Flechettes

Flechettes (French Darts) encompasses the traditional French approach to the sport of darts. In its standard competitive format, the objective is identical to 501: be the first player to reduce your score from exactly 501 to exactly zero, with the final dart landing in a double segment or the inner bullseye. France also boasts distinctive regional variants — such as L'Horloge (Around the Clock) and Le Jeu des Départements — each with its own unique objective.

A standard dartboard is used. The centre of the board is mounted at a height of 1.73 m from the floor, and the throwing line (the oche) is set at a distance of 2.37 m from the face of the board. Darts must not exceed 20 cm in overall length or 50 g in weight.

To determine throwing order, each player throws one dart at the bullseye; the player whose dart lands closest throws first. For the standard 501 game, mark 501 on the scoreboard for each player or team. France has a strong electronic and soft-tip dart culture, so players should confirm before play whether a bristle (steel-tip) or electronic (soft-tip) board is in use, as house rules may differ slightly between the two formats.

In the standard 501 format — the primary competitive game governed by the Fédération Française de Darts (FFDarts) — players take turns throwing three darts per visit. The sum of all three darts is subtracted from the player's remaining score. Standard dartboard segment values apply:

• Single segment = face value (1–20)
• Double ring (outer narrow band) = 2× face value
• Triple ring (inner narrow band) = 3× face value
• Outer bullseye (25 ring) = 25
• Inner bullseye = 50

Bust rule: If a player's remaining score goes below zero, reaches exactly 1 (since no double can score 1), or reaches zero without the final dart landing in a double, the entire turn is void. The player's score reverts to what it was at the start of that visit. For example, if a player has 40 remaining and throws a single 20 (leaving 20), then a double 10 — that is a valid checkout. However, if that player instead throws a treble 14 (42) on the first dart, the turn is bust and the score resets to 40.

L'Horloge (Around the Clock): Players must hit each number on the board in sequence from 1 through 20, and then finish on the bullseye. Each turn consists of three darts. Only darts that land in the current target number (single, double, or triple of that number) count as a successful hit, advancing the player to the next number. No subtraction scoring is used; it is purely a progression game.

Le Jeu des Départements: A uniquely French variant that combines darts skill with geographical knowledge. A player calls out the name of a French département, states its official number (e.g., Gironde is département 33), and must then hit that number on the dartboard. If the player correctly names the département and its number and hits the corresponding segment, the hit counts. Specific tournament rules for this variant vary by region.

For the standard 501 game, scoring follows conventional dartboard values:

• Single: 1–20 points (face value)
• Double: 2–40 points (2× the segment number)
• Triple: 3–60 points (3× the segment number)
• Outer bull: 25 points
• Inner bull: 50 points (counts as a double for checkout purposes)

The maximum score per visit (three darts) is 180 — achieved by hitting three triple-20s. A solid club-level visit might be three single 20s for 60 points. Darts that miss the board or bounce out score zero.

In L'Horloge, no numerical score is tallied; progress is tracked by recording which number the player is currently targeting. In Le Jeu des Départements, scoring methods vary by local convention — some formats award one point per successful hit, while others track the total number of départements completed.

In 501, the first player (or team) to reach exactly zero wins the leg. The final dart must land in a double segment or the inner bullseye. In match play, legs may be grouped into sets (e.g., best of 5 legs per set, best of 3 or 5 sets per match), following FFDarts competition regulations.

In L'Horloge, the first player to successfully hit every number from 1 through 20 and then the bullseye wins. In Le Jeu des Départements, victory conditions are set before play — typically the first player to correctly complete a predetermined number of départements, or the player with the most completions after a fixed number of rounds.

501 Double-Out: The standard competitive format in French darts, identical in rules to international 501. This is the format used in FFDarts-sanctioned tournaments and leagues.

L'Horloge (Around the Clock): A sequential-target game requiring players to hit 1 through 20 and then the bullseye, in order. Popular as both a warm-up exercise and a standalone pub game. This is the French counterpart to the English game known as Around the Clock or Around the Board.

Le Jeu des Départements: A distinctly French variant that tests both throwing accuracy and knowledge of France's départements and their administrative numbers. Because France has 101 départements (96 metropolitan and 5 overseas), only those numbered 1–20 (and 25 for the bull) can be directly targeted on a standard board, though local rules may allow doubles and triples to represent higher-numbered départements.

Electronic / Soft-Tip Fléchettes: France has a particularly strong soft-tip and electronic dart culture. Electronic boards automatically calculate scores and enforce rules, making them widespread in French bars and recreational venues. Soft-tip darts are lighter and the boards use small plastic-tipped darts with segmented sensor panels.

Know the French board dimensions: The French standard oche distance of 2.37 m and board height of 1.73 m are the same as international steel-tip standards, but confirm these measurements when playing in casual venues — especially on electronic boards, where the throw line may occasionally be set slightly shorter.

Master doubles for 501: As with international 501, the double-out requirement is where most legs are won or lost. Practise finishing on doubles 16, 8, and 4 — the so-called "doubling corridor" — where a miss on one naturally sets up the next.

Brush up on your départements: If playing Le Jeu des Départements, memorise the numbers for all départements whose numbers fall between 1 and 20 (and 25 for the bull). For example, Ain is 1, Nord is 59 (which cannot be directly targeted on a standard board), and Gironde is 33. Knowing which départements are actually playable gives you a strategic edge.

Use L'Horloge as structured practice: French players commonly use L'Horloge to develop accuracy across the entire board. Rather than fixating on the 20 segment during warm-ups, playing a full round of L'Horloge forces you to aim at every segment and builds familiarity with the angles required for each number.

Adapt to soft-tip boards: Given the prevalence of electronic boards in France, spend time practising with soft-tip darts if you plan to play in French leagues or bars. The lighter darts (often under 20 g) require a slightly different throwing technique — typically a smoother, more controlled release — compared to the heavier steel-tip darts used on bristle boards.