You wait months, even years to see the holy grail – the nine-darter – and then they come along like Brighton buses with two in one incredible Premier League night.
The scenes were something else when world No 1 Luke Humphries hit a nine-darter in his quarter-final defeat to Rob Cross – who then also produced a perfect leg as he was later edged out by Nathan Aspinall as the Premier League roadshow rocked the south coast.
Humphries went down the traditional route 180, 180, 141 (T20,T19,D12), but ‘Voltage’ opted to finish on his favourite double by going 180, 180, 141 (T19,T16,D18) to make it 18 perfect legs in the history of the Premier League.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Luke Humphries spoke after claiming a £30k custom made set of golden darts for his feat at the Premier League darts in Brighton
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘YES, YOU BEAUTY!’ – Watch Luke Littler’s nine-darter from all angles as ‘The Nuke’ hit perfection on Finals night of the 2024 Premier League
It was the first nine-darter in the Premier League since Warrington wonderkid Luke Littler became only the second player alongside Phil Taylor to achieve perfection in a Premier League final.
Before Littler’s heroics, Gerwyn Price hit two nine-dart finishes on his way to winning Premier League Night Three in Belfast in 2022.
What is a nine-darter?
It’s a perfect leg or single game. When the target is 501, the minimum number of darts needed to reach it is nine. Similar to a maximum 147 break in snooker.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Mark Webster breaks down the ‘nine-darter’ and Michael Smith shows just how it’s done
How many ways can you do a nine-darter?
This outshot of 141 is traditionally performed in one of four ways:
- T20 (60), T19 (57) and D12 (24)
- T20 (60), T15 (45) and D18 (36)
- T19 (57), T16 (48) and D18 (36)
- T17 (51), T18 (54) and D18 (36)
Another way is to score 167 with each set of three darts, scoring 501 in total, in the following way:
- T20 (60), T19 (57) and bullseye (50)
How often do nine-darters happen?
PDC stats analyst Christopher Kempf has dug into the numbers behind the coveted perfect leg.
“The probability of a nine-darter is the easiest to calculate because every nine-dart leg is, essentially, the same,” he told the PDC.
“Each player is positioned the same distance from the board when throwing, the boards are, with insignificant manufacturing variations, exactly the same, opponents can do nothing to interfere and most perfect legs are completed in the same way: a player attempts to hit seven consecutive treble 20s, a treble 19 and a double 12.
“Even if a player does attempt a 144 finish, his aim is always to finish in nine darts, because an eight-darter is not possible in 501 and there is no advantage to completing a ten-darter.
“Thus, because we know that players have contested 69,888 legs across 60 Players Championship events and achieved perfection 48 times, we can say that the odds of a nine-darter being completed in any particular leg are 1,456 to 1, or 2,912 to 1 per player attempt.
“Since the average PDC Tour Card Holder contests about 850 legs on tour per year, that player might expect to have a perfect leg once every 3.5 years.”
Is there a nine-dart curse?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
The Alexandra Palace crowd went wild for Damon Heta’s nine-darter at the World Darts Championship
Remarkably, this isn’t the first time in darts history where two players have hit the fabled nine-darter on the same day and both lost. On December 14 2013, Terry Jenkins and Kyle Anderson hit perfect legs in defeats at the World Championship, while Christian Kist and Damon Heta both nailed it at Ally Pally last December and lost!
Are double-start nine-darters harder to hit?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Enjoy the best moments from the World Grand Prix, from the first nine-darter, Andy Callaby beating Phil Taylor and MVG’s first TV title win
‘The History Maker’ Brendan Dolan was the only player ever to hit a televised nine-darter from a double-in double-out format until James Wade and Robert Thornton both hit perfection in the same match at the World Grand Prix in 2014.
“This is not normal a nine darter – the two 180s and a 141 – it’s not that. It’s a double start – a 160, a 180 and a bullseye – it’s harder and more difficult,” said Sky Sports commentator Wayne Mardle.
Televised nine-darters – who has made history?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Take a look back at one of the best Premier League matches ever played as Phil Taylor took on James Wade at Wembley Arena
John Lowe nailed the very first nine-darter on TV back in 1984, while Paul Lim famously made history at the 1990 BDO world championship. Phil Taylor’s nine-darter against Chris Mason at the World Matchplay in 2002 was the very first broadcast on Sky Sports.
‘The Power’ was the only player to hit a nine-darter in 1996 at the Belgian Masters – compare that to a record 58 in 2024.
Taylor also managed two nine-darters in a single game, landing his pair during his victory over James Wade in the 2010 Premier League Darts final.
Fallon Sherrock made history as she became the first woman ever, to hit a televised nine-darter, during the Modus Super Series in 2023.
More famous nine-darters: ‘I can’t spake!’
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Wayne Mardle and Stuart Pyke reacted to the sensational leg between Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith in the World Championship final that culminated in a nine-darter for ‘Bully Boy’
Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen played the greatest leg of darts in history at the 2023 world final.
Both Smith and Van Gerwen hit six perfect darts with the Dutchman one set in front and at 1-1 in the second set. A raucous Ally Pally are hushed into rare silence.
Van Gerwen then hit two more, only to narrowly miss double 12 for a nine-darter.
Mardle picked up commentary for Smith’s final visit of the leg, where he declared: “I’ve never seen the like. Come on Bully Boy.”
After Smith hits treble 19, ‘Hawaii 501’ yells: “Yes, double 12. That is the most amazing leg of darts you will ever see in your life. I can’t spake, I can’t spake.”
‘He could’ve had bucketloads!’ – Luke Littler’s nine-darter near-misses
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Luke Littler’s recent agonising nine-dart near misses
Littler posted four nine-dart finished in 2024 at the Bahrain Darts Masters, Players Championship 1, the Belgian Darts Open and the Premier League final.
The teenager admitted he was becoming frustrated but “in a good way” after missing double 12 twice in his run to Grand Slam of Darts glory and he suffered more nine-dart pain at the Worlds.
‘The Nuke’ revealed that he was considering a different route to close out the perfect legs. We await with bated breath!
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Michael van Gerwen wanted to prove a point to Littler by finishing off his nine-darter…
How to hit a nine-darter
Wayne Mardle’s nine simple steps:
First shot
Dart 1 (treble 20): The first dart, not only has to go in the requisite treble, it has to be in the perfect spot in order to follow it twice.
Dart 2 (treble 20): While you’re still going for the treble, you’re aiming to place your dart next to the previous one, which ideally will be slightly to the left.
Dart 3 (treble 20): If you work left to right, it just opens the bed and makes you feel comfortable. You can attack the other darts.
Score: 180 Remaining: 321
Second shot
Dart 4 (treble 20): The first dart of your visit should be right in the middle of the 60 – near the top wire.
Dart 5 (treble 20): The second visit can be right underneath the first, but it’s not perfect. Sometimes, you can hit the treble that you want but it doesn’t lay in the way that you want.
Dart 6 (treble 19): If it’s not perfect you might have to readjust and go for a 57.
Score: 177 Remaining: 144
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Watch every nine-darter that has been hit in the Premier League
Third shot
Dart 7 (treble 20): The best dart should be the seventh, the left-hand side of the treble 20, on the top wire, leaving the whole 60 open for the next treble. The seventh dart has no marker because it’s a new throw.
144 to take out is so much easier than 141 because, once the first 60 goes in, you have a marker for the next and something to aim at. Having a dart in the small bed makes it easier to hit because it acts as a barrier.
Dart 8 (treble 20): The eighth dart is easier than the seventh because you have a marker. Having hit nine-darters myself, all your thinking is ‘hit the first treble’. Once you do that, you assess the situation again. Once it happens, you relax a little.
Dart 9 (double 12): It’s difficult because it’s the end – but, by this time, you’re full of confidence and you know how you’re feeling. We’ve seen people get to the ninth dart and they look a mess.
The problem was never hitting double 12, it’s hitting the first 60 the third throw.
Score: 144 Remaining: 0
Premier League Darts schedule – where next?
The Premier League continues at the Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham on Thursday, March 13 as Luke Humphries and Luke Littler clash in a titanic encounter. Watch Night Six of Premier League Darts, in Nottingham, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action from 7pm – stream with NOW.
Sky Sports will once again be the home of the Premier League in 2025, with every night exclusively live along with the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and more! Stream darts and more top sport with NOW
