Nine Innings, 27 Darts: A Beginner’s Guide to Baseball
On a conventional board, play nine innings with three darts each, targeting 1–9 in order; singles, doubles and trebles score 1, 2 and 3 runs.
To play Baseball darts on a conventional numbered dartboard, play nine innings and aim at the number matching the inning: 1 in the first, 2 in the second, and so on through 9. In individual play, each player throws three darts per inning. Only hits on the active number score: a single earns one run, a double two, and a treble three. Add the nine inning scores; the highest total wins. These are the numbered-board rules, not dartball or a game played on a dedicated baseball-diamond board (numbered-board Baseball rules guide).
For team play, this guide uses a simple house arrangement: each team receives one three-dart turn per inning, and the designated thrower rotates according to an order agreed before the game. That distinction prevents a larger team from receiving more darts than a smaller one.
Related: Darts Practice Routines That Move Your Average.
Baseball darts rules at a glance
Use this five-step format to start immediately, following the established nine-inning sequence and three-dart turns described in this Baseball game-flow guide:
- Play nine innings.
- Allow one three-dart turn per competitor in each inning. A competitor is either an individual player or a team using its designated thrower.
- Target the number matching the inning: 1 in inning one, 2 in inning two, through 9 in inning nine.
- Score only hits on the active number: singles earn one run, doubles two, and trebles three.
- Add all nine inning scores: the individual or team with the highest total wins.
Every competitor completes the current inning before the target advances. With four individual players, all four throw three darts at 1 before anyone starts the second inning at 2. With four teams, each team’s designated thrower completes one three-dart turn at 1 before play moves to inning two.
The printed number tells you where to aim, not how many runs to award. A double 8 in inning eight is worth two runs, not 16. A single 8 is worth one run, while a treble 8 is worth three.
Set up the players and scorecard
You need:
- A standard numbered dartboard
- Three darts
- A paper or digital scorecard
Baseball can be played by individuals or teams. There is no need to impose a universal player limit. The important point is that every individual or team receives the same one-turn, three-dart opportunity in each inning.
To determine the order, each individual player—or one representative from each team—can throw one dart at the bull. Closest throws first. If you play several legs, rotate the opening player or team so the same competitor does not always begin.
For teams, write down a fixed throwing rotation before starting. Under the house arrangement used here, each team receives one three-dart turn per inning and advances to its next member after that inning. On a two-person team, Player A could throw in odd-numbered innings and Player B in even-numbered innings. A three-person team could rotate A, B, C and then repeat that order.
This is a practical team format rather than a universal rule. If your group wants every team member to throw during every inning, that creates a different format and should be balanced by giving each team the same number of total darts.
Copy this scorecard and add one line for each individual or team:
Player or Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
Record each inning separately and maintain a running total. That makes errors easier to spot and shows the state of the game without requiring fresh arithmetic after inning nine.
A solo player can use the same scorecard as a repeatable 27-dart challenge. Complete all nine innings, record the final total, and compare the result with future attempts. The score provides a consistent benchmark without implying that the game alone guarantees improvement.
Play the nine innings in order
The target changes after every competitor has completed the current inning:
| Inning | Active target |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 |
| 6 | 6 |
| 7 | 7 |
| 8 | 8 |
| 9 | 9 |
The first individual or team throws three darts at the active number and records the runs. The next competitor then does the same. Once everyone has thrown, advance to the following inning.
Only the active target counts. During inning four:
- A treble 4 scores three runs.
- A single 4 scores one run.
- A treble 5 scores zero.
- A bull scores zero.
- A dart outside the board scores zero.
A wrong-number dart normally still consumes one of the three throws. A friendly group may allow beginners to rethrow, but that must be declared as a house rule before play rather than introduced after a costly miss.
The bull is not an active target during the regular nine innings. It may be used to determine the starting order or as part of an agreed tie-break, but it scores zero during standard inning play.
Score singles, doubles, trebles, and misses
The ring in which the dart lands determines its run value. The following scoring system—and the maximums derived from it—is set out in this Baseball darts scoring guide:
| Dart result | Runs |
|---|---|
| Single on the active number | 1 |
| Double on the active number | 2 |
| Treble on the active number | 3 |
| Another number, bull, or missed board | 0 |
The target number identifies the segment in play; it is not multiplied into the score.
Example: inning four
- Single 4 = 1
- Treble 4 = 3
- Miss = 0
- Inning score: 1 + 3 + 0 = 4 runs
Example: inning seven
- Double 7 = 2
- Single 7 = 1
- Single 7 = 1
- Inning score: 2 + 1 + 1 = 4 runs—not 28
Three trebles on the active target produce the maximum of nine runs in one inning. Nine perfect innings therefore produce a maximum game score of 81 from 27 scoring darts.
Here is a short completed example:
| Player | Inning 1 | Inning 2 | Inning 3 / Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice | 3 | 4 | 0 / 7 |
| Bob | 3 | 3 | 3 / 9 |
After three innings, Bob leads 9–7. Continue recording innings four through nine in the same way.
Bounce-outs and darts that fall from the board are normally recorded as zero. The same applies to a dart that misses the board. If your venue uses a different local convention, settle it before the first throw rather than deciding after a disputed dart.
Settle ties and optional house rules before the first throw
Published Baseball rules offer different tie-breaks rather than one universal method. Choose the method before starting.
Option 1: numbered extra innings
After inning nine, target 10. If the tied competitors remain level, target 11, then 12, continuing upward. Every tied individual or team must complete the extra inning before its scores are compared.
Because a conventional numbered board ends at 20, agree on a fallback as well. One practical house rule is to switch to the bull shootout below if the game remains tied after segment 20. That is an editorial recommendation for keeping the game moving, not an official post-20 procedure.
Option 2: three-dart bull shootout
Give every tied competitor three darts at the bull:
- Outer bull: one run
- Inner bull: two runs
- Any other segment: zero
Compare the three-dart totals after everyone has thrown. If the scores remain level, play another complete round. Both numbered extra innings and this bull-scoring method appear as alternatives in published Baseball darts tie-break guidance.
For teams, the next designated member in the agreed rotation should take the extra-inning or shootout turn unless the group chooses another method in advance.
Another variation is the seventh-inning penalty: a competitor who scores zero in inning seven has their current total halved. This is an optional variation, not part of the basic game (seventh-inning variation). If an odd total must be divided, decide beforehand whether to retain a half-run or round it; rounding down is one simple house choice.
Use this pre-game checklist:
- [ ] Which tie-break will we use?
- [ ] What happens if numbered extra innings pass 20?
- [ ] What is each team’s throwing rotation?
- [ ] Are bounce-outs always zero?
- [ ] Can beginners rethrow a wrong-number dart?
- [ ] Is the seventh-inning penalty active?
- [ ] If active, how will odd totals be handled?
Do not confuse numbered-board Baseball with dartball
Several materially different darts games use the names Baseball or dartball. The game in this guide uses an ordinary 1–20 numbered board. Its active segments award one, two, or three runs directly; the basic rules do not involve runners, balls, strikes, outs, or home runs.
A dedicated baseball-darts board works differently. Its landing areas may be labeled as singles, doubles, triples, home runs, balls, strikes, fouls, outs, steals, sacrifices, or other baseball events. In some versions, each dart represents a pitch and a side continues until it records three outs. Those mechanics belong to the instructions for that particular board and should not be imported into numbered-board Baseball.
Traditional dartball is different again. It uses a large, baseball-field-shaped wallboard with marked outcomes. Players may advance runners and record baseball-style events, while equipment, lineups, throwing methods, and other rules can vary between leagues.
Regional American dartboards also use a different ring layout and vocabulary. On an American board, the three-point or “trips” area is the outer scoring ring, with the two-point ring directly inside it. That differs from the familiar positions on a conventional English-style board, as shown in this overview of American darts. Players using an American board should follow the rules and ring names for that board rather than translating English-board positions blindly.
The practical selector is straightforward:
- Ordinary board numbered 1–20: use the nine-inning rules in this guide.
- Board with a baseball diamond or labeled outcomes: use the instructions supplied with that board.
- Large wallboard with baseball-field markings: follow the applicable dartball or league rules.
For numbered-board Baseball, give each individual or team one three-dart turn at every target from 1 through 9. Award one to three runs for each valid hit, add the nine inning scores, and declare the highest total the winner. Copy the scorecard and agree on team rotation, tie-breaks, and optional rules before throwing the first dart.