How to Play Cricket Darts: Rules, Marks, Points and Strategy
Darts rules · Cricket · Updated 2026-08-04
Cricket is the game running on most dartboards in American bars, and it could not be more different from 501. Instead of counting down from a big number, you race to own seven targets - 15 through 20 and the bull - by hitting each one three times, banking points along the way.
This guide covers the full standard rules, sometimes called American cricket: how marks work, when extra hits turn into points, the exact win condition, a complete worked game you can follow visit by visit, and the strategy calls that decide close matches.
What cricket darts is
Cricket is a marks-and-points game for two or more players, and it is the standard social darts game in the United States the way 501 is in UK pubs. You will also see it called standard cricket or American cricket to distinguish it from its many variants. The goal is simple to state: close six numbers and the bull before your opponents do, while making sure nobody beats you on points.
Only seven targets matter: 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and the bull. Every other bed on the board is a dead zone - a dart in the 12 costs you nothing, but it earns you nothing either. The doubles and trebles rings still matter enormously, though, because they multiply how fast you close a number.
Marks: how hits are counted
Every dart in one of the seven targets earns marks. The thin outer ring of a number is its double and the thin inner ring is its treble, so a single dart can be worth one, two or three marks. The bull works the same way: the outer 25 ring is one mark and the inner 50 is two.
| Where the dart lands | Marks earned |
|---|---|
| Single (the large beds of 15 to 20) | 1 mark |
| Double (thin outer ring) | 2 marks |
| Treble (thin inner ring) | 3 marks |
| Outer bull (25) | 1 mark |
| Inner bull (50) | 2 marks |
Three marks close a number, and the marks can arrive in any combination across any number of darts or visits: three singles spread over two turns, a single plus a double, or one treble that closes the number instantly. Marks never expire - if you leave a number on two marks this visit, it is still on two marks when your throw comes around again.
Scoring points on numbers you have closed
Closing a number does two things. It stops opponents from ever scoring that number against you, and it turns the number into a scoring target for you - but only while at least one opponent still has it open. Once you have closed 20, every extra 20 you hit scores its face value: a single is 20 points, a double 40, a treble 60. The bull pays 25 for the outer ring and 50 for the inner. The moment every player has closed a number, it goes dead and nobody can score on it again.
This is the engine of the whole game. Points are how you punish a slow opponent, and the threat of points is what forces defensive play. A player who closes 20 while you are still working on it can pile up 60 points a visit until you shut the number down yourself.
How a turn works
- Throw three darts at live targets: Aim at numbers you have not yet closed, or at closed numbers an opponent still has open if you want points. Darts outside the seven targets score nothing and carry no penalty.
- Count your marks: Add each dart's marks to that number's tally. The third mark closes the number; call it and update the board before the next dart if you are playing strictly.
- Bank any points: Marks beyond three on a number you have closed convert to points at face value, provided at least one opponent still has that number open. If everyone has closed it, the dart is wasted.
- Check for a winner, then pass the darts: If all seven of your targets are closed and no opponent has more points than you, the game ends immediately. Otherwise the next player steps up.
A worked two-player game
Here is a complete short game between Amy and Ben. S means a single, D a double, T a treble, and the bull's outer ring is written as 25. Check the middle column against the rules above - every close, every point and both running totals are exact.
| Visit | Player | Darts | What the darts do | Points (Amy-Ben) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amy | T20, S20, S19 | T20 closes 20; the S20 scores 20 points because Ben is open; one mark on 19 | 20-0 |
| 2 | Ben | S20, S20, T19 | Two marks on 20, one short of closing; T19 closes 19 | 20-0 |
| 3 | Amy | S19, S19, S18 | Closes 19, which both players have now closed, so it is dead; one mark on 18 | 20-0 |
| 4 | Ben | S20, D18, S18 | S20 closes 20, now dead; D18 plus S18 close 18 | 20-0 |
| 5 | Amy | S18, S18, S17 | Closes 18, now dead; one mark on 17 | 20-0 |
| 6 | Ben | T17, S17, S16 | T17 closes 17; the S17 scores 17 points because Amy is open; one mark on 16 | 20-17 |
| 7 | Amy | S17, S17, S16 | Closes 17, now dead; one mark on 16 | 20-17 |
| 8 | Ben | S16, S16, S16 | First two singles close 16; the third scores 16 points because Amy is still open | 20-33 |
| 9 | Amy | D16, T15, 25 | D16 closes 16, now dead; T15 closes 15; one mark on the bull | 20-33 |
| 10 | Ben | S15, S15, 25 | Two marks on 15, one short of closing; one mark on the bull | 20-33 |
| 11 | Amy | S15, 25, 25 | S15 scores 15 points because Ben is open; two outer bulls close the bull. Everything is closed and 35 beats 33, so Amy wins | 35-33 |
Visit 11 is the whole game in miniature. Closing the bull while 13 points behind would not have ended the game, so Amy needed a scoring dart first. Ben was still open on both the 15 and the bull, so either target could pay: she banked the sure 15, then closed the bull with her last two darts. One scoring dart turned a losing board into a winning one.
Strategy: closing, pointing and defending
Most players work down from the top: 20s first, then 19s, and so on, because the same three marks buy you a more valuable scoring number. The other school opens with the bull, arguing that the hardest target on the board is better attempted early than under pressure at the end, when the whole game often comes down to it. Either is defensible; what matters more is reading the board state as it changes.
- Point when you are ahead on closes. If you own a high number your opponent has not closed, hammering it forces them to respond on your terms. A cushion of 40 or 60 points buys you freedom later.
- Close when you are ahead on points. A points lead is only useful if you protect it. Every number you close is one your opponent can never score against you, so a lead plus fast closes squeezes the game shut.
- Defend when you are behind on points. Close the number your opponent is scoring on first, even if it breaks your preferred order. A number that goes dead stops the bleeding instantly.
- Do not bank on the bull bailing you out. If the game reduces to bull against bull, the better bull shooter wins. If that is not you, build a points cushion so your opponent has to point as well as close.
Popular cricket variants
House rules travel, so agree the variant before the first dart. These are the three you will meet most often:
| Variant | What changes | How you win |
|---|---|---|
| No-points cricket (simple cricket) | Marks only; extra hits on closed numbers score nothing | Be first to close all seven targets |
| Cut-throat cricket | Extra marks on your closed numbers add points to every opponent who still has that number open | Close all seven with the lowest points total |
| Wild card cricket (pick your targets) | Six randomly chosen numbers plus the bull replace 15 to 20 | Same as standard: close everything with at least equal points |
Cut-throat is the one that rewires your instincts, because points are poison: every score you make lands on your opponents' tallies, and the lowest total wins. It plays especially well with three or more players, since everyone still open on a number suffers together.
Keeping score on a chalkboard
The traditional scoreboard lists 20 down to 15 and a B for bull in a centre column, with each player or team taking a side and a points total written at the top. Marks use a three-symbol shorthand: a slash (/) for one mark, a cross (X) for two, and a circle around the cross for three, the circled cross meaning the number is closed. It is worth learning even if you never touch chalk, because most electronic scoreboards and scoring apps draw the same symbols.
Players and teams
Standard cricket plays well from two to eight players, though the pace slows as the table grows: you can score points on a number as long as any one opponent still has it open, which keeps numbers alive far longer in big games. For four or six players, pairs teams are the classic format - partners alternate visits and share one set of marks and one points total. Team cricket rewards complementary skills, and a steady closer paired with a heavy scorer is a dangerous combination.
Keep cricket honest without the chalk. Darts Scorer & Dart Scoreboard by Panda Taps runs full American cricket for up to 8 players or teams: it counts every mark, banks points only while an opponent is still open, retires dead numbers automatically and calls the game the moment the win condition is met. It works fully offline, keeps the screen awake through a match, and a true-black display mode stays readable in a dim pub corner. X01, Around the Clock, party games and practice routines live in the same app for whatever the table wants to play next. Learn more about Darts Scorer & Dart Scoreboard.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to hit doubles or trebles in cricket darts?
No. Any dart in a target number counts, and singles alone are enough to close. Doubles and trebles simply count as two and three marks, so a treble closes a number with a single dart.
Can you win cricket if you are behind on points?
Not at that moment. Winning requires all seven targets closed and a points total at least equal to every opponent's. If you close everything while trailing, you keep throwing for points on numbers opponents still have open until you draw level or they finish first.
What happens when every player has closed the same number?
The number is dead. Nobody can score points on it any more, and darts thrown at it are wasted, so switch to a target that is still live.
How many people can play cricket darts?
Standard cricket works for two to eight players, and pairs teams are common with four or six people. Teammates alternate visits and share one set of marks and one points total.