A video currently circulating on social media has ignited a lively discussion within the darts community. The central question: how many points should be awarded for this particular throw?
The incident in question occurred during a match involving Charlie Murphy and can be seen in the footage now widely shared online. What appears at first glance to be a simple scoring query quickly turns into a more complex discussion once the rulebooks are consulted.
Does this count as a 180? pic.twitter.com/HBe8M9GbOb
— Charlie Murphy (@CharlieMurphy50) January 10, 2026
To determine the correct score, one must refer to the official regulations. However, this is where complications arise. While the core rules of darts are broadly similar across organisations, there are subtle but important differences between various darts federations. As a result, the number of points awarded for this throw may vary depending on which governing body’s rules apply.
This means that in your local league, the outcome might not necessarily be identical—although there is a strong likelihood that the decision would align with how the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) interprets the situation.
Notably, official PDC referees Huw Ware and Kirk Bevins have also weighed in within the online discussion. They shared their professional judgement on how they would rule if such an incident were to occur on the PDC stage, providing valuable insight into the official interpretation at the highest level of the sport.
A Different Scenario
That said, an important distinction must be made. In the situation shown, there was no referee standing next to the board to immediately determine the score. If a referee had been present, this could potentially have influenced the number of points awarded for the throw.
And this is where the debate truly begins. Most people seem to agree on the correct score given the circumstances shown in the video. But what if there had been a scorer present—such as in a local league match—actively counting and recording the score at the moment the darts were thrown? How should the situation be handled then?
Interestingly, the official referees did not address this specific scenario in the comments, leaving room for continued discussion and differing interpretations.
So how would you handle this in your local competition? Have you ever experienced a similar situation during a match?
Beyond the scoring debate, the moment raises yet another intriguing question: what exactly happened with the darts themselves to make this situation possible in the first place?