Ipswich Fives 505

Be the first player to reduce your score from exactly 505 to exactly zero on an Ipswich Fives dartboard — a 12-segment board featuring wider double and treble beds than its London Fives counterpart. The final dart must land in a double segment or the inner bullseye to complete the game.

This game requires an Ipswich Fives dartboard, also known as a Wide Fives board. The board features 12 segments numbered with the values 5, 10, 15, and 20, each repeated three times around the face. The double and treble beds on an Ipswich board are noticeably wider than those on a London Fives (Narrow Fives) board, making the game somewhat more accessible.

The board should be mounted with the centre bull at 5 ft 6 in from the floor. The throwing distance (oche) is 9 ft from the face of the board. Each player's starting score of 505 is written on the scoreboard. Throwing order is determined by each player throwing a single dart at the bullseye — closest to the centre throws first — or by a coin toss.

Before play begins, confirm whether the game is being played as double-in/double-out (traditional) or straight-in/double-out (common in competition). Under double-in rules, no score is recorded until a player's dart lands in a double segment or the inner bullseye.

Players take turns throwing three darts per visit. After each visit, the total value of the three darts is subtracted from the player's remaining score. Only darts that land in and remain touching a scoring area on the board count toward the player's total.

• Single segment = face value (5, 10, 15, or 20)
• Double ring (outer narrow band) = 2× face value (10, 20, 30, or 40)
• Treble ring (inner narrow band) = 3× face value (15, 30, 45, or 60)
• Outer bullseye = 25
• Inner bullseye = 50

Bust rule: If a player's remaining score would go below zero, reach exactly 1 (since no double can leave zero from 1), or reach zero without the final dart being a double, the entire turn is void. The player's score reverts to what it was at the start of that visit, and the turn passes to the opponent.

For example, if a player has 40 remaining and throws a double 20 (40), that is a valid checkout and the leg is won. However, if that player instead throws a single 20 (leaving 20) and then a single 15, the score would drop to 5 — too low to finish on any available double. This constitutes a bust, and the score resets to 40.

Because the Ipswich board uses only four distinct numbers (5, 10, 15, 20), checkout paths are more limited than on a standard dartboard. Players must plan their approach carefully to leave a viable double finish.

The Ipswich Fives board uses four segment values — 5, 10, 15, and 20 — each appearing three times around the board, for a total of 12 segments. Scoring follows the same single/double/treble convention as standard darts:

• Single 5: 5 points; Double 5: 10 points; Treble 5: 15 points
• Single 10: 10 points; Double 10: 20 points; Treble 10: 30 points
• Single 15: 15 points; Double 15: 30 points; Treble 15: 45 points
• Single 20: 20 points; Double 20: 40 points; Treble 20: 60 points
• Outer bull: 25 points
• Inner bull: 50 points (counts as a double for checkout purposes)

The maximum score per visit is 180, achieved by hitting three treble 20s. A strong scoring visit for a club player might be three single 20s for 60 points. Note that the wider beds on the Ipswich board mean that doubles and trebles are hit more frequently than on the narrower London Fives board.

The first player to reduce their score to exactly zero wins the leg. The final dart must land in a double segment or the inner bullseye. The highest possible checkout is 170 (treble 20, treble 20, inner bull).

In match play over multiple legs, the winner of the previous leg typically throws first in odd-numbered legs, while the loser of the previous leg throws first in even-numbered legs. Matches may be played as best of a set number of legs (e.g., best of 5 or best of 7), depending on the competition format.

London Fives (Narrow Fives): The same game played on a London Fives dartboard, which features narrower double and treble beds than the Ipswich board. The reduced target area makes London Fives significantly more challenging, particularly when attempting checkouts. All other rules remain identical.

Alternative starting scores: While 505 is the standard starting total, the game can be played from other scores to adjust the length of each leg. Common alternatives include 305 (shorter, faster games), 705, 805, and 1005 (longer, endurance-style formats). The rules and checkout requirements remain the same regardless of the starting score.

Straight-in vs. Double-in: Traditional Fives play often requires a double-in — no score is counted until the player hits a double or the inner bull. Many modern competitions use straight-in/double-out, where any dart scores from the first throw but the game must still be finished on a double. The format should be agreed upon or specified by the tournament director before play commences.

Exploit the wider beds: The Ipswich board's defining feature is its wider double and treble segments compared to London Fives. Take full advantage of this by targeting trebles aggressively during the scoring phase — the wider beds reward confident, committed throws.

Target the 20 segments for maximum scoring: With treble 20 worth 60 points, the 20 segments offer the fastest route down from 505. Concentrate your scoring darts on the 20 sections and only shift targets when you need to set up a specific checkout.

Learn the limited checkout combinations: Because the board has only four distinct numbers (5, 10, 15, 20), the available doubles for finishing are limited to double 5 (10), double 10 (20), double 15 (30), double 20 (40), and the inner bull (50). Memorise the checkout paths for common leave scores — for example, from 40 you need double 20; from 30 you need double 15; from 50 you can finish on the inner bull.

Set up a forgiving double: When approaching your finish, try to leave double 20 (40) or double 10 (20). If you miss double 20 and hit single 20, you leave 20 — which is double 10. Missing double 10 into single 10 leaves 10, which is double 5. This creates a descending chain of fallback doubles.

Adjust to the shorter throwing distance: At 9 ft, the Ipswich Fives oche is closer than the standard steel-tip distance of 7 ft 9¼ in. The shorter distance changes your throw arc — practice at the correct distance to develop consistent grouping on the board's smaller overall face.