When does a dart count in darts?
B · Beginner · The game · 3 of 4A dart scores the segment where its point enters the board, judged by which side of the wire it lands. It must stay in the board, inside the outer double wire, until the throw is over and the score is called and recorded. A dart that bounces out or falls out before then scores nothing and cannot be thrown again.
How it works
- Segments: numbers 1 to 20 round the board; the narrow inner ring is treble, the outer ring double.
- Centre: the inner bull scores 50, the outer ring 25.
- On the wire: the score is the side of the wire where the point enters.
- Outside the double wire: no score.
- Staying in: the dart must remain until the throw is completed, called and recorded.
- Bounce-outs and fall-outs: score nothing and may not be thrown again.
- No pushing: pushing a dart in or holding it in place before retrieval means it does not count.
- Retrieving: the thrower takes the darts out, after the marker has recorded the score.
- Help: allowed only for a player whose disability or injury needs it.
The glossary has the scoring a dart, the double / treble, the bullseye, the bounce-out, the retrieving darts and the dartboard.
Tricky cases
A dart hits the treble 20 wire and drops to the floor. Can the player throw it again?
No. A dart that bounces off is not thrown again and scores nothing.
A dart falls out as the player walks up to collect them, after the score has been recorded. Does it count?
Yes. The score counts once the throw is complete, called and recorded.
The dart leans into the 1 but its point is in the 20. What scores?
- The point decides.
A player pushes a loose dart further into the board before the score is called. What happens?
That dart does not count.
Why the rule exists
Counting only darts that stay in removes guesswork about where a falling dart landed. Judging by the entry point settles darts that lean across a wire.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring | Point and wire decide | WDF 3.02, 3.03 |
| Falling darts | No re-throw, no score | WDF 1.05 to 1.07 |
| Retrieving | Only after recording | WDF 3.04 |
From the rule book
World Darts Federation, Playing and Tournament Rules (twentieth revised edition, 28 February 2018), Playing Rules 1.05 to 1.07, 3.02 to 3.04 and 4.01. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the WDF Playing and Tournament Rules.