Popdarts Rules

Setup: throwing order and distance

• Rock paper scissors determines who starts. The winner chooses the position of the Target Marker and selects a dart color first.
• Each player uses three darts. A game requires at least two players.
• The player who places the Marker may set one additional rule for that round, for example “all players throw from behind the couch, and only darts on the countertop score.”
• Players must throw from at least 10 feet (about 3 meters) from the Marker.
• The player who placed the Marker throws first. Players then alternate until every player has thrown all three darts.
• At the end of each round, the team that scored chooses the position of the Marker for the next round.

The closest dart scores 3 points, and every other upright dart scores 1

After all darts have been thrown, only darts that remain upright are counted. The dart closest to the Marker scores 3 points. Every other upright dart scores 1 point, regardless of which player threw it.

Kiss (Lippy): a dart touching the Marker scores 1 additional point

An upright dart in contact with the Marker is a Kiss and scores 1 additional point. If the same dart is also the closest dart, it scores 4 points in total. The official rules also refer to a Kiss as a Lippy.

Land on Top (T-Nobber): a dart on top of the Marker scores 10

The PRO Marker has a suction surface on both ends, so a dart can stick directly to its top. Such a dart scores 10 points. If a Land on Top occurs in a round, no dart scores the 3 points for closest, and every other upright dart scores 1 point. The American Popdarts League (APL) calls this shot a T-Nobber.

Wigglenobber: a dart stacked on another dart scores double

Because Popdarts have a suction cup at each end, one dart can stick on top of another. The upper dart scores double the value of the dart below it, regardless of which player threw the lower dart. For example, if the lower dart scores 3, the upper dart scores 6; if the lower dart is a Land on Top worth 10, the upper dart scores 20.

Dead darts: a dart that is not upright does not score

A dart that falls over or does not remain upright is a dead dart. Dead darts are not removed and stay in place until the end of the round. They may still block other darts, but they do not score. The APL rules also refer to a dead dart as a Dogbone.

T-Bone: a dart stuck sideways on another dart does not score a bonus

A dart that sticks sideways to the body of another dart is a T-Bone. Under the official rules, a T-Bone does not score a bonus.

Cancellation scoring: only the difference counts

At the end of each round, the two teams’ points cancel each other out, and the team with the higher score receives the difference. The first team to reach 21 points wins the game, including when the total exceeds 21.

When you’re playing for real, the Popdarts Score Keeper can do the math for every round.

Board Play

• Board Play may be played as singles (one player per team) or doubles (two players per team). Each team uses three darts, and both teams throw in turn from the same side.
• A dart entirely inside the white PD circle scores 6 points.
• A dart entirely inside the gray circle scores 3 points, including a dart that touches the inner white circle.
• Every other dart stuck to the board scores 1 point.
• Scoring uses cancellation, and the first team to reach 21 wins. The team that scored in a round throws first in the next round. This format does not use a Target Marker.
• Each player has one Instant Win attempt per game, which must be declared before the throw. If the dart does not land entirely inside that team’s Instant Win circle, it is removed and play continues.

APL rules: the American Popdarts League

APL stands for the American Popdarts League, the official league for competitive Popdarts in the United States. Its National Championship is broadcast on ESPN2. League matches use the same scoring as the rules above, with additional requirements for court dimensions, throwing order and time limits.

• The table may be no larger than 24 inches wide, 48 inches long and 36 inches high. The Target Marker is fixed at the center of the table and is not moved during the match.
• Each player throws from a player box no larger than 3 by 4 feet. The front edge of the box is 17 feet from the Marker. Both feet must remain inside the box during the throw. Players who use a wheelchair throw from 14 feet.
• The game begins with a coin flip or rock paper scissors. The winner chooses either to throw first or second, or which player box to use; the other player receives the remaining choice.
• Each player throws three darts of a single color. Players alternate throws, and the round is scored after all six darts have been thrown. The player who scored in the previous round throws first in the next round. If a round ends tied (a wash), the other player throws first.
• Each dart must be thrown within 10 seconds. A shot clock violation results in the next dart being declared a dead dart. Each team may call one timeout per round, after which the shot clock resets.
• A player who leaves the box before the final dart is released receives a 1-point deduction. A dart thrown from outside the box is declared a dead dart and removed from play.
• If the closest darts of both players are the same distance from the Marker, those two darts are re-thrown, beginning with the player who originally threw first. All other darts remain in place. Distance is measured with the official Wyre, from the edge of the suction cup closest to the Marker.
• If the Marker becomes unsecured during a round, the round is nullified. All darts are collected, a new round begins, and the player who had the first throw forfeits it to the opponent.
• In doubles, each team has two players with two darts each, for four darts per team. Players from the two teams enter the box in turn.
• T-Nobber (Land on Top), Kiss and Wigglenobber are scored as described above. The APL adds three further scoring shots, Fender Bender, Inch Worm and Tower Shot, which are described below.

In this game, selecting “APL rules” when playing the AI starts a match in the arena with the Marker fixed at the center and a Tower on the corner of the table. Play the AI with APL rules

Fender Bender: a dart leaning on the Marker scores 1 additional point

This bonus applies under APL rules only. A dart that is stuck to the table and whose body touches or is lodged against the Marker is a Fender Bender and scores 1 additional point. A Fender Bender is counted separately from a Kiss, so a dart whose suction cup touches the Marker and whose body leans on it scores 2 additional points. If that dart is also the closest dart, it scores 5 points in total.

Inch Worm: one end on the Marker and the other on the table scores 11

This shot applies under APL rules only. Because a dart has a suction cup at each end, it can stick to the Marker with one end and to the table with the other, forming an arch. Such a dart is an Inch Worm and scores 11 points, one more than a T-Nobber.

Tower Shot: a dart on the Tower scores 5

An APL table has a Tower in its front right corner. The center of the Tower is 4.5 inches from the front edge and 4.5 inches from the right edge of the table. A dart that sticks to the Tower is a Tower Shot and scores 5 points.

FAQ