A leg is one game of darts, for example one game of 501 from 501 down to zero. A set is a group of legs: the player who wins the agreed number of legs takes the set. A match is played either in legs only ("best of 11 legs": first to 6 wins) or in sets ("best of 5 sets": first to 3 sets wins, each set itself a race to a number of legs). The number of legs and sets is always set by the event, not by a general rule.
| Term | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Leg | "the minimum element of a match", one full game with a winner and a loser | WDF definitions |
| Set | "an odd number of legs", won by the player winning the majority of them | WDF definitions |
| Match | best of an odd number of legs or sets; legs or sets no longer needed are not played | WDF 2.10, 2.11 |
| Format | set by each event | DRA 6.3.1 |
This page is part of our darts rules. How the PDC uses sets at Alexandra Palace is on the World Championship format page.
What is a leg in darts?
A leg is one game from the start score to zero: in 501, the first player to reach exactly zero with a double wins the leg. The German federation DDV defines a leg as an "Element eines Sets (z.B. 301, 501, 1001 etc.)", an element of a set. If a match is not divided into legs or sets, a single leg is the match (WDF definitions). The rules of a leg itself are in our 501 guide.
What is a set in darts?
A set is a block of legs. You win it by winning a set number of legs, and then everybody starts the next set from zero legs. Under WDF rules the number of legs in a set "must be odd", and the winner of a set is the player winning the majority of its legs. The number of sets in a match must be odd as well.
Best of vs first to
Both phrases describe the same match. Best of N says how many legs could be played at most; first to says how many you need to win. For an odd N, first to is (N + 1) / 2.
| Best of | First to | Legs played, at least and at most |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 2 to 3 |
| 5 | 3 | 3 to 5 |
| 7 | 4 | 4 to 7 |
| 9 | 5 | 5 to 9 |
| 11 | 6 | 6 to 11 |
| 13 | 7 | 7 to 13 |
| 19 | 10 | 10 to 19 |
| 21 | 11 | 11 to 21 |
| 31 | 16 | 16 to 31 |
We computed the table from the definition above. The WDF writes matches as "best of three (five, seven, etc.)" and ends them as soon as a player has the majority (WDF 2.10, 2.11). The Polish federation's rule book defines a set either way: by the number of legs needed to win or by the maximum number that may be played (Regulamin POD, definitions).
Leg play vs set play
In a legs-only match every leg counts toward the same total. In set play, legs count only inside their set, so the player who wins more legs can still lose. An example, best of 3 sets, each set best of 5 legs:
| Set | Player A legs | Player B legs | Set to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 0 | A |
| 2 | 2 | 3 | B |
| 3 | 2 | 3 | B |
| Total | 7 | 6 | B wins 2 sets to 1 |
Player A won more legs, 7 to 6, and lost the match. In a legs-only match of the same length, A would have been ahead.
How many legs are in a set?
There is no universal number. Each event states its format (DRA 6.3.1: "unless stated otherwise in the playing format"), and the WDF only requires odd numbers. Examples from the documents we checked:
- PDC World Championship 2025/26: "all sets are the best of five legs", matches from best of 5 sets in round one to best of 13 sets in the final (PDC preview, December 10, 2025). Formats can change every year, so check the current event; details are on our World Championship format page.
- German soft tip leagues (DSAB): singles are played best of five or best of three, depending on the league class (DSAB league rules 1.1).
How events combine matches into knockouts and round robins is in darts tournament formats.
Who throws first in each leg and set
| Rule book | Who starts |
|---|---|
| WDF 12.02 | The winner of the bull throw starts the match, every odd-numbered leg, including a tie-break leg, and in set play every odd-numbered set. |
| ADO 27 | In set play the winner of the toss starts the odd legs of odd sets and the even legs of even sets; the loser starts the other legs. |
| DRA 6.13.2 (PDC) | The winner of the bull throw may choose to start the first leg or set and every odd leg or set after it. |
So under the ADO rule, the players swap the starting position at the start of each set, whatever the score in the set before.
Deciding legs and tie-breaks
- ADO 28: if a legs match is level before the deciding leg, a new throw for the bull decides who starts it.
- DRA 6.16.1: a tie-break is allowed if the event sets it out in its rules in advance.
- PDC World Championship 2025/26: the deciding set had to be won by two clear legs, with a sudden-death leg at 5-5 (our World Championship format page has the table).
Sets and legs in Darts Counter
We checked the app's code for how its X01 match settings work:
- Legs is the number of legs a player needs to win a set, and Sets the number of sets a player needs to win the match. Both mean "first to", not "best of".
- Sets 0 plays legs only, so Legs becomes the number of legs needed to win the match.
- Legs go from 1 to 10 and Sets from 0 to 10.
- The player who throws first changes every leg, and the rotation continues across sets. After a set with an even number of legs, the next set can therefore start with a different player than ADO rule 27 would give.
| You want | Sets | Legs |
|---|---|---|
| Best of 5 legs | 0 | 3 |
| Best of 11 legs | 0 | 6 |
| Best of 19 legs | 0 | 10 |
| Best of 3 sets, sets best of 5 legs | 2 | 3 |
| Best of 5 sets, sets best of 5 legs | 3 | 3 |
Longer legs matches are not in the app yet
Because Legs goes up to 10, the longest legs-only match is first to 10 (best of 19). Best of 21 or best of 31 legs cannot be set yet. Want longer legs matches in Darts Counter? Tell us
Darts Counter keeps the legs and sets score for you and your 3-dart average for every leg.
Sources
Written by FLAME Apps, maker of Darts Counter since 2015. Checked 2026-09-25.
- WDF Playing and Tournament Rules, 20th revised edition, definitions and rules 2.10, 2.11 and 12.02
- DRA Rules 2026, rules 6.3.1, 6.13.2 and 6.16.1 (Darts Regulation Authority)
- ADO Tournament Rules Booklet, rules 27 and 28
- DDV Sport- und Wettkampfordnung, definitions (German)
- Regulamin Polskiej Organizacji Darta, definitions (Polish)
- DSAB-Liga-Regeln 2016, rule 1.1 (German)
- PDC, 2025/26 Paddy Power World Darts Championship preview, December 10, 2025
- Keep reading: darts rules, World Championship format, 501 rules
