Are you a fan of darts and snooker? We've got just the game for you. Combine the skill and precision of throwing darts with the strategic play of snooker with a game of snooker darts!

A fun game to play with friends or family, snooker darts is a game that is easy to pick up whether you are familiar with the rules of snooker or not. In this blog, Darts Corner will walk you through the rules on how to play snooker darts and the scoring system involved, and soon you will be hitting century breaks and 147s on the dartboard in no time!

Number of players required: 2+ (one vs one or split into two teams against each other)

You will need: A set of darts and a dartboard

The game of snooker darts follows the same rules and scoring pattern as standard snooker. In snooker darts, each numbered segment on the dartboard represents a ball colour and each has a points value. Hitting each ball with your dart and closing them off is the equivalent of potting them. The objective is to close off all the numbers (balls) on the board (table) and finish with more points than your opponent!

To decide who starts the game (or frame), each player throws a dart at the bullseye (centre of the board). The player who is closest to the bullseye starts the game.

The starting player must then throw their dart at a number between 1–15, which represents the red balls. If they strike a red ball, they gain one point to their score.

The player must then throw for a coloured ball (16-20 or the bullseye/outer bullseye), after stating first which one they are aiming for. Each colour has a different point value, like in a usual game of snooker. The points scoring system is as follows:-

If they hit their targeted number, the player then aims again for the red balls and then the coloured balls again, and so on. Once a red ball is hit, it is removed from the board. The player can then keep throwing until they miss their target, which signals the end of their turn (or break).

If the player misses their intended target, it is a four-point penalty or the face-value of the colour they were aiming for. However, if a player is aiming for a coloured ball, but hits a red, it is counted as a miss and there is no penalty.

When all 15 red balls are hit and removed from the game, the player then aims for the coloured balls in order of their point value. As these balls are hit, they too are closed off and removed from the game.

If a coloured ball is hit out of order, a penalty of four points is given or the face-value of the colour hit. If a dart falls out from the board, it is also a four point penalty. If a player throws a dart onto the outer ring, it is considered a miss and receives no penalty.

The game ends when all of the colours have been hit (finishing on the black). The winner is the player who has scored the most points in total.