Football Darts

Football Darts (also known as Soccer Darts or Darts Football) is a two-player or two-team pub game that simulates the sport of football on a standard dartboard. The primary objective is to score more goals than your opponent by first gaining possession of the ball — achieved by hitting the bullseye — and then scoring a goal by hitting any double segment on the board. The first player or team to reach a predetermined number of goals (commonly 10) wins the match.

Football Darts requires a standard bristle dartboard, a set of darts for each player or team, and a scoreboard to track goals. Two players or two teams compete head-to-head. Write each player's or team's name on the scoreboard with a goals column set to 0.

To determine which player throws first, each player throws one dart at the bullseye; the dart closest to the inner bull earns the right to throw first. Before play begins, agree on the target number of goals required to win — 10 goals is the standard, though 5 goals is common for shorter sessions. Neither player begins the game with possession; both must earn it by hitting the bullseye.

Players alternate turns, each throwing three darts per visit. The game revolves around two distinct phases: gaining possession and scoring goals.

Gaining Possession: Before a player can attempt to score a goal, they must gain possession of the ball by hitting the bullseye. Both the outer bullseye (25 ring) and the inner bullseye (50) count for gaining possession. If a player does not currently have possession, all three darts in their visit should be aimed at the bullseye. Once a bullseye is hit, possession is gained immediately, and the player may use any remaining darts in that same visit to attempt a goal.

Scoring a Goal: Once a player has possession, they score a goal by hitting any double segment on the board (the outer narrow ring). Each double hit counts as one goal, regardless of the segment's face value — double 20, double 1, and double 16 all count equally as a single goal. If a player has possession and hits a double with their second dart, they score one goal; if they also hit a double with their third dart, they score a second goal in the same visit.

Losing Possession: If a player has possession but fails to hit a double with any of their remaining darts in that visit, they lose possession at the end of their turn. On their next visit, they must hit the bullseye again before they can attempt another goal. For example, if a player hits the outer bullseye with their first dart (gaining possession) but then misses the double ring with their second and third darts, they lose possession and must re-earn it on a subsequent turn.

Turn Example: Player A has no possession. Dart 1 lands in single 20 (no possession gained). Dart 2 hits the outer bullseye (possession gained). Dart 3 hits double 16 — that is one goal. Player A's score moves from 0 to 1. However, because Player A used their last dart to score, they must regain possession on their next visit before scoring again.

Scoring in Football Darts is straightforward — only goals are tracked, not point values:

• Outer bullseye (25): Gains possession (no goal scored)
• Inner bullseye (50): Gains possession (no goal scored)
• Any double segment: Scores 1 goal (only when the throwing player has possession)
• All other segments: No effect on the score

The face value of a double is irrelevant — double 1 and double 20 both score exactly one goal. If a player hits the inner bullseye with their first dart and then hits double 18 and double 12 with their second and third darts, they score 2 goals in that single visit. Conversely, hitting three double segments without first having possession scores nothing.

Record each goal on the scoreboard with a simple tally. There are no bonus points, no assists, and no fractional goals.

The first player or team to reach the agreed-upon goal total wins the match. Under the standard target of 10 goals, the player who scores their 10th goal first is the winner — the opposing player does not get a final visit to equalize, as the game ends immediately upon reaching the target.

For league or tournament play, matches can be played as a best-of series (e.g., best of 3 games to 10 goals). Alternatively, some formats use a fixed number of rounds (e.g., 20 rounds per player) with the most goals at the end determining the winner. In the event of a tie under a fixed-round format, a penalty shootout tiebreaker may be used (see Variations).

American Football Darts: A more complex variant that simulates American football rather than soccer. The board's horizontal segments from double 11 to double 6 form a "field." One team's endzone is double 11; the other's is double 6. Teams get 4 downs (turns of 3 darts) to advance the ball sequentially across segments — from their own endzone's double, through the outer single, triple, inner single, across the bullseye area, and into the opponent's half. Hitting the opponent's endzone double scores a touchdown (6 points). After a touchdown, the scoring team throws one dart at the 20 segment for an extra point (1 point). Some versions allow field goals (3 points) for hitting the outer bullseye when the ball is in the opponent's half. Possession changes after a score or after four failed downs.

Specific Doubles: Instead of allowing any double for a goal, players must hit a designated double — for example, only double 20 counts as a goal, or a specific double is assigned to each player as their "goal." This significantly increases the difficulty and rewards precision.

Penalty Shootout Tiebreaker: When a fixed-round game ends in a draw, each player takes 5 penalty shots — one dart per shot aimed at doubles. The player who hits more doubles in their 5 attempts wins. If still tied, sudden-death rounds continue (one dart each) until the tie is broken.

Offsides Penalty: In some pub versions, completely missing the board (dart falls off or misses the scoring area) is ruled as an "offside," and the throwing player loses possession immediately, forfeiting any remaining darts in that visit.

Master the Bullseye First: Possession is the gateway to every goal — you cannot score without it. Dedicate significant practice time to hitting the bullseye consistently. A player who hits the bull on their first dart gets up to two goal attempts per visit, doubling their scoring potential compared to someone who needs all three darts to find it.

Pair Bullseye with a Favorite Double: Once you gain possession, you need to transition immediately to a double. Develop a reliable "go-to" double — many players favor double 16 because even a miss toward the inside often lands in single 16 or nearby useful segments. Practicing the mental and physical switch from bullseye aiming to double aiming is key.

Maximize Multi-Goal Visits: The fastest path to 10 goals is scoring two goals in a single visit. If you hit the bullseye with your first dart, you have two darts remaining for doubles. Aim to convert both. A player averaging even one two-goal visit per game gains a decisive advantage over an opponent who scores only one goal at a time.

Apply Pressure Early: Building an early lead forces your opponent to take risks, potentially rushing their bullseye attempts and missing. If you can reach 4–5 goals while your opponent is still on 1–2, the psychological pressure often compounds their errors.

Don't Waste Darts After Losing Possession: If you have no possession and your first two darts miss the bullseye, stay calm and commit fully to hitting the bull with your third dart. Throwing carelessly because frustration has set in is the most common mistake in Football Darts — every dart at the bullseye is a meaningful opportunity.