← Darts rules & guides

Cricket Rules - How to Play

Cricket is a race to collect 3 marks on each of 7 targets (15 to 20 and the bull). Once you have 3 marks on a target, you can use it to score points until your opponent catches up on that target. Close all 7 with at least as many points as your opponent to win.

Also known as: Standard Cricket or American Cricket.

The basics

Players take turns throwing 3 darts, and everyone starts with no marks and 0 points. The examples on this page follow a 2-player game.

Where to aim

Only 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, and the bull count. You can hit them in any order.

Dartboard showing the 7 Cricket targets in yellow: 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, and the bull.
Only highlighted target areas are used.

How marks work

A mark is a hit that counts toward a target. Each player collects their own marks on each number. The part of the target you hit decides how many marks a dart gives.

The 20 section of a dartboard, from the double ring at the top down to the bullseye.
  • Double: 2 marks
  • Single: 1 mark
  • Triple: 3 marks
  • Single: 1 mark
  • Outer bull: 1 mark
  • Bullseye: 2 marks

On a scoreboard, each mark adds a stroke.

Draw a slash for 1 mark, add a second stroke to make a cross for 2 marks, then circle the cross for 3 marks.
1 markDraw a slash. 2 marksMake a cross. 3 marksCircle the cross.

Your third mark closes the target for you. Three singles, a single and a double, or one triple all do it, in one turn or across several. The bull needs 3 marks too. A bullseye gives only 2, so the bull takes at least 2 darts.

How to score points

Once you have closed a target, it is open for you while your opponent has fewer than 3 marks on it. Every extra hit there adds points: adds 20, adds 40, and adds 60. On an open bull, the outer bull adds 25 and the bullseye adds 50.

When your opponent closes it too, nobody can score on that target again. It is closed for everyone, so aim somewhere else. With 3 or more players, a target stays open until every player has closed it.

Read a Cricket scoreboard

The targets run down the middle. Each player's marks go next to the numbers, and their running total goes in the outer Score column.

Here is a game in progress between you and Sam.

A Cricket game in progress. You have 40 points and Sam has 19.
YouSam
ScoreMarksMarksScore
403 marks202 marks
3 marks193 marks19
2 marks181 mark
1 mark17
162 marks
15
Bull

Print a blank Cricket score sheet to keep score with pen and paper.

What happens on your next dart?

Each row starts from the scoreboard above and shows what one dart changes.

How to win

Be the first to close all 7 targets with at least as many points as every opponent. A tie on points is enough.

Closed everything but still behind? Keep scoring on a target your opponent has not closed until you draw level or take the lead. You do not need to finish on a double.

Optional scoring limits

Standard Cricket has no scoring cap. Some casual games and electronic boards use an overkill rule that limits how far ahead you can score, often by 200 points. You can still collect marks when scoring is blocked. Agree on the limit and how to count a dart that crosses it before playing.

Printable Cricket score sheet

Playing on paper? Print this blank scoreboard for 2 players or teams. Track marks beside each target and running scores in the outer columns.

Use DartsOn for a digital Cricket scoreboard. Get the app

DartsOn Cricket scoreboard Blank score sheet for 2 players or teams. Targets 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, and Bull run down the center, with marks and running score columns on either side and space for names at the top. Player/Team Player/Team SCORE MARKS MARKS SCORE 20 19 18 17 16 15 Bull dartson.app/rules/standard-cricket/
1 mark 2 marks 3 marks, closed

Prints on one A4 or US Letter page.

Custom rule options

There are many ways to play Cricket. If you use DartsOn, you can play with the following options:

SettingChoicesApp Default (Standard)
Cricket variant
  • 1, 3, 5
  • 3, 5, 7

Custom counts from 1 to 99.

 3
Discovery Bonus
  • None
  • 1 extra mark
  • 10 bonus points or a custom bonus from 1 to 9,999 points

Hidden Cricket only.

None

Standard Cricket adds points to your own score. Cut Throat gives them to opponents, while No Score is a race to close every target. Random chooses a new set of targets; Hidden keeps its random targets concealed until someone hits them.

In Hidden, the discovery bonus goes to the first player to reveal a target. An extra mark can help close it, up to 3 marks on the discovery dart. A points bonus adds the chosen amount to that player’s score.

Stats tracked in DartsOn

At the end of each leg, DartsOn shows these stats for each player:

Stat What it shows
Score Your points at the end of the leg.
MPR Marks per round: your marks per 3 darts. A triple gives 3 marks, a double or the bullseye 2.
Darts Darts thrown in the leg.
Hits Darts that counted: on a target you had not closed, or on one you had closed that an opponent had not.
Heat map Where each player's darts landed. Tap it for a full-screen view of every landing.

Shown when darts are scored with the camera.

At the end of the game, the summary shows each player's Top Score, Top MPR, and legs won.

Cricket FAQ

Which numbers are used in Cricket darts?

Only 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and the bull. Darts on any other number do nothing.

Do you have to close the numbers in order in Cricket?

No. Go after the numbers and the bull in any order, and switch targets whenever you like, even within a turn. Some house rules make you work down from 20 or leave the bull until last, but standard Cricket does not.

How many marks is the bullseye worth in Cricket?

The outer bull counts as 1 mark and the bullseye counts as 2. You need 3 marks to close the bull. After that, an outer bull scores 25 points and a bullseye scores 50, provided at least one opponent has not closed the bull.

When do you score points in Cricket?

Only on a target you have closed and at least one opponent has not. Each extra hit scores the number's value, so a triple 20 on a closed 20 scores 60.

Once every player has closed a number, it scores nothing for anyone.

What happens if you close every number but are behind on points?

You have not won yet. Keep scoring on your closed targets that your opponent has not closed until you draw level or go ahead.

The first player to close all 7 targets with at least as many points as everyone else wins, so a tie on points is enough.

What is MPR in Cricket?

MPR stands for marks per round, the average number of marks you score per 3-dart turn. A triple counts as 3 marks, so the maximum is 9. It is the usual way to compare Cricket players, much like the 3-dart avg in 501.

Can 3 or more people play Cricket?

Yes. Everyone keeps their own marks and score, and you can score on a closed target as long as at least one opponent has not closed it. With 3 or more players, Cut Throat Cricket is a popular alternative, because points go to your opponents instead.

Can one dart close a number and score points in Cricket?

Yes. Use as many marks as you need to reach 3, then score points for the extra marks if at least one opponent has not closed that number. If you already have 2 marks on 20 and hit triple 20, 1 mark closes it and the other 2 score 40 points. If every opponent has closed 20, you close it but score no points.

Can you still hit a number after your opponent closes it in Cricket?

Yes. You can keep adding your own marks until you close it too. Your opponent closing a number does not lock you out of it. Once every player has 3 marks on that number, nobody can score on it.

What is the overkill rule in Cricket?

Overkill is an optional limit on how far ahead you can score, often used on electronic boards. A common limit is 200 points, but the exact rule depends on the machine or agreed variation. Standard Cricket has no scoring cap. DartsOn follows that rule: you can keep scoring on a number you have closed while at least one opponent has not closed it, however far ahead you are.

Why play Cricket with DartsOn?

DartsOn keeps every player's marks and points, and shows which targets each player still needs to close. It tracks your MPR over time, and you can play friends, bots, or use camera auto-scoring.

Once you know the standard game, try Random or Hidden Cricket for a different set of targets.

Put your Cricket tactics into play

Start a Cricket match with a friend in DartsOn. Keep everyone's marks and points in view while you decide whether to close the next number or build your lead.

Get DartsOn
DartsOn Cricket game showing player marks and scoring targets