Darts fans are only just realising why a game starts at 501 instead of 500
Darts fans are only just realising why a game starts at 501.
When it comes to darts, 501 is arguably the most well-known and widely played format.
The sport can be traced back to the medieval period in England, while darts as we know it emerged in the late 19th century.
Soon, the 501 iteration of the game became the go-to in pubs and clubs around the world. But have you ever considered why the game starts at 501 rather than a more satisfying round number like 500?
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As per The Mirror, the primary reason for starting at 501 points rather than 500 is the down to the double-out rule, which dictates that players must finish the game by hitting a double to reduce their score to zero.
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 were to begin at 500, players could simply aim for the 20 on the board in order to win without ever having to hit an odd number.
By changing the starting score to 501, it forces players to move around the board in order to reduce their score.
This small but significant change reduces the chances of the action being over very quickly.
However, not all darts games start out on 501.
One fan explained on Quora: "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.
"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.
"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!!."
Chris Byfield