Bullseye (target)

Lore & Background

The term 'bullseye' originated in the Middle Ages to describe a hole where the breadth and thickness of the object were much larger than the hole. It was commonly used for the pontil mark on medieval crown-glass windows, where a blob of molten glass (bullion, from the French boule) was spun into a large disk. The thicker center, with a small divot from the pole, was called the bullseye. This dense glass was unsuitable for windows but was used for crown-glass lenses and deck prisms on ships, also called bullseyes. Police lanterns with focusing lenses became known as bullseyes as well. The thick glass was also called the crown, and 'bullseye' became slang for the British crown coin. Its use to describe the center of a target was first recorded in 1833, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, or possibly as early as 1813 according to other sources.

In some archery traditions, the term 'gold' is used instead of 'bullseye'. In target archery, hitting the center ring of an international target is worth 10 points, or 9 points on an Imperial target. In Japanese archery (Kyūdō), the bullseye is called 'zuboshi', used idiomatically to mean hitting 'right on the nose.' In darts, the bullseye is located 5 foot 8 inches above the floor. An inner bullseye (sometimes called a 'double bullseye' in amateur play) counts for 50 points, while an outer bull is worth 25 points. Unlike in other games, the bullseye is not the highest-scoring target in standard darts; that distinction belongs to the triple 20 segment. In the World Grand Prix, which has a double start format, an inner bullseye can begin a leg. In dart golf, the bullseye is part of a three-part tiebreaker that includes the treble twenty. Hitting three bullseyes in darts is known as the 'Alan Evans shot'.

Reader's Guide

The bullseye holds a central place in archery and other target sports as the ultimate mark of precision. In target archery, it is the highest-scoring area, worth 10 points on international targets and 9 on Imperial targets, making it the goal for competitors seeking maximum points. The term 'gold' is used in some archery traditions, reflecting the yellow color of the center ring. In darts, the bullseye serves a dual role: it is used to decide who throws first in a match, and it scores 50 points for the inner circle or 25 for the outer. However, it is not the highest-scoring target in standard darts, as the triple 20 yields more points. The bullseye's significance extends beyond scoring; in the World Grand Prix, an inner bullseye can start a leg, and in dart golf, it is part of a tiebreaker. The term 'Alan Evans shot' commemorates hitting three bullseyes in darts. The bullseye's history as a term dates back to medieval glassmaking, where it described the thick center of crown-glass disks, later applied to lenses, lanterns, and coins before becoming the name for the center of a target. This evolution shows how a practical term from craftsmanship entered the lexicon of sport and competition, where it remains a symbol of accuracy and achievement.

Did You Know?

• The term 'bullseye' was used since the Middle Ages to describe the pontil mark on medieval crown-glass windows.
• In Japanese archery (Kyūdō), the bullseye is called 'zuboshi' and is used idiomatically to mean 'right on the nose.'
• The bullseye in darts is located 5 foot 8 inches (1.73m) above the floor.

Medieval Glass and the Birth of a Word

The word "bullseye" carries a lineage far older than any shooting range. In the Middle Ages, glassmakers produced large circular disks by attaching a blob of molten glass—called a "bullion," a term borrowed from the French word for ball—to a pole and spinning it rapidly until it flattened into a broad sheet. The center of this disk remained noticeably thicker, with a small indentation marking where the pole had been joined. That thick, dense center was too heavy for ordinary windowpanes, yet it proved ideal for crafting crown-glass lenses and deck prisms that channeled light into ship holds. These lenses, and later the police lanterns that used similar focusing glass, all inherited the name "bullseye." The thick glass was also called a "crown," which eventually made the term a slang shorthand for the British crown coin. So long before anyone aimed an arrow or a dart, the bullseye was a piece of practical medieval glasswork, a thick little disc of light and utility.

From Glass to Game: The Term Finds Its Target

The Oxford English Dictionary records the first known use of "bullseye" to describe the center of a shooting target in 1833, though some sources push the date back to 1813. By 1857, the language had broadened further: the word could now describe any throw, toss, or shot that struck the center of a mark, regardless of the sport or context. In competitive settings, hitting that central point carries the greatest reward, whether measured in points or in the respect of onlookers. Target archery and dedicated bullseye shooting competitions both treat the center as the ultimate prize, the moment that separates a good attempt from a perfect one. The transition from a medieval glassmaking term to a universal sporting metaphor illustrates how a single concrete image—a thick, round, central spot—can migrate across centuries and disciplines until it becomes shorthand for precision itself.

The Bullseye in Darts: Scoring, Position, and Legend

In darts, the bullseye sits 5 foot 8 inches—roughly 1.73 meters—above the floor, a fixed height that every player learns to aim at. Before a match begins, competitors typically throw closest to the bull to determine who earns the advantage of throwing first. The inner bull, sometimes called a "double bullseye" in amateur circles, is worth 50 points, while the outer ring scores 25. Yet unlike in archery or shooting, the bull is not the highest-scoring segment in standard darts; that distinction belongs to the triple-20 ring positioned above it. The bull does, however, play special roles in other formats: in the World Grand Prix's double-start format, an inner bull can open a leg, and in the dart golf game it forms part of a three-part tiebreaker alongside the treble twenty. And when a player lands three consecutive bullseyes, the feat earns the colorful name "the Alan Evans shot," a small monument to darts folklore.

Bullseye Across Cultures and Disciplines

The concept of a central, prized target transcends any single sport or language. In certain archery traditions, practitioners prefer the word "gold" over "bullseye" when referring to the center ring, which carries a value of 10 points on an international target or 9 points on an Imperial one. In Japan, the discipline of Kyūdō assigns its own term, "zuboshi," to the same central mark. Remarkably, both English and Japanese have absorbed the word into everyday idiom: to hit the bullseye, or to land a zuboshi, means to say or do something that strikes exactly the right point, to hit "right on the nose." The idea also appears in heraldry, where a round shape called a roundel echoes the same visual logic of a concentric center. Even popular culture has picked up the thread, as seen in a British game show built around darts that bears the name. What began as a thick spot of medieval glass has become a universal symbol of precision, admiration, and getting things exactly right.