Darts
Game Guide

This Darts Glossary is likely the most amusing on the site for the language of darts offers up rhyming and colorful terms like no other skill game.

This area of gamerisms is sure to make you smile and yes, laugh out loud.

Darts Basic Rules

Darts is a game using pointed arrows to throw strategically at a dartboard.The standard dartboard is divided into 20 segments in black and white color numbering 1 to 20 with a round circle in the middle of the board known as the bulls-eye or the inner bull in red color and the outer part of the eye called the outer bull in green. If the dart hits the black or white section of the board, it scores the number of that particular segment.

Every number in each segment has two small rectangular scoring sections in red and green color. When a dart hits the outer bull in green color, it scores 25 points, and when it hits the bulls-eye - the red center portion of the board, then it is a 50 points score.

Popular Darts Games

The most popular, official games played are 301 and 501. Two players take turns in throwing up to three darts each. Each one starts with a set score of 301 points or 501 points respectively. The aim is to minus whatever scores they have made from 501 or 301 set of points to reach zero when a winner is declared.

Darts Glossary

Darts Games Glossary A

301 or 501
refers to dart/arrow games where the objective is to reduce your score to 0 from starting points of 301 or 501.
Ace
the double of one in 501 and 301 games.
Annie's Room
also called Annie's house. It refers to the number 1 on the board.
Arrows
it is another term used for darts.

Darts Games Glossary B

Baby Ton
when a player scores 95 by scoring five 19's.
Bag o' Nuts
refers to 45 points for a dart throw.
Bailout
jargon for misses on throw 1 and 2 followed by a third that hits the target.
Barrel
term for the metal area where the thrower grasps the dart.
Basement
darts games glossary term for double threes.
Black Dog
when a double bull is scored.
Black Eye
rack up 50 points for hitting the center of the bullseye.
Bones
occurs when player must get a double-1 to arrive at zero.
Buckshot
refers to 3 darts that land strewn about the board.
Bombs/Bombers
big or heavy darts.
Bull/Bulls-eye
the centre part of the dartboard.
Bull and Cork
jargon for the bull center
Bull out
with that double bull, you win.
Bull up
method of determining the first player to throw by aiming for the bull.
Bullseye
section of the board center that has a single and double bull.
Busted
jargon for having too many points at the end of a 301 or 501 game.

Darts Games Glossary C

Century
refers to 1 round=100+ points.
Chalk
to keep score.
Check-out
a throw, that if hit, will win and game over.
Chips/Classic
jargon for 1 throw=26 points by hitting 20, 1 and 5.
Chucker
darts player who carelessly throws without a target in mind.
Clickity Click
lingo for 1 throw=66.
Clock
lingo that refers to a dartboard.
Convertibles
these darts can convert from steel to soft tip.
Cork
darts games glossary for bullseye.
Cracked
if a single is scored by a player when he/she aimed at a double.
Cricket
a darts game that uses the standard 20 number dartboard with the treble and double rings. The goal of the game is to be the first player to close all the numbers and have a higher or even point total. To close a number, it must have scored 3 times on one or more turns. Example: hitting the triple will close a number=1 throw; a single and the double will close it=2 throws and three singles=3 throws. A scoreboard tracks hits on all numbers.

Darts Games Glossary D

Dead
when a player aims and hits the target on the board.
Diddle for the Middle
method of determining the first player to throw by aiming for the bull. Similar to bull up.
Dinky Doo
term for 22.
Dirty Darts
questionable strategy here?
Double bull or Double cork
area in the center of the bullseye=50 points.
Double in or DI
act of a dart throw to start an 01 game that lands in the double section of a number.
Double Out or DO
hitting the same area as DI to become the winning player of the game.
Double Ring
is valued at double the specific number located at the outer ring of the board.
Double Top
jargon for the double 20.
Double Trouble
if a player is unable to hit double on the board needed to win the game.
Downstairs
you are talking about the lower or bottom section of the board.
Dust
when the dart hits the non-scoring area on the dartboard.

Dart Game Terms E - F

Easy In, Easy Out
refers to a dart game where a double in/out is not mandatory.
Fall Out or Scud
jargon for an 'accidental throw' where the player targets one number and hits another.
Fat
term for the section of a number valued at a single score that is located between the double and triple rings.
Fives
in the dart game of cricket, this term refers to the 15's.
Flat Tire
occurs if a dart ends up in the black area surrounding the board, thus no score.
Flights
feathers at the end of the dart.
Foot Fault
you just stepped over the throw line boundary while shooting.

Dart Game Terms G

Game On
call made at the start of the game to maintain silence.
Game Shot
shot that wins the game for a player.
Good Group
term for 3 darts that land in a close grouping.

Dart Game Terms H

Half a Crown
jargon for score=26.
Happy Meal
jargon for score=69.
Hat Trick
a dart player's dream=striking the bull with all three darts.
Heinz
of course, it is score=57.
High Ton
jargon for 150-180 score.
Hockey
refers to the throw line.

Dart Game Terms I - L

Island
term for the playing area of the dartboard located inside the double wire surrounding it.
Knurl
players get a better hold on this barrel area of the arrow.
Leg
term for 1 game of a dart match.
Load
jargon for score=180.
Low Ton
refers to 100-149 score.
Lower Class
term for score of 29.

Dart Game Terms M

Mark
dart that scores in the game of cricket.
Match
refers to a game series, usually determined by the winner of 2 out of 3 dart games played.
Money Dart
term for the dart that wins it all in tournament play.
Mugs Away
announcement that losers play first at the next darts game.

Dart Game Terms N - O

Nines
in the game of cricket, nines refers to the 19's.
Oche
line from where a player stands and throws the darts.
On Your Knees
lingo for a player who must get a double 3.
Oxo
term for a score of 1 round=0.

Dart Game Terms P

Perfect Game
less is better for this win, thus 6 darts for 301 and 9 darts for 501.
Pie
refers to the scoring sections of the board.
Plastic Darts
term for soft-tipped arrows/darts.
Point Monger or Monger
dart player who scores a whole lot of points in a game of cricket.
Poor Man's Triple or PMT
action of throwing 3 singles of the same number.
Popcorn
situation where 3 darts that are tightly grouped in one or more flights being knocked away.

Dart Game Terms R

Rail
refers to steep-tipped board wire.
Robin Hood
dart throw that results in striking one dart onto the back of another that has already landed on the board.
Rock
jargon for shot, speed arrow/dart.
Rotation
refers to a game of darts.
Round
occurs when one darts player shoots 3 darts.
Round of 9 or RO9
refers to game round where a darts player hits 3 triples.
Round the Clock
darts game wherein each number is hit in numerical order.
Route 66
jargon for score=66 on a throw.
Rubber
refers to the final of a 3-game match.

Dart Game Terms S

Sevens
refers to the 17's in a cricket game of darts.
Shaft
located behind the barrel of a dart and controls the flight.
Shanghai
occurs when a player hits a triple, double and a single in the same row.
Shelly Shot
occurs when the first arrow in a cricket game hits a triple 19.
Sheriff
term for dart player who currently holds the game lead.
Shut Out, Skunk or Whitewash
refers to a win before a challenger has doubled in.
Single Bull
term for the bullseye outer ring=25 points.
Single In or SI
darts game where it is not mandatory for a player to double in.
Single Out or SO
darts game where it is not mandatory for a player to double out.
Six Dart Out
term for a 'perfect' won with only 6 darts playing a 301 double in/out darts game.
Sixes
term for the cricket 16's.
Slice
refers to the wedge of a specific number in a darts game.
Slip Shot
jargon for score=28.
Slop
refers to an 'accidental win' whereby the dart scores even with a miss.
Small Pie
section between the bullseye and triple ring that is considered to be a single number.
Spider or Spider Web
jargon for the marked target areas located on the dartboard.
Splash
Score made by dart hitting the wrong part of the dartboard.
Split the 11
occurs when a dart hits the two digits for 11 on the number ring.
Steady
refers to score=60.
Straight Off
game in which a dart player is not required to double out.
Straight On
game in which a dart player is not required to double in.
Sunset Strip
jargonfor 1 throw=77 points.

Dart Game Terms T

Three in a Bed
term for 3 darts=3 triple 15's that land in the same scoring area.
Tin Hat
jargon for 0, nada, nothing=no score.
Ton
refers to score=100 points in a round.
Ton 80
refers to score=180 points or 3 triple 20's.
Tops
yes, it is tops=double 20.
Triple Ring
valued at triple times at the inner ring of the board.
Trombones
refers to a round score=76 points.
Two and Six
term for round score=26 points.
Two Fat Ladies
lingo for round score=88 points.

Dart Game Terms U - Z

Upstairs
we are talking about the upper section of the dartboard.
Wet Feet
player who has 'stepped over the line' with a foot fault violation.
White Horse
jargon for a 3 triple score during one round of a cricket game.
White Moment
refers to the darts player with the winning advantage.
Widdy
term for dart with feathers on the end and wooden steel tips.
Winger Dart
this darts scores after deflecting off another already on the dartboard.
Wiring
When a dart bounces off a wire
Wood
refers to section surrounding the dartboard, but off the scoring area.
Woody
jargon for a dart that lands in the wood.