General Rules of the Standard Dart Games
701,501, 301
The order of play is either determined by a toss of a coin or by each player throwing for the centre bull the nearest being the player that throws first. The rules here can vary depending on the league you may be playing in; the local rules should be observed at all times.
Once the order of play has been determined the winner will start leg one and odd legs after that. The looser will start leg two and even legs thereafter.
A throw consists of three darts except were the game is finished in less.
Darts can not be re-thrown this includes darts that miss the board and darts that bounce of the board wiring system. Only darts that have their points touching the scoring area of the board score.
A player may be told, if he asks, what number they scored, or what number he requires for the game, by the score announcer, but not how to get it.
If the number required for the game is exceeded in the course of a throw, throw ceases, and no account is taken of the score obtained during that throw.
The inner bull (50) counts as double of (25) the outer bull.
The game is to score 701, 501 or 301 as previously agreed.
Scoring
Generally each player’s score must start and finish a game with a double (The outer narrow ring of the board). Competition games, however, are usually played with a straight start (no compulsory double) but with a compulsory double to finish.
The first throw is deducted from the player’s start number e.g. 501 and then from the subsequent reduced total. The scorer should show both the score obtain for the throw and the reducing total remaining.
For fast practise games play 301. For league and competition 501 and for pairs 701. In fact any agreed starting number can be used but usually the number should end 01 the reason for this is so a player must hit another part of the board other than the 20’s segment in order to win a game.