Which Scores Count as a Low Ton?

A low ton in darts generally means a score of about 100 to 150 points in one visit, normally three darts. The National Darts Organization of America glossary uses 100–150, but the term is informal and other glossaries place the boundaries differently. Scores such as 121 and 140 are clear low tons; whether exactly 100 or 150 qualifies depends on the convention being used.

What a low ton means in darts

A low ton describes the total scored during one visit, rather than the value of an individual dart or a player’s average over a leg or match.

Under the National Darts Organization of America definition, a low ton covers 100–150 in an ’01 game, while a high ton covers 151–180. That is one documented convention, not a universal rule.

For example, a player might record visits of 45, 121 and 60. The 121 visit is a low ton under each of the documented ranges discussed below. The three visits collectively contribute to the player’s average, but “low ton” applies only to the qualifying visit.

A score of 140 is another straightforward example. It may also be spoken as Ton 40, but both labels describe the same visit total.

Why the range may be 100–150, 101–150, 100–149, or 101–149

The disagreement concerns two boundary scores: 100 and 150. An American soft-tip terminology guide documents definitions of 100–150, 101–150 and 101–149, while warning that the terminology is not universal.

A separate Darts Corner glossary uses 100–149 and begins its high-ton category at 150. Together, the cited glossaries produce four possible conventions:

Convention	Is 100 included?	Is 150 included?	Documented basis
100–150	Yes	Yes	NODA and A-Z Darts
101–150	No	Yes	Alternative recorded by A-Z Darts
100–149	Yes	No	Darts Corner
101–149	No	No	Alternative recorded by A-Z Darts

At the lower boundary, some definitions include 100 as a low ton. Others reserve ton for exactly 100 and begin the low-ton range at 101. A visit of T20, S20 and S20 totals 100: 60 from the treble 20 and 20 from each single 20.

At the upper boundary, some definitions include 150, while others use it as the beginning of the high-ton range. This is a terminology difference rather than an arithmetic disagreement.

Soft-tip play can add another name for one particular way of making 150. In a format where each bull scores 50, three bulls total 150 and may be called a hat trick. That term describes the three-bull combination, not every possible visit totaling 150, and it depends on the bull-scoring format in use.

In practice, follow the definition adopted by your league, venue, scorer or electronic-board system. If no definition has been stated, “about 100 to 150 in one visit” conveys the general meaning without implying that the endpoints are settled.

Low ton versus ton, high ton, Ton 40, and Ton 80

These terms overlap, but they are not interchangeable. The distinctions below reflect the glossary conventions already cited.

Score or term	Meaning	Boundary note
Ton	Exactly 100 in one visit	May also qualify as a low ton
Low ton	Roughly 100–150 in one visit	Exact endpoints vary
Ton 40	A visit totaling 140	Fits all four documented ranges
150	A visit totaling 150	Classification depends on the convention
High ton	A range beginning at 150 or 151	Depends on where the low-ton range ends
Ton 80 / maximum	180 from three treble 20s	Commonly given its own name

A ton means exactly 100. Under a definition that starts the low-ton range at 100, the same visit can be both a ton and a low ton. Under a definition beginning at 101, it is simply a ton.

Ton 40 means 140 in one visit. Because 140 lies within all four documented ranges, it is an unambiguous example of a low ton.

A visit totaling 150 needs more context. It may be the upper limit of a low ton, the first high ton, or—when made with three 50-point bulls in an applicable soft-tip format—a hat trick.

The same boundary choice determines whether a high ton starts at 150 or 151. A convention using low tons of 100–149 or 101–149 starts high tons at 150. A convention extending low tons through 150 starts high tons at 151.

A Ton 80, also called a maximum, is 180 scored with three treble 20s. Although some glossary ranges extend the high-ton category to 180, the score is commonly identified separately as a maximum or Ton 80.

How to record low tons consistently

A low-ton count and a three-dart average measure different aspects of scoring:

• A low-ton count records how many visits fall within a selected range.
• A three-dart average summarizes points scored per three-dart turn across a longer period.

One 140 can raise a player’s average, but it does not establish a sustained scoring standard. If that visit is surrounded by several much lower scores, it still counts as one low ton while the average reflects the wider pattern.

Before tracking low tons, choose a range such as 100–149 or 101–150 and record that definition with the data. Comparisons are meaningful only when they use the same boundaries and cover comparable amounts of play. Two players can otherwise have identical low-ton counts calculated under different definitions.

Electronic systems may also use platform-specific award language. PhoenixDarts describes its LOW TON award as appearing when the combined score of three darts in one round exceeds 100. Its published description does not give a clear upper boundary, so it should not be used to infer a complete score range or the treatment of every boundary score.

The practical rule is to treat a low ton as about 100 to 150 points in one visit. Scores such as 121 and 140 clearly qualify, while exactly 100 and exactly 150 depend on the terminology used by the relevant league, venue or platform.