A nine-darter (or nine-dart finish) is the perfect leg in the game of darts — it means finishing a leg (reducing your score from 501 to zero) in just nine darts, which is the minimum number possible. 🎯
Here’s how it works:
- Each player starts a leg with 501 points.
- You throw three darts per turn, trying to reach exactly zero.
- The fewest darts you can possibly use to do this is nine — hence the term nine-darter.
Common Example of a Nine-Dart Finish
One of the most typical combinations is:
- 180 (Treble 20 x 3)
- 180 (Treble 20 x 3)
- 141 checkout (Treble 20, Treble 19, Double 12)
There are actually several possible combinations (more than 3,000 mathematically valid ones), but the 180–180–141 route is the most famous.
In professional darts, hitting a nine-darter is like scoring a perfect game in bowling or a 147 break in snooker — a rare and celebrated feat!
Watch a 9 Dart Finish
This video is regarded as the best leg of darts of all time, held between Michael Van Gerwin and Michael Smith at the World Championship Final. Spoiler alert – on this fitting stage Michael Van Gerwin missed double 12 (D12) for his own nine-darter before Michael Smith stepped up in spectacular fashion to close out his own 9 dart finish.
Credit: @OfficialPDC
Get tickets to see a 9 dart finish in real life – only at DartsTickets.net. Disclaimer – they are not guaranteed 😂.