretch toward the board. Hold the dart’s barrel, its central body, lightly between thumb and index finger, adding support as comfortable. Aim at the broad single-20 area. Raise the dart, move your forearm smoothly toward the board, release and let your hand follow toward the target. This is a controlled motion, not a hard throw. Shot Darts’ guide explains the stance and grip. The final page of DARTSLIVE’s soft-tip guide illustrates the movement.

Throw one dart at a time, three in all. If a dart bounces or falls out before retrieval, let it settle; it scores zero and still uses that attempt. Do not pick it up while anyone is throwing.

Score, retrieve and repeat

Stop all throwing. With the lane clear, approach and note where each dart point entered before removing it. A broad sector scores its printed number, even when you aimed at 20. The narrow outer ring doubles that number; the inner ring trebles it. The outer bull scores 25 and the centre 50. Outside the scoring area scores zero. Single 20, single 5 and a miss total 25. DRA rules sections 6.2–6.5 cover steel-tip scoring and retrieval.

Record the round total, then remove the darts. Return behind the line; nobody throws during retrieval. Repeat twice more for nine throws, then add the three round totals. If darts scatter, slow down and keep the same comfortable stance and grip. If they keep missing the protected board area, ask the owner for help. Stop for discomfort. Next time, repeat the nine-throw exercise before learning a full game.