How To Play Darts

Pick up the darts, and stand behind the oche, the line marked by tape or paint.

Set up your players or teams. Each player or team gets three darts. If there are not enough darts to go around, alternate who uses them.

Official dart rules allow for a warm-up by throwing up to nine darts per person.

To decide who goes first, each person throws one dart at the board. Closest to bulls eye goes first.

Once the game begins, take your turn by throwing your three darts.

To throw a dart, hold the barrel between your thumb and index and middle fingers, lightly enough that you’re not squeezing it.

Raise your throwing arm up, so that your upper arm is nearly parallel to the ground and your elbow is pointing forward.

Put forward the same foot as your throwing arm.

Extend your forearm, being careful to keep your elbow and upper arm in place.

Release the dart just before the top of the motion, causing a nice fluid arch trajectory.

Calculate your score. In an official game, the inner bull’s-eye is 50 points, the outer bull’s-eye is 25, and the numbered sections are scored according to their assigned point value written on the board, from 1 to 20.

Remove your darts and allow the next player his turn.

Alternate turns with the other players until whatever game you’re playing ends, like choosing a set score and subtracting your points off until the first person reaches zero.