Darts Glossary

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- 0-9 - 

01 Game
Usually refers to the games of 301 or 601, although there are other games called 101, 401, 601 and 1001.

301
Starting with 301 points, the aim of the game is for the player to reduce his or her score to zero. The last dart must hit either a double or the inner portion of the bullseye and must reduce the score to exactly zero, known as “doubling out” or “checking out”.

501
Starting with 501 points, the aim of the game is for the player to reduce his or her score to zero. The last dart must hit either a double or the inner portion of the bullseye and must reduce the score to exactly zero, known as “doubling out” or “checking out”.

 - A -

Aces
Double 1s.

Angel Dart
When the original shot is missed, but still gets a good score.

Annie’s Room
A score of 1.

Arrows
Another name for darts.

Archer
A player who throws very quick smooth darts, similar to an archer’s arrow. (Also known as a “Derek”)

 - B -

Baby Ton
A score of 95. Usually reached by throwing five 19s

Bag O’ Nuts
A score of 45.

Bail Out Dart
The third dart of throw, which hits the target after the previous, two have missed (Also known as a “Barn Dart” or “Hail Mary Dart”).

Barn Dart
See Bail Out Dart.

Barrel
The metal part of the dart that the player grips behind the point.

Baseball
An American game which consists of nine innings.

Basement
A double 3.

Bed
A specific target, e.g. triple 20.

Breakfast
Scoring 26 points in one throw, with a single 20, single 5 and single 1. Based of the traditional price of bed and breakfast in England of “two and six”. Also known as a “Classic”.

Black Dog
The double bull.

Blackeye
The centre area of the bullseye known as the “bull”, “inner bull” or “double bull” worth 50 points.

Blackhat
Hitting 3 “Bulls” in one throw. Known as a “Hat Trick”.

Bombs
Large heavy darts also known as “Bombers”.

Bones
When a player requires a double 1 to reach zero.

Bucket of Nails
When all three darts land in the 1s.

Buckshot
A throw in which the tree darts are scattered wildly over the board.

Bull
Short for Bullseye.

Bull and Cork
The centre of the bullseye.

Bull Out
When a double bull is needed to win the game.

Bull Up
When two players throw for the bullseye to determine who will play first.

Bullseye
The centre of the board worth 50 points. Also known as the “Bull”, “Inner Bull” or “Double Bull”.

Bust
A player is bust if he or she scores more than is needed to bring their score down to exactly zero during an 01 game.

- C -

Century
Scoring 100 or more points during a round.

Chalker
The person who keeps score.

Champagne Breakfast
Throwing triple 20, treble 1 and treble 5 (see “Breakfast”)

Championship Board
A practice dartboard where the double rings, triple rings and bullseye are half the standard size.

Check Out
A shot that wins the game.

Chips
A score of 26 points in one throw.

Chucker
A player who just “chucks” randomly at the board without aiming at a particular number.

Circle It
When a player scores less than 10 during a round, “Circle it!” is shouted out to the scorer, to highlight how poor the throw is.

Classic
See “Breakfast”.

Clickity Click
Scoring a total of 66 on a throw.

Clock
The dartboard.

Convertibles
Darts with interchangeable tips so that either steel tips or soft tips can be used.

Cork
Another name for the bullseye.

Crack
Missing a double and hitting a single instead.

Cricket
A team game with the object of hitting each of the numbers from 15-20 and the bullseye three times.

- D -

Dead Eye
Three bullseyes in a single throw (See “Blackhat”)

Devil
Throwing a treble 6.

Diddle For The Middle
See “Bull Up”

Dinky Doo
Throwing a 22.

Double
The outer ring of the board.

Double Bull
The centre of the bullseye worth 50 points.

Double Cork
See “Double Bull”.

Double In
When a double is required in order to start the game.

Double Out
When a double is required in order to finish the game.

Double Ring
See “Double”.

Double Top
The double 20.

Downstairs
The lower area of the board.

- E -

Easy In
A game that does not require a “Double In” in order to begin.

Easy Out
A game that does not require a “Double Out” in order to finish.

- F -

Feathers
A score of 33. Also refers to the “Flight” at the end of a dart.

Flat Tire
When a dart lands in the black ring around the board, outside the scoring area.

Flight
The “Feathers” at the end of the dart that allow it to fly straight.

Foot Fault
When a player steps over throw line, also known as the “hockey”.

- G -

Game On
Advises all players that the match has started with a request for silence.

Game Shot
A shot that could potentially win the match.

Garden States
Score of 88.

- H -

Hail Mary Dart
See “Bail Out Dart”

Half a Crown
A score of 26 (two shillings and sixpence used to equal half a crown).

Happy Meal
A sore of 26

Hat Trick
Hitting three bullseyes in a throw.

Heinz
A score of 57.

Hockey
The throw line.

- I -

Island
The playable area of a dartboard inside the doubles ring.

- J -

- K -

Knurl
The grooved area of the barrel of the dart used to increase grip.

- L -

Leg
One game of a match.

Leg Shot
When a player has won the “Leg”.

Load
A score of 180.

Low Ton
A score of 100-149.

Lower Class
A score of 29.

 - M -

Mad House
The double 1.

Match
A series of games, usually the best of three.

Middle for Middle
When two players aim for the bullseye to determine who will throw first. (See “Bull Up”).

Monger
A player who deliberately scores more than needed in order to win the game.

Mugs Away
When the loser of the previous game goes first in the next game.

Murphy
Another name for a score of 26 from a single 20, single 5 and single 1.

- N -

Nail
A score of 1.

Nine Darter
Completing a game of 501 with the minimum number of 9 darts.

Nines
The 19s in the game of cricket.

- O -

Oche
The throw line that the player must stand behind, pronounced “ockey”.

Outer Bull
The outer ring of the bullseye which scores 25 points.

Out For Bull
See “Bull Up”.

 - P -

Perfect Game
See “Nine Darter”.

Perfect Score
When a player scores the maximum points of 180 from 3 darts, also known as a “Load”.

Perfect Finish
When a player finishes a game with 170 points, by scoring two treble 20s and a double bull.

Pie
One of the scoring areas of the board.

Poor Man’s Triple
When a player hits 3 singles of the same number.

Popcorn
When the darts are so close to each other on the board that one or more flights are knocked out.

 - Q -

- R -

Rail
The wire on a steel tip board.

Robin Hood
When a dart hits the shaft of another already on the board.

Round
Where a player throws 3 darts in a single turn.

Round The Clock
A game in which the object is to hit, in numerical sequence, every number on the board.

Route 66
A score of 66.

Rubber
The last game in a 3 game match.

- S -

Sevens
The 17s in cricket.

Shaft
The part of the dart behind the barrel, which holds the flight.

Shanghai
When a player throws a single, double and triple of the same number.

Shelly Shot
Throwing a triple 19 with the first dart in the game of cricket.

Shut Out
When a player loses a game without scoring.

Single Bull
The outer ring of the bullseye, worth 25 points.

Single In
An 01 game where the player does not need to “Double In”.

Single Out
An 01 game where the player does not need to “Double out”.

Six Dart Out
A perfect 301 game, winning with the minimum number of 6 darts.

Skunked
Another term for “Shut Out”.

Slop
A dart that misses the intended target, but scores anyway.

Spider
The wire that is used to divide the dartboard into sections.

Splash
A dart that misses the intended target, but scores anyway. See “Slop”.

Sticks
Another name for darts. See “Arrows”.

Striking Oil
Throwing a “Double Bull” when “Diddling For The Middle”.

Sunset Strip
A score off 77 points.

 - T -

Three In A Bed
Throwing 3 darts in the same number.

Throw Line
The line a player must stand behind when throwing. Also called “Toe Line” and “Hockey”.

Tin Hat
A score of 0.

Toe Line
See “Throw Line”.

Ton
A score of 100.

Ton of Nails
A score of 5, made up of triple 1s, double 1s or single 1s.

Tops
A double 20.

Triple Ring
The inner ring of the dartboard.

- U -

Umbrellas
A score of 77.

Upstairs
The upper area of the board.

- V -

- W -

Wet Feet
When a person steps over the “Throw Line”.

Wire
A dart that just misses the target and hits the other side of the wire.

Wood
The area outside the scoring area.

- X -

- Y -

- Z -