Lawn Darts Rules
- Players
- 2 players or 2 teams of 2
- Ages
- 8+ with adult supervision (soft-tip sets)
- Setup time
- Under 5 min
- Space
- About 40 ft of open lawn, end to end
What you need
- A modern soft-tip or weighted-base lawn dart set (4 darts, usually 2 colors)
- Two target rings, one for each end of the playing field
- A flat, open patch of grass with nothing breakable nearby
- A scorecard for the agreed target, such as 15 or 21
Set it up
Follow the ring spacing in your soft-tip set's instructions and mark both throwing lines before play. Keep the landing area clear and use a consistent distance; adjust the setup for your players before the game starts.
Scoring
- EastPoint soft-tip basic scoring: each dart inside the ring after the round earns 1 point. Outside darts earn zero.
- If a dart rests on the ring, the maker counts it inside when more than half of its tip is inside the ring.
- Cancel each opposing inside dart one for one. Only the side with extra inside darts scores the difference; equal counts score zero.
- Agree a winning target before play. The maker suggests 3 for a quick game, or 15 or 21 for a longer one. This basic game has no exact-score bust rule.
How to play
- Set up the two rings. Place the rings and mark the throwing lines using your soft-tip set's instructions. Agree any shorter family distance before play and keep the landing area clear.
- Split into teams and pick colors. Play one-on-one or two-on-two. Each player or team takes one color of darts. In doubles, partners stand at opposite rings so the game flows back and forth.
- Throw underhand only. Standing at your throwing line, toss the dart underhand in a gentle arc toward the far ring. No overhand chucking, ever. The goal is a soft, lobbed landing inside the ring.
- Both players throw, then score. Each player throws all their darts (usually two each) at the opposite ring before anyone walks down to check. Wait until all darts have landed before stepping onto the field.
- Score one per inside dart. After every dart has landed, count one point per inside dart and cancel matching opposing hits. Record the remaining points for one side, collect the darts, and play the next round.
- Reach the agreed target. Keep adding the net round points until one side reaches the agreed target. Use 3 for a quick game or 15 or 21 for a longer game; this EastPoint basic version has no exact-score bust.