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What Is the Bullseye in Darts?
Dartboards, General
Anyone who's ever heard of darts will have also undoubtedly heard of the term bullseye before. The two terms go hand in hand to the point that a popular game show based on darts was even called bullseye!
For all its popularity though, do people really know what the bullseye is in darts?
What Is the bullseye in darts? The bullseye in darts is the red center circle in the middle of the dartboard. The bullseye is made up of the outer bullseye which is worth 25 points and the inner bullseye which is worth 50 points.
The bullseye is a key part of darts, read on to learn exactly what it is and more importantly – how it's scored in darts.
What Is the Bullseye in Darts
What Is the Outer Bullseye in Darts Called and Worth
How Many Points Is the Bullseye in Darts Worth
Does Bullseye Count as a Double
Bullseye to Start a Game in Darts
Is the Bullseye the Highest Score in Darts
Why Is a Treble 20 Better Than a Bullseye in Darts
How To Hit a Bullseye in Darts
The bullseye is the most common feature for any dartboard. We've covered the different types of dartboard before and while some have different designs, the common feature between all dartboards is that they have a bullseye.
When looking at a dartboard, the bullseye is the round segment directly in the center of the dartboard. Typically, it will be a red segment surrounded but a green outer segment.
As the bullseye is located in the center of the dartboard, most people associate the bullseye with being a target. In archery or other target-based situations, the center target is often referred to as the bullseye, and it's no different in darts.
The bullseye is technically made up of two segments. The first is the most know segment which is the bullseye itself – otherwise known as the double bull.
Surrounding this center bull is often a slightly larger segment, this is known as the single bullseye or outer bullseye. The outer bullseye is worth 25 points in darts and while it can be used for scoring, it cannot be used for finishing a game.
In darts, the bullseye/inner bull/double bull is worth 50 points. The outer bullseye is worth 25 points.
There are some dartboards that have a different layout meaning there is no outer or inner bull but just one solid bullseye (like on the Manchester log end dartboard).
For boards like this, the value of the bullseye will be open to discretion and can be worth 25 or 50 points depending on the type of game you are playing and the specific rules.
The bullseye is a tricky one as it's a specific value rather than being a numbered segment. What this means is that all numbers around the board are, well, numbered! The bullseye has a registered value but is not its own number with a double or treble.
With that said, the bullseye can "act" as a double in darts in the sense that it can be used to finish and win the game in 501 or X01 darts. To win a game of darts you need to double out but in this sense, the bullseye counts as a double and can allow you to win the game.
While the bullseye can be used to finish a game in darts, it's worth knowing that the bullseye is also the most common way to start a game in most dart games.
In regular games or sports, flipping a coin is usually the process used to decide which player or team goes first. In darts, the bullseye is used to decide who throws first in most games.
Players or teams will each throw a single dart at the bullseye. The player closest to the bullseye will throw first.
Many people assume that the bullseye is the highest score in darts because it's seen as the most important number. When it comes to the value of a single dart though, the bullseye is not even the third-highest scoring number in darts.
The highest score you can get from a single dart in order from highest to lowest is:
Treble 20 – 60 points
Bullseye – 50 points
In darts, the bullseye is the fifth-highest scoring number you can hit with a single dart.
In darts, a treble 20 is the most valuable and highest-scoring number on the dartboard with a score of 60. The maximum you can score from a single throw is a 180 which is 3 x treble 20s. The equivalent throw hitting three bullseyes would only give a score of 150.
Not only is the bullseye a lower score than treble 20 but it's also harder to hit with consecutive darts due to a smaller segment.
Finally, we're going to cover a topic everyone is interested in and that is how to hit a bullseye in darts. You'll often find that people can't throw a lucky bullseye in darts, just take a look at this video to prove it:
Hitting it intentionally and with consistency though requires a certain level of skill. Firstly, I'd recommend checking out my guide on getting better at darts – for beginners. It contains some quick wins that can be used to almost instantly improve your accuracy and darts throw.
The tricky thing with the bullseye is that it's located in the center of the board and therefore you don't have a good guideline or marker to use when aiming, it's just a small target to try and hit.
Something I find beneficial when aiming at the bullseye is to fixate on a spot slightly above the bullseye. This could be the wire ring as a good example. I know a small red target (the bullseye) should already give players something to aim at but most beginner-intermediate level players do not have the focus needed to truly aim at it.
By focusing on the wire ring, players really enhance their focus and can at least throw in the general area of the bullseye.
Next, the throw needs to be incredibly straight. The bullseye is located in the exact center of the board so your release needs to be equally straight. This sounds obvious but doubles and trebles can be more forgiving with a loose dart.
If you throw slightly to the left or right with a double/treble you will still have a good chance of hitting the number but with a bullseye, anything less than a straight throw is unlikely to hit the target.
Finally, you need to keep your elbow from dropping when you release the darts. Throwing straight and keeping your elbow from dropping on the release are both general tips for how to throw darts but relate specifically to the bullseye due to its location on the board.
During a throw, only your forearm should move from drawback to release. If your elbow drops downward are you release the dart, your dart will also drop a few cm's from where you aim which can easily be the difference between missing or hitting the bullseye.
The bullseye in darts is iconic. The bullseye is the center circle on all dartboards and is a key component of almost any darts game.
Whether you throw for the bullseye to decide which player starts a game, throw for a bullseye to win a game, or just throw for a bullseye for a good score (worth 50 points), you'll find that it's used in almost any darts game.
Hi, I'm Simon an amateur darts league player and owner of Decent Darts.
This site aims to teach people about the game of darts, help beginners improve their skill level and give an overall update on the news and reviews in the world of darts.
decentdarts180@gmail.com
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