HOW IT WORKS

Your first tournament

Two paths to the finish line: with scoring devices (every dart entered live) or straight from the admin dashboard (you log the leg winners, counting happens on paper or another counter).

The full flow: each dartboard has a scoring device (phone or tablet) next to it where every dart or every 3-dart total is entered. SmartDart computes averages, 180s and checkouts automatically. Ideal for regular sessions or when you want detailed stats.

Create account

Click "Login" in the top right and create your free account with email and password. As a BASIC user you can have up to 10 players, 2 boards, and 1 active tournament at a time — perfect for trying things out. Optional: verify your email (link in the welcome mail) so password-reset and support work.

Create tournament

On the homepage click "New tournament". Give your tournament a name (e.g. "Friday Night Cup") and pick a format — for your first time we recommend Knockout with 8 players and Best of 3 legs. Enter your players' names and click "Create". You'll get a tournament code (e.g. ABC123) to share with your players.

Invite players

Each player opens smartdart.app on their phone and types the tournament code at the top (or scans the QR code you can share). That way each player sees their match, the bracket, and the live scoreboard on their own device. You as the organizer see in the admin dashboard which players have joined.

Set up board(s)

Grab a phone or tablet that sits next to the actual dartboard — that's your "scoring device". In the admin dashboard under the "Boards" tab generate a board code (e.g. D1234). On the scoring device open smartdart.app/device and enter the code. Done — the device is now linked to this board. BASIC allows up to 2 boards at once — so with 8 players two matches can run in parallel.

Start match

In the admin dashboard → "Matches" tab you see the round-1 pairings. Assign each match to a board (dropdown) and click "Start match". Only then does the match show up on the scoring device and can be played. Without clicking start, the scoring device stays in waiting mode. Depending on the format you may have to press a button again between phases or rounds — see "Formats at a glance" below for the details per format.

Enter throws

On the scoring device the input opens automatically. The default is "Dart-by-Dart" mode: tap each dart's field (e.g. 20, then Triple → T20 = 60 points). After 3 darts, confirm the visit. After each leg the app shows who won. Alternatives: "Manual" (enter the 3-dart total as one number, e.g. 180) or "Legs" (just check off leg wins).

Winner decided

Once all matches are played, the admin dashboard shows the winner and the full bracket overview with all stats: average, 180s, highest checkout per player. The result is shareable via smartdart.app/results/YOURCODE — even without a login.

FORMATS AT A GLANCE

SmartDart supports 7 tournament formats. Some run fully automatically — others require the admin to press a button between phases or rounds.

Knockout

The simplest format: lose and you're out. 8 players = 3 rounds (quarterfinal → semi → final). The next round is generated automatically as soon as all current-round matches finish.

Fully automatic

Round Robin

Every player meets every other player exactly once. No round phases — all matches are created at once. The winner is determined from the standings table once the final match is done.

Fully automatic

Double Elimination

Winner and Loser bracket run in parallel. A loss in the Winner bracket gives you a second chance in the Loser bracket. Two losses and you're out. All brackets are generated automatically.

Fully automatic

Groups + KO

First a group stage (round robin per group), then top players per group advance to the KO bracket. Important: once all group matches are done, you as admin need to click "Start KO phase" in the dashboard — nothing advances automatically.

Needs KO phase start

Champions League

Like Groups+KO but with a single group instead of several. All players play round robin in one table, then the top X advance to KO. Also here: admin must click "Start KO phase" once the group stage is complete.

Needs KO phase start

League (double round robin)

Classic football-league structure: each player meets every other home and away. Matchdays are played one at a time. After each matchday you must click "Next round" in the admin dashboard to release the next matchday's pairings.

Needs next round start

Swiss System

Pairings per round are computed from the current standings — players of similar strength meet. Fixed number of rounds, but not everyone plays everyone. After each round the admin must click "Next round" to generate the new pairings.

Needs next round start

What does "admin needs to press a button" mean?

For Groups+KO / Champions League: once all group matches are finished, the tournament pauses. Go to the admin dashboard → "Overview" tab → a "Start KO phase" button appears. One click generates the KO bracket from the top players and round 1 is ready. For League / Swiss: after each matchday or round, the tournament is paused. Go to the admin dashboard → you'll see "Next round". Clicking it generates the next matchday/round pairings. This keeps you, the organizer, in control: you can add breaks, swap players, or plan the next evening before matches are unlocked.

Ready? Just go for it — all you need is an account and a few friends.

USEFUL TIPS

Spontaneous & no account: Just want a quick 1v1 match? Use Quick Match (top menu) — no account, no setup, play right away.

More boards = shorter evenings: The more boards running in parallel, the faster the tournament is done. PRO (€4.99/month) lifts the limit to unlimited.

Scoring device stuck in "waiting mode"?: Almost always means: the admin hasn't assigned the match to a board yet or hasn't clicked "Start". Quick trip to the admin dashboard and you're back in business.