The Nine-Darter: Perfection in 9 Throws
Eight perfect darts down, and the referee still has to say it — "requires double twelve" — over a crowd already up off its seats. One throw now separates an ordinary leg of 501 from the rarest feat in the sport.
What is a nine-dart finish?
A nine-dart finish, or nine-darter, is a leg of 501 won in nine darts — the fewest possible. It's darts' perfect game, the equivalent of snooker's maximum 147 break.
Because 501 rules demand the leg end on a double (the bull counts), all nine darts must be near-maximum scores with zero slack. One stray dart anywhere in the sequence kills the attempt.
The math behind perfection
Nine darts covering 501 points works out to 55.7 points per dart. With treble 20 worth 60, a nine-darter is a run of treble-heavy visits with a planned finish bolted on the end.
Every visit in a classic nine-darter scores at least 141. Each visit on its own would qualify as a high ton.
The classic route: 180, 180, 141
| Visit | Darts | Scored | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | T20, T20, T20 | 180 | 321 |
| 2 | T20, T20, T20 | 180 | 141 |
| 3 | T20, T19, D12 | 141 | 0 |
Two maximums — back-to-back 180s — then the 141 checkout. The 141 is popular because every dart in it is a big target and double 12 sits comfortably for most throws, though some players take T20, T15, D18 instead.
Other routes to nine
Any sequence works as long as nine darts total 501 and the last one lands in a double. The notable alternatives:
- Three identical visits of 167: T20, T19, Bull every time — beautiful and brutally hard
- 180 then 177, finishing 144 with T20, T20, D12
- Bull-finish routes ending on the 50, legal because the bull counts as a double
On paper there are thousands of valid sequences. In practice nearly every attempt runs through back-to-back 180s, because treble 20 is where players live.
Why it's so rare
Hitting one treble 20 is routine for a good player; chaining nine perfect darts under match pressure is another sport entirely. The treble bed is roughly 8 millimeters deep, and the darts already in the board block more of it with every throw.
- Built to official tournament specifications for serious practice and match play
- Dual-density core improves dart retention and keeps the board playing consistently
- Ultra-thin wiring increases the scoring area and cuts down on bounce-outs
Then nerves pile on. By dart seven or eight, the occasion has ended far more attempts than accuracy has.
Famous nine-darters
A few landmark moments are part of darts folklore, and they're worth knowing as a fan:
- John Lowe threw the first televised nine-darter in 1984
- Paul Lim hit the first at a World Championship in 1990
- Phil Taylor landed two nine-darters in a single match in 2010
- Michael Smith produced one in the 2023 PDC World Championship final against Michael van Gerwen
Televised nine-darters have grown more frequent as the professional game has deepened. Each one still stops the room.
Nine-darter FAQ
Has anyone thrown two in one match?
Phil Taylor did it in a 2010 Premier League final, one of the most celebrated feats in the sport's history. It remains vanishingly rare.
Can an amateur throw one?
Technically yes, and league players occasionally do. Realistically, you need to hit trebles at a very high rate before it's even a lottery ticket.
Do nine-darters win prize money?
Many televised events have offered bonuses for a nine-darter over the years. The amounts and rules vary by tournament and era.
Next session, chase visit one — three darts, three treble 20s — and see how deep into perfection you get.