The board
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Segment or bed | One numbered wedge of the board, or one part of it. |
| Single | The wide parts of a segment. Scores the number. |
| Double | The thin outer ring. Scores twice the number. |
| Treble | The thin inner ring. Scores three times the number. Many American players call it a triple; the scores are the same. |
| Double top | Double 20, at the top of the board. |
| Outer bull | The green ring around the center. Scores 25. |
| Bullseye or bull | The red center. Scores 50 and counts as a double, so you can finish on it. |
| Madhouse | Being left on double 1, the lowest finish in 501. |
| Oche | The line you throw from, said "ockey". Also called the throw line or toe line. |
The game
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Visit | A turn of three darts. |
| Leg | One game, like one game of 501. |
| Set | A group of legs, usually best of five. Long matches are played in sets. |
| Cork, bull up or middle for diddle | Each player throws at the bull to decide who goes first. |
| Checkout or out | The dart or darts that finish a leg, like 40 on double 20. |
| Double in and double out | Rules that make you start or finish your score with a double. |
| Bust | In 501, scoring more than you need, leaving 1, or reaching zero without a double. The visit scores nothing. |
| Game shot | What the caller says when a dart wins the leg. |
| Chalking | Keeping score, from the days of the chalkboard. |
| Average | Your points per three darts. The main measure of how well someone plays. |
Scores and nicknames
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Ton | A visit of 100. A ton-forty is 140. |
| 180 or ton-eighty | Three treble 20s, the most you can score in a visit. |
| Bed and breakfast | 26: a single 20, a single 1 and a single 5, a common score when you miss the treble. |
| Three in a bed | Three darts in the same segment. |
| Robin Hood | A dart that lands in the back of another dart. |
| Bogey number | A score you can't finish in three darts in 501, like 169. |
| Nine-darter | Finishing a leg of 501 in nine darts, the fewest possible. |
Words from American leagues
American leagues, steel tip and soft tip alike, give awards for big visits, and you'll hear them on league night:
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Low ton | A visit of 100 to 150. |
| High ton | A visit of 151 to 180. |
| Hat trick | Three bulls in one visit. |
| Three in the black | Three darts in the bullseye in one visit. |
| White horse | In Cricket, three trebles on three different numbers nobody has closed. |
| 5-mark, 9-mark | In Cricket, the number of marks scored in one visit. Nine is the most. |
| PPD and MPR | Points per dart and marks per round, the averages leagues use for handicaps. |
Award rules vary by league: some count a 180 as its own award rather than a high ton, and some count the outer bull toward a hat trick. Check your league's rules.
Questions
What is a treble in darts?
The thin inner ring of each segment, which scores three times the number. A treble 20 is 60. Many American players call it a triple.
What is the oche in darts?
The line you stand behind to throw, said "ockey". For steel-tip darts it's 7 ft 9¼ in (237 cm) from the face of the board.
What is a leg in darts?
One game, like one game of 501. A match is won over a number of legs, and long matches group legs into sets.
What does ton mean in darts?
A visit of 100. A ton-eighty is 180, the most you can score with three darts.
Score it in The Darts App
Free darts scoring that tracks your averages.