How Darts Scoring Works: Legs, Sets and Match Formats Explained
Watch a PDC broadcast for the first time and the graphics alone can be confusing — legs, sets, averages and checkouts flashing up before a single dart has been explained. The scoring itself is simple once broken down. Here is how a leg of 501 works, how legs build into sets and matches, and why the format changes between floor events and televised majors.
The Basics: 501
Professional darts is almost always played as 501. Each player starts a leg on a score of 501 and throws three darts per turn, subtracting the total scored from their remaining total. The first player to reduce their score to exactly zero — with the final dart landing on a double, or the bullseye — wins the leg.
A dartboard is scored from 1 to 20, arranged around the board, plus the bullseye at the centre. Each number has a single area, a treble ring roughly two-thirds of the way out, and a double ring on the outer edge. The highest score with a single dart is treble 20, worth 60, and the maximum possible with three darts is 180 — three treble 20s. The outer bull is worth 25 and the inner bullseye 50.
Double Out
Professional matches are played “double out”: a leg can only be won by hitting a double (or the bullseye, which counts as double 25) with the dart that brings the remaining score to precisely zero. Score below zero, land exactly on a remaining score of 1, or reach zero without the final dart being a double, and it is a “bust” — the turn is voided and the player’s score reverts to what it was at the start of that turn.
This is why the closing stages of a leg matter so much. A player might score heavily to get into double range quickly, but the actual finish comes down to hitting a specific double under pressure — which is why elite players train finishing routes as carefully as raw scoring. See our checkout chart guide for the best route to every finish from 2 up to 170.
Legs vs Sets
A legis one complete game of 501. Many matches are decided purely on legs — first to win a set number of legs, such as “best of 11 legs,” wins the match outright.
A set is a group of legs. Instead of racing straight to a target number of legs, players race to win sets, and each set is itself a race to a smaller number of legs — for example, first to 3 legs wins a set, and first to a set number of sets wins the match. Because each set effectively resets, a player can lose a set heavily without it changing the overall match score beyond that one set, which adds jeopardy that a pure race-to-legs format does not have.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Leg | One game of 501, played down from 501 to exactly zero, finishing on a double or the bullseye. |
| Set | A group of legs. The first player to win a set number of legs (e.g. 3) wins the set. |
| Match | The full contest — either a straight race to a number of legs, or a race to a number of sets. |
| Bust | Scoring below zero, to exactly 1, or to zero without a finishing double. The turn’s score is voided and the leg score reverts to what it was before that turn. |
| 180 | The maximum score with three darts — three treble 20s (20 × 3 × 3). |
Why the Format Changes Between Events
The PDC’s regular ProTour floor events — Players Championships and Development Tour events — are almost always played as straight races to a fixed number of legs, with no sets. These events run many matches across a single day, often on multiple stages at once, so a shorter, simpler format keeps the schedule moving.
Televised majors more often use sets. Beyond the broadcast benefit of natural breaks between sets, the set format rewards consistency across a whole match rather than a single hot streak in one long leg-race — a player has to close out sets repeatedly, not just accumulate leg wins, to win the match. The exact number of legs needed to win a set, and sets needed to win a match, varies by tournament and by round, typically increasing in later rounds of the same event.
Other Formats You Might See
Outside professional 501, a few other formats are common in pubs, clubs and some team events:
- 301. The same rules as 501 but starting from a lower score, often used for a quicker game or for less experienced players.
- Cricket. Popular in the United States, particularly on steel and soft-tip leagues. Players “close” numbers 15 through 20 and the bullseye by hitting each three times, then score points on closed numbers their opponent has not also closed.
- Around the Clock. A practice game rather than a competitive format — players work around the board hitting numbers 1 through 20 in order, then the bullseye to finish. Useful for accuracy practice rather than match play.
None of these appear in PDC professional competition, where 501 with double out is the standard across every tour level.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a leg and a set in darts?
A leg is a single game of 501. A set is a group of legs — the first player to win enough legs (e.g. 3) wins the set. A match is decided either purely on legs or on sets made up of legs.
Why do some darts events use sets and others do not?
TV majors tend to use sets for broadcast breaks and added jeopardy. ProTour floor events, with many matches in a single day, are usually straight races to a number of legs with no sets.
What does "double out" mean in darts?
A leg can only be won by hitting a double, or the bullseye, with the dart that brings the score to exactly zero. Any other way of reaching zero, or going below it, is a bust.
How many points is the bullseye worth?
The outer bull is worth 25 and the inner bullseye is worth 50. The inner bullseye also counts as a double for finishing purposes.