Cricket darts rules and scoring

Cricket is darts' tactical game. Instead of counting down, you race to "close" seven targets, 15 to 20 and the bull, while piling up points on the ones your opponent hasn't closed yet. These are the standard American cricket rules, the version most pubs and leagues play.

The targets

Only 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15 and the bull count. Every other number is a miss. You can go for the targets in any order. Each player throws three darts per turn, as in 501.

Marks and closing

Hit	Marks
Single	1
Double (outer ring)	2
Treble (inner ring)	3
Outer bull (25)	1
Inner bull (50)	2

Three marks on a number closes it for you. A single treble closes a number in one dart; a double and a single, or three singles, do it too. The bull needs three marks as well: an inner and an outer, or three outers.

Scoring points

Once you've closed a number, every extra mark you hit on it scores that number's value in points, as long as at least one opponent still has it open. Extra marks on the bull score 25 each, so an inner bull on a bull you've closed is worth 50.

Marks beyond the third count in the same dart. If you have two marks on 20 and hit treble 20, one mark closes it and the other two score 40 points.

When every player has closed a number, it's dead: nobody can score on it again. Closing a number your opponent is scoring on is how you shut them down.

Winning

You win when you've closed all seven targets and have at least as many points as every opponent. If you close everything while you're behind, the game carries on: you have to score on numbers your opponent still has open until you're level or ahead, while they try to catch up on closing.

A quick example

Turn	Darts	What happens
Anna	T20, 20, 19	Closes 20 with the treble. The single 20 is an extra mark and Ben hasn't closed 20, so Anna scores 20. One mark on 19.
Ben	T19, 5, D18	Closes 19. The 5 is a miss. Two marks on 18.
Anna	T20, 1, 20	Four more marks on 20 while Ben still has it open: 80 more points. Anna leads 100 to 0.
Ben	20, D20, 18	Closes 20 (one plus two marks), so no one can score on it now. Closes 18 too.

Keeping score

On a chalkboard each player has a column next to the list 20 to 15 and B. One mark is a slash ( / ), two make an X, and the third circles the X ( ⊗ ) to show the number is closed. Points are written below and updated as they're scored.

Marks per round (MPR)

Cricket's answer to the 3-dart average: total marks divided by darts thrown, times 3. A treble every visit would be an MPR of 3. Most counts include every mark you hit on a target, including the ones that score points.

House rules that vary

• Cut-throat cricket. Points you score go to your opponents instead, and the lowest score wins. Popular with three or more players.
• Ties on points. The standard rule lets you win on level points once you've closed everything. Some leagues want you strictly ahead.
• Bull marks. Some places count the inner bull as only one mark, or make players close the bull last.
• Order. Some groups play the numbers in order, 20 down to 15 and then the bull.
• No-score cricket. Points are switched off entirely, and the first to close everything wins.
• Round limits. Leagues sometimes cap a leg at 20 or 25 rounds, with the points leader winning if no one has finished.

Agree on these before the first dart. Darts Scorekeeper plays the standard rules on this page.

Questions

How many marks does the bullseye count in cricket?

The outer bull (green ring) is one mark and the inner bull is two marks. You need three marks to close the bull, so that's three outer bulls, or one inner and one outer.

Can you score on a number your opponent has closed?

No. Once every other player has closed a number, it's dead: nobody can score points on it any more.

What if I close everything but I'm behind on points?

You haven't won yet. You need to close all seven targets and have at least as many points as everyone else. Keep scoring on numbers your opponent still has open until you're level or ahead.

What is MPR in cricket darts?

Marks per round: the average number of marks you hit per visit of three darts. It's cricket's version of the 3-dart average. A treble is 3 marks, a double 2, a single 1.