What Is a Treble in Darts? Treble 20 & Match Treble

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The treble ring is the thin inner band on every numbered segment, and hitting it scores three times the segment's face value. Treble 20 scores 60, treble 19 scores 57, treble 18 scores 54, and so on. The treble ring is the highest-value area of any numbered segment and the key to high scoring in darts.

Both rings are about 8 mm wide, but the treble ring sits closer to the centre, so each treble bed is smaller than the double bed on the same number. That makes trebles statistically harder to hit than doubles. Yet in competitive darts, treble accuracy is what drives scoring, while double accuracy is what finishes legs.

The treble ring plays a vital role in checkouts as well as scoring. Many checkout routes require hitting specific trebles to set up a double finish. For example, to check out 141, you hit T20 (60), T19 (57), then D12 (24). The treble is a setup shot as much as a scoring shot.

An interesting quirk of the dartboard layout: treble 20 is the most valuable treble, but it's surrounded by low-value segments (1 and 5). Treble 19, the second-most valuable, is surrounded by segments 7 and 3 — also low. This isn't an accident. The number order, usually credited to Brian Gamlin in 1896 (the story is disputed), puts high and low numbers next to each other to penalise inaccuracy.

For developing players, treble accuracy should be the primary focus of practice. A useful drill: throw 100 darts at T20 and count how many hit. Track this number over time. Even small improvements in treble hit rate translate into significantly better match performance.

You may also come across the phrase "match treble". It isn't a scoring term but a betting market that combines three picks in one bet: usually the match winner, the player with the most 180s and the player with the highest checkout. All three have to be right for the bet to win.