The Safeplace for Darts Players – Area501 Blog

DARTS GLOSSARY

Glossary

DARTS TERMS EXPLAINED BRIEFLY

From 180 to Double Out to the Bullseye – in darts there are many terms that can be confusing, especially for beginners. In our glossary you will find all important technical terms relating to the sport of darts explained in a way that is easy to understand. So you can not only play better at your next training session or tournament, but also understand every comment made by the pros.

If you are missing a term that we haven't explained here yet, you can suggest it at any time in the Community Area. We update our glossary regularly with new entries so that it remains as complete as possible for all players.

Numbers

  • 170

    The highest possible darts finish.

  • 180

    Hitting the treble 20 three times in one throw = 180 points.

  • 25 (Outer Bull)

    The green ring surrounding the Bullseye, also known as Single Bull or Outer Bull.

  • 301

    Game mode where players count down from 301.

  • 501

    Game mode where players count down from 501.

  • 9-Darter

    The perfect game in darts where a 501 leg is finished with 9 darts.

A

  • Ally Pally

    Nickname for Alexandra Palace – venue of the World Darts Championship.

  • Around the Clock

    The goal is to hit numbers 1-20 and the Bullseye in sequential order with as few darts as possible.

  • Aufnahme (Throw/Visit)

    Three darts form a throw (or visit). Players alternate turns until one checks out.

  • Average

    The average points scored per turn/visit.

  • Bulling Up

    Bulling up usually takes place in a separate practice room before entering the stage to determine who starts.

B

  • Baby Tops

    Term for Double 3. Often called this because it sits at the very bottom compared to "Tops" (Double 20).

  • Barrel

    The grip part of the dart, mostly made of Tungsten.

  • BDO

    British Darts Organisation – a darts organization active until 2020, rival to the PDC.

  • Best of ...

    A game mode where a player must win more legs than the opponent from a set number. E.g. Best of 11 needs 6 wins.

  • Big Fish

    The highest finish – 170 via T20-T20-Bullseye.

  • Bogey Number

    A remaining score that cannot be finished in one turn. Bogey numbers are 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162, and 159.

  • Bouncer

    A dart that doesn't stick in the board but falls out after hitting the wire or another dart.

  • Break

    A leg won against the opponent's throw.

  • Bullseye

    The red center of the board, worth 50 points, and the highest finish in Double Out games.

  • Bust

    Throwing more points than required to finish (or leaving 1).

C

  • Caller

    The person who announces the score after a throw and calls out the remaining score in finish range.

  • Checkout

    Reducing the remaining score to 0.

  • Checkout Rate

    Percentage of doubles hit relative to attempts. A key statistic indicating how clinical a player is at finishing.

  • Cricket

    A game mode targeting numbers 15–20 and the Bullseye. Points are scored via singles, doubles, and triples. Closing a number (3 hits) allows scoring until the opponent closes it too. The player with the most points and all numbers closed wins.

  • Surround (Catchring)

    Typically made of foam, the surround protects the wall from stray darts. It fits around the board.

D

  • Dartboard

    The target in darts, traditionally made of sisal fibers and divided into 20 segments of varying value.

  • Dartitis

    A mental block where a player struggles to release the dart at the right moment or at all.

  • Darts

    A precision sport where arrows (darts) are thrown at a circular board.

  • DDV

    Deutscher Dart-Verband e.V. – The official governing body for darts in Germany.

  • Double

    The outer colored ring doubling the segment's value.

  • Double Elimination

    Tournament format where a player is eliminated only after two losses. Losers drop to a Lower Bracket and still have a chance to win.

  • Double Trouble

    Describes repeatedly missing doubles to check out.

  • Double-In

    In this mode, a player must hit a double to start scoring.

  • Double-Out

    In Double Out mode, players must check out by hitting a double or the Bullseye.

  • DRA

    Darts Regulation Authority – Independent body responsible for the rules and regulations of darts, including disciplinary actions.

E

  • Exhibition

    Non-ranking matches or tournaments played primarily for entertainment.

  • Soft Tip Darts (E-Dart)

    Darts played on an electronic board with plastic-tipped darts. The matrix counts scores automatically.

F

  • Finish

    The remaining score required to check out.

  • First to ...

    Game mode where the first player to win a set number of legs wins the match.

  • Flight

    Usually made of plastic, the flight stabilizes the dart in the air.

G

  • Game On

    The call to start the game or a new leg.

  • Game Shot

    Call confirming a winning double hit (Checkout).

  • Good Darts

    A sportsmanlike compliment for a good throw or strong game.

  • Grip

    The texture/cut of the barrel to prevent slipping.

H

  • High Finish

    A finish of more than 100 points in one visit.

  • High Score

    A high score in one visit (3 darts), often anything over 100 or 140. Maximum is 180.

  • Highest Out

    The highest possible finish in a game or tournament. Absolute max is 170 (Big Fish).

I

  • No entries currently

J

  • No entries currently

K

  • Flight Protectors (Kronen)

    Small caps made of plastic or metal placed on the end of flights to protect them from damage by following darts.

  • Knockout System

    Tournament format where a player is eliminated after a loss.

L

  • Leg

    A round of 501 down to 0.

M

  • Madhouse

    Double 1. Considered the hardest double by many because hitting a single 1 busts the score.

  • Major

    The 12 biggest tournaments.

  • Marker

    A dart stuck next to a target (e.g. double), serving as a guide for the next throw.

  • Master of Ceremonies (MC)

    The MC announces players for the walk-on and introduces the match.

  • Master Out

    Game mode where checking out via triples is also allowed.

  • Match

    A complete game leading to a result.

  • Maximum

    The maximum score achievable in one visit – 180 points. Sometimes 177, 174, or 171 are also considered "maximums".

N

  • 9-Darter

    A perfect game where a 501 leg is finished with the minimum possible 9 darts.

  • Nickname

    A player's stage name (e.g. "The Power"), often reflecting personality or style.

  • No Score

    A throw or visit that counts as 0 points. Either due to a Bust or missing the board completely.

O

  • Oche

    The throw line specific distance (2.37m) from the dartboard, often a raised platform.

  • Order of Merit

    Ranking table sorting players by prize money won.

P

  • PDC

    Professional Darts Corporation – The largest darts organization managing professional tournaments and tours.

  • PDC Europe

    The European subsidiary of the PDC, responsible for organizing European Tour events in Germany and Europe.

  • Perfect Game

    Winning a leg with 3 visits (9-Darter).

  • Point

    The tip of the dart.

Q

  • Q-School

    Qualifying School where amateurs can pay a fee to qualify for the PDC Pro Tour and play in major tournaments. Best players earn a Tour Card.

R

  • Ranking Tournament

    A competition where participants earn points to improve their ranking position.

  • Rest Score

    The points remaining to reach 0.

  • Robin Hood

    Occurs when a thrown dart lands into the shaft of a dart already in the board.

  • Runner-Up

    The tournament finalist who lost in the final.

S

  • Score

    The points scored.

  • Scoreboard

    The board showing current scores and remaining points.

  • Scorer / Chalker

    Notes down the scores and remaining points for each player.

  • Segment

    A distinct area on the dartboard (e.g. Single 20, Triple 19) yielding a specific score.

  • Set

    A set consists of 3 legs.

  • Shaft

    The connecting piece between barrel and flight.

  • Shanghai

    A checkout hitting all segments of a number (Single, Double, Triple). E.g. T20-20-D20.

  • Single

    The large field scoring only the face value.

  • Single Bull

    The green ring around the bullseye, worth 25 points.

  • Soft Darts

    Variant of darts played on electronic machines with plastic tips.

  • Soft Tip

    Flexible plastic tips used in electronic darts.

  • Spider

    The wire grid separating the segments of the dartboard.

  • Spotter

    Monitors the game and tells the cameraman which target the player will aim for next. Done by observing stance and eyes.

  • Steel Darts

    Steel darts is played with steel-tipped darts on a sisal board.

  • Sudden Death

    A leg that decides the match in case of a tie.

T

  • Throw

    Refers to the player's throwing style.

  • Tip

    The point of the dart.

  • Ton

    A score of more than 100 points.

  • Tops

    Double 20 – the highest field on the dartboard.

  • Tour Card

    The top 64 players in the world automatically gain the right to participate in the Pro Tour. Further Tour Cards are obtained via the Development Tour, the Challenge Tour, and Q-School.

  • Treble / Triple

    The inner colored ring giving three times the value of the segment.

  • Triple Crown

    The symbolic Triple Crown is achieved by a player winning the 3 most important titles (World Matchplay, World Darts Championship (WM) and Premier League) in their career.

  • Tungsten

    Wolfram – the material dart barrels are made of.

U

  • Bust (Überwerfen)

    Throwing more points than required to finish.

V

  • No entries currently

W

  • Throwing Style (Wurfstil)

    The individual movement and technique of a player when throwing. Composed of stance, grip, drawback, release, and follow-through.

  • Walk-On

    The Walk-On is the players' entrance to the stage. Each player has their individual Walk-On song played during this.

  • WDF

    World Darts Federation – The official world governing body representing multiple member associations. Promotes the sport of darts.

  • Whitewash

    A victory where the opponent fails to win a single leg.

X

  • No entries currently

Y

  • No entries currently

Z

  • No entries currently