301 darts
rules
301 plays exactly like 501 with two hundred points taken off the start: three darts a turn, each one subtracted, and the leg won at exactly zero with a double as the final dart. Going past zero, being left on 1, or reaching zero without that double busts the visit. One good opening visit already puts a player in checkout range, so a leg runs five to ten minutes with two players and is nearly all finishing.
Identical to 501, from a lower start
Three darts a turn, each one subtracted from your total. You win the leg by reaching exactly zero with a double as your final dart — the outer ring, or the bullseye, which counts as a double 25.
Going below zero, landing on zero without a double, or being left on 1 all bust the visit: your score returns to what it was when you picked up the darts, and the rest of the turn is forfeited.
The 501 page works through all of that in detail — the bust cases, the three checkout rules, how a match is structured. None of it changes here, so it is not repeated.
A game of checkouts
You are in range after one good visit
A 140 opener leaves 161. A second one leaves 21. In 501 that same pair of visits leaves you still scoring; here you are already choosing a double. The part of the game most players find hardest arrives immediately and never lets up.
Setting up matters more than scoring
With so few visits, one careless leave decides the leg. Leaving 32 rather than 33 is worth more here than a maximum would be, because there is no time to make it back.
It suits a crowd
Five to ten minutes a leg with two players, and it stays bearable with six names on the board — which is exactly when a 501 leg starts to drag for whoever threw first.
Double in, and other local habits
301 is the format where house rules cluster. The common one is double in: nothing counts until you have landed a double, so a player can throw several turns and still be on 301. It makes a short game much longer and much crueller, which is either the point or the problem depending on who suggested it.
Some groups also play straight out here even when they play double out at 501, on the grounds that a five-minute game should not end with ten minutes of hunting a double.
DartSync offers double out, master out and straight out, chosen when you create the game. Double in is not in yet, so a game always starts live.
Frequently asked questions about 301
What is the difference between 301 and 501?▼
Only the starting score. The subtraction, the bust rules and the double to finish are identical — 301 simply puts you in checkout range after one or two good visits, so the game is almost all finishing and hardly any scoring.
Is 301 easier than 501?▼
Shorter, not easier. The part most players struggle with — landing a double — arrives immediately and never lets up, while the part they enjoy, throwing at the treble 20, barely happens.
Do you have to finish on a double in 301?▼
Under the standard rules, yes, exactly as in 501. Plenty of groups play straight out at 301 though, on the grounds that a five-minute game should not end with ten minutes of hunting a double. All three checkout rules are available in DartSync.
What is double in?▼
A house rule where nothing counts until you have landed a double, so a player can throw several turns and still be on 301. It is most often attached to 301, and it makes a short game considerably longer. DartSync does not have it yet.
How long does a leg of 301 take?▼
Five to ten minutes with two players, and it stays manageable with five or six names on the board — which is the point of it.
Is 301 played in competition?▼
No — the professional circuit plays 501 exclusively, from the World Championship down. 301 belongs to pub nights, practice and casual games, which is where it is genuinely useful.
More questions? See the full FAQ
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