45 darts terms defined, including the oche, ton, 180, dartitis and a nine-darter, each explained in one short line.
Darts terminology is loud, short and mostly shouted. Half of it is arithmetic, the other half is the commentary that grew around it. The words related to darts describe the board and the throw, while the darts slang and the sayings that go with a big score belong to the crowd. Words associated with darts also cover the hardware, from barrel to flight, and the darts glossary below gives each of them a single line.
Must-Know Darts Terms, Phrases and Slang:
- Bullseye
- Double
- Triple
- Bed
- Checkout
- Dartitis
- Flight
- Leg
- Marker dart
- Oche
- Outshot
- Scorer
- Shanghai
- Tungsten
- Wire
- Bounce out
- Double in
- Double out
- Finish
- Game shot
- Nine-darter
- Perfect leg
- Re-throw
- Robin Hood
- Single
- Spider
- Treble
- 180
- Ton
- Barrel
Darts Glossary: Every Term A to Z
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| 180 | The maximum score with three darts, all three in the treble twenty. The call is "one hundred and eighty." |
| 501 | The standard starting score in professional darts. Players count down to exactly zero, finishing on a double. |
| Arrows | Slang for the darts themselves. Players talk about throwing arrows rather than throwing darts. |
| Barrel | The gripped part of the dart. Its weight, shape and material decide how the dart sits in the hand. |
| Bed | Any one numbered segment of the board. Three darts in the same segment is three in one bed. |
| Big fish | A finish of 170, the highest possible checkout: treble twenty, treble twenty, bullseye. |
| Bounce out | A dart that hits the board and falls back out, usually off a wire. It scores nothing. |
| Bullseye | The centre of the board. The inner red ring scores 50, the surrounding green ring 25. |
| Bust | A throw that takes the score below zero, to exactly one, or to zero without a double. The score resets to what it was. |
| Chalker | The person keeping score, named for the chalkboard the job used to require. |
| Checkout | The score a player needs to finish a leg, and the combination used to hit it. It must end on a double or the bullseye. |
| Cork | The bullseye, and by extension the throw at the bull that decides who starts. |
| Cricket | A darts format played on the numbers fifteen to twenty and the bull, where segments are closed by hitting them three times. |
| Dartitis | A mental block that stops a player releasing the dart cleanly, the equivalent of the yips in other sports. |
| Diddle for the middle | The throw at the bullseye before a match to decide who throws first. |
| Double | The narrow outer ring. It scores twice the segment value and is how nearly every leg has to end. |
| Double in | A format rule requiring a double before any score counts. |
| Double out | The standard rule that the final dart of a leg must land in a double or the bullseye. |
| Finish | Reducing the score to exactly zero and closing out the leg. |
| Flight | The fin at the back of the dart that stabilises it in the air. Different shapes suit different throws. |
| Game shot | The referee's call when the winning dart lands and the leg or match is over. |
| Leg | One game within a match. A player counts down from 501 to zero to win a leg. |
| Madhouse | Slang for double one, the finish nobody wants to be left on. |
| Marker dart | A dart thrown close to the target that acts as a visual reference for the next two. |
| Nine-darter | A leg of 501 finished with the minimum of nine darts. The rarest thing in the game. |
| Oche | The line players throw from, 7 feet 9.25 inches from the face of the board. |
| Outshot | The combination of throws that finishes a leg from the score a player is left on. |
| Perfect leg | Another name for a nine-darter. |
| Point | The tip of the dart. Steel points for bristle boards, plastic points for electronic ones. |
| Re-throw | A throw taken again because the dart did not count, for instance when it left the hand illegally. |
| Robin Hood | A dart that sticks into the back of one already in the board. It scores nothing and gets a cheer anyway. |
| Scorer | The official who records and calls the score during a match. |
| Set | A block of legs. In set play a player must win a set number of legs to take the set. |
| Shaft | The stem between barrel and flight. Length changes how the dart sits in flight. |
| Shanghai | A single, a double and a treble of the same number in one turn. |
| Single | The plain areas of a segment, scoring the face value of the number. |
| Soft tip | Darts with plastic points, thrown at electronic boards that score automatically. |
| Spider | The metal web that divides the board into its scoring segments. |
| Steel tip | Darts with steel points, thrown at bristle boards. The professional standard. |
| Ton | A score of 100 with three darts. A ton-40 is 140, a ton-80 is the maximum 180. |
| Ton | A score of 100 with three darts. A ton-40 is 140, a ton-80 is the maximum 180. |
| Treble | The inner ring that triples the segment value. Also written triple. |
| Triple (Treble) | The narrow ring between the single areas that scores three times the number. Treble twenty is the target of nearly every scoring throw. |
| Tungsten | The dense metal used for quality darts. It allows a slim barrel at a heavy weight, so darts crowd the board less. |
| Wire | The thin metal divider between segments. A dart on the wire can deflect into a lower score or drop out. |
#1 Bullseye
The center of the dartboard marked by a small red or green dot, usually worth 50 points. It’s a coveted target in darts, often required to complete certain finishes in a game.
#2 Double
A narrow scoring band found on the outer edge of the dartboard. Each double scores twice the number of points of the corresponding segment, and it’s crucial for finishing most games, including the popular ‘501’.
#3 Triple (Treble)
The thin scoring band situated between the single and double rings. Hitting a triple means scoring three times the segment’s value, a feat that enhances scoring efficiency and is essential during high-stakes matches.
#4 Bed
Refers to any of the segmented areas on the dartboard corresponding to a number. Players refer to “hitting the same bed” when they throw darts into the same numbered segment, like the “triple 20 bed.”
#5 Checkout
The score needed to finish a game of darts, with the requirement that the final dart lands in a double or the bullseye. Checkouts are strategic calculations made by players to end a game efficiently.
#6 Dartitis
A psychological condition affecting darters’ ability to release the dart, similar to “the yips” in other sports. It can be a frustrating issue, leading to a decline in performance and competitiveness.
#7 Flight
In darts, the flight is the fin-shaped part at the end of the dart that stabilizes the dart in flight after it’s thrown. Flights come in various shapes and sizes, each affecting the dart’s stability and aerodynamics differently. The right type of flight can help players tailor their darts to their specific throwing style and preferences.
#8 Leg
A leg is a single game within a set in a darts match. Winning a leg requires the player to reduce their score from a specified number (commonly 501 or 301) to exactly zero, ending with a double or the bullseye. Matches are often divided into multiple legs, and the first player to win a predetermined number of legs wins the set or match.
#9 Marker Dart
A thrown dart that lands in proximity to the intended target but does not score, essentially guiding subsequent throws. It’s strategic use aids players in finding the right aim and rhythm for scoring.
#10 Oche
The line behind which players must stand when throwing their darts, typically 7 feet 9.25 inches from the dartboard. It’s an essential boundary that ensures a standardized throwing distance in the game of darts.
#11 Outshot
A combination of throws that leads to finishing the game by reducing the score to exactly zero, with the last dart landing in a double. Players calculate the best outshot to efficiently close out the leg or match.
#12 Scorer
The person responsible for tracking and announcing the points during a game of darts. Their accuracy and alertness are vital for maintaining the pace and integrity of the score during play.
#13 Shanghai
A term referring to hitting a single, double, and triple of the same number in a single turn. Achieving a Shanghai is often a game-winning shot in certain variants of darts, and it showcases a high level of skill.
#14 Tungsten
A metal used for making higher quality darts, due to its density which allows for thinner and heavier darts. Tungsten darts provide a competitive edge through better control and less crowding on the board.
#15 Wire
The wire refers to the thin metal dividers that segment the scoring areas on a dartboard. Accurate throws are crucial, as hitting the wire can deflect a dart into a lower scoring section or even cause it to bounce out, affecting the player’s score.
#16 Bounce out
A bounce out occurs when a dart hits the dartboard but then falls to the ground instead of sticking to the board. This can happen due to a dart striking a wire, the board being too hard, or the dart being thrown with insufficient force. Bounce outs are frustrating as they score no points and can disrupt a player’s scoring strategy.
#17 Double In
A rule in certain darts games where players must start their scoring with a double. Hitting a double allows scores to count, and until then, a player cannot reduce their starting total.
#18 Double Out
A common darts game requirement where players must finish by hitting a double. The precise double to aim for depends on the remaining score a player has in a leg or set.
#19 Finish
The action of reducing the score to zero in a game of darts, typically through a combination of strategic scoring that often culminates in hitting a double out.
#20 Game Shot
Called when a player successfully hits the required score to win the leg or set. It indicates the end of that particular stage of the match.
#21 Nine-darter
The fewest possible darts needed to checkout from 501 in a game of darts, an impressive feat akin to a perfect game in bowling or a hole-in-one in golf.
#22 Perfect Leg
Another term for a nine-darter, which is completing a leg of 501 with the minimum of nine darts. It is a perfect display of precision and skill in darts.
#23 Re-throw
An occurrence where a dart does not stay in the board and falls out or is not thrown in a valid manner. The thrown dart may need to be repeated as per official rules.
#24 Robin Hood
Occurs when a dart gets stuck in the back end or flight of another dart already on the board, resembling the fabled archer’s splitting of an arrow. This rare event often provokes amusement but scores nothing.
#25 Single
The sections of the dartboard that encircle the bullseye, with values from 1 to 20. Hitting a single means that the player scores the face value of that particular segment.
#26 Spider
The metal wire framework that divides a dartboard into its scoring segments, ensuring that each dart thrown can be accurately scored depending on where it lands on the board.
#27 Treble
Generally synonymous with ‘triple’, it refers to the narrow ring on the dartboard that triples the point value of the corresponding sector when hit, a crucial element for strategic scoring.
#28 180
The highest score possible with three darts, achieved by landing all three in the treble 20 section. It’s a hallmark accomplishment in the game and is often met with cheers of “One hundred and eighty!”
#29 Ton
A ton is a score of 100 with three darts, and the word carries into the bigger scores: a ton-40 is 140 and a ton-80 is the maximum 180. Commentators use it constantly, so “he needs a ton here” simply means the player has to hit at least 100 with the next three darts.
#30 Barrel
The part of the dart that players grip; it affects the dart’s weight and balance. Barrels come in various shapes, sizes, and materials, with tungsten being a popular choice due to its density.
FAQ
What do you call a darts player?
A darter. Commentators also just say player, and the darts themselves are called arrows, so throwing arrows is the usual way of describing the act.
What is a perfect throw in darts called?
Three darts in the treble twenty is a 180, the highest score possible in one visit. A whole leg of 501 finished in the minimum nine darts is a nine-darter, also called a perfect leg.
What is the metal web that divides a dartboard into sections called?
The spider. It is the frame of wires separating the segments, and a dart that strikes it can deflect into a lower score or bounce out entirely.
What is the line players stand behind in darts called?
The oche. It sits 7 feet 9.25 inches from the face of the board and is also known as the throw line or the toe line.
What is slang for throwing darts?
Players talk about throwing arrows, or chucking arrows. A big score is a ton, a maximum is a ton-80, and a finish of 170 is the big fish.
They split into the board (bullseye, double, treble, bed, spider, wire), the scoring (checkout, outshot, leg, bust, ton) and the hardware (barrel, shaft, flight, point, tungsten). The darts glossary above collects all of them.
What are some Darts terms for beginners?
“Bullseye,” “Double,” and “Triple” are some Darts terms beginners should start with. Understanding these is crucial for scoring and gameplay in Darts.
What are some funny Darts terms?
“Robin Hood” and “Dartitis” are some funny Darts terms that add a humorous twist to the game, with the former referring to a dart landing on the back of another and the latter to a psychological inability to release the dart properly.
What is a famous Darts phrase?
“Game shot,” is a famous Darts phrase, announced by the referee when a player clinches a leg or match with the final dart, signifying victory.
