Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Darts, World Darts Championship, Luke Littler
Jack Kenmare
Have you ever considered why a standard darts match starts every leg on 501 rather than a satisfying round number like 500? If so, you're not the only one.
When it comes to darts, 501 is the most well-known and widely played format. Tune into Friday night's World Championship final between Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen and the referee will count down from that very number.
But why 501 instead of 500? Well, the primary reason for starting at 501 is ultimately down to the double-out rule, which dictates that players must finish the game by hitting a double to reduce their score to zero.
Advert
"If you started on an even number, then all you need to do would be to hit 20s (double, treble or single) until you reached zero," said one fan on Quora, who was asked to break down the rule.
"Starting with an odd number and finishing with a double means you have to get to an even number – so you have hit an odd number before your last dart. It makes things more difficult."
As mentioned above, starting at an odd number like 501 ensures players must move around the board to finish on a double and therefore raises the competitiveness of the game, particularly among quality players.
If the game started at 500, then players would simply aim for 20 in order to win without ever having to hit an odd number.
Advert
In fact, if 500 was used, a player could finish a leg by hitting two 140s, a 100 and a 120 checkout, or by using any other combination that can be hit using 20s.
As mentioned by DartBox, starting at 500 would render the rest of the board useless for professional players. "A nine-darter could also be hit using only the 20 segment, decreasing its difficulty and making it more common, which would reduce the excitement when one is hit," they added.
By changing the starting score to 501, it forces players to move around the board in order to reduce their score whilst making the game more exciting to watch.
Advert
This small but significant change to the starting score reduces the chances of the game being over quickly. However, not all darts games start out on 501.
One fan explained on Quora: "FWIW [for what it’s worth], before the professional circuit started, the normal game was 301, double start, double finish - no score until you hit a double!!"