Darts (PDC) — Official Rules

Darts is a target sport in which players throw small pointed missiles ('darts') at a circular dartboard fixed to a wall. Each scoring throw reduces a running total from a fixed starting number toward exactly zero. Play is between two single players or two pairs/teams. The standard competitive game uses steel-tip darts on a bristle 'clock' board; soft-tip variants on electronic boards are governed separately.

A throw (also called a 'visit') consists of a maximum of three darts, except where a Leg is finished in fewer (WDF Rule 1.03). The three darts are thrown one at a time by the same player from behind the oche. The maximum score from a single three-dart throw is 180 (three darts in the Treble 20).

A match is built from Legs and, in longer formats, Sets. A Leg is a single game of 501 (or another '01' starting number) won by the first player to reach zero on a double. A Set is won by the first player to win a defined number of Legs (commonly best of 5 legs, i.e. 3 legs). The number of legs and sets is fixed by the competition format, not by the playing rules. Formats may be 'best of X legs' (no sets) or 'best of X sets'. Example: the WDF World Championship 2026 uses a sets-and-legs format set out in its event regulations; an event's specific length is always defined in its own format document.

The player who throws first in a Leg gains an advantage (the 'throw'). The order of play is decided by a toss of a coin, or by each player throwing one dart at the centre Bull — the dart nearest the centre throws first (WDF ruling). Thereafter the right to throw first alternates from Leg to Leg. In a deciding Leg, the order is decided again by the same method.

The board is divided into 20 numbered segments valued 1 to 20. Each segment is crossed by two narrow scoring bands: an outer Double Ring (scores twice the segment value) and an inner Treble Ring (scores three times the segment value) (WDF Rule 4.01). The '20' segment is the darker colour and is at top centre (WDF Rule 4.02). The standard clockwise sequence from the top is 20, 1, 18, 4, 13, 6, 10, 15, 2, 17, 3, 19, 7, 16, 8, 11, 14, 9, 12, 5.

At the centre is the inner Bull, scoring 50 points (diameter 12.7 mm), surrounded by the outer centre ring scoring 25 points (diameter 32 mm) (WDF Rule 4.01c-d). The Bull counts as 50, and when exactly 50 is required to finish a Leg or match, the Bull counts as a Double 25 — so it is a valid double-out target (WDF Rule 2.03).

On a regulation clock board the scoring area (to the outside of the Double wire) is about 340 mm in diameter (radius 170 mm to the outer double, 107 mm to the outer treble). The Double and Treble rings are each about 8 mm wide. The overall board diameter is about 451 mm (17¾ in). A dart's value is taken from the bed it lands in, regardless of segment colour.

The dartboard is mounted so that the centre of the Bull is 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) above the floor, measured vertically. The board hangs flat and plumb against the wall with the '20' at the top.

The oche (throwing line) is set so that the horizontal distance from the face of the board to the front edge of the oche is 2.37 m (7 ft 9¼ in). As a setup check, the diagonal distance from the centre of the Bull to the front of the oche is 2.93 m (9 ft 7⅜ in). The raised oche is 38 mm high and 610 mm (24 in) long, placed at the minimum throwing distance (WDF Rule 6.01); the 2.37 m is measured from the back of the oche to the board face.

During play no player shall tread on any part of the raised oche, nor deliver any dart with feet in any position other than behind the raised oche (WDF Rule 6.03). A player throwing from beside the oche must keep the feet behind an imaginary straight line extending from either side of the oche (WDF Rule 6.04). A player may lean over the line but must not overstep it. Persistent foot-faulting is a conduct matter handled by the official.

A dart scores only if its point remains in, or touches, the face of the dartboard within the outer double wire until after the throw has been completed (WDF Rule 3.02). The value is counted from the side of the segment wire in which the point enters or touches the board (WDF Rule 3.03). A dart in the Double Ring scores double, in the Treble Ring scores triple; one outside the outer double wire scores zero.

Any dart bouncing off or falling out of the dartboard shall not be thrown again (WDF Rule 1.05), and a dart that falls before the throw is completed shall not count (WDF Rule 1.06). A bounce-out therefore scores zero and that dart is not replayed. Darts that miss the scoring area, hit the wire and deflect out, or drop to the floor all score nothing.

The marker/official announces the three-dart total and the remaining score to the player; the player must not remove the darts until the score has been recorded. If a player disputes the announced score they must do so before retrieving the darts. Once the darts are removed the score stands as recorded.

Each Leg or match is played with a straight start: to begin scoring the player need only land a dart anywhere in the dartboard inside the outer double wire (WDF Rule 2.01). No 'double-in' is required. The standard starting number is 501 (also played as 301, 701, etc.); the running score is reduced by the value of each scoring throw.

Each Leg or match is played with a double finish: the winning dart must land in a Double (the Double Ring, or the Bull as Double 25) and bring the score to exactly zero (WDF Rule 2.02). The highest possible three-dart finish ('checkout') is 170 (Treble 20, Treble 20, Bull). A perfect nine-dart finish of 501 is the sport's headline feat (e.g. T20-T20-T20, T20-T20-T20, T20-T19-D12).

A throw is a 'bust' — it does not count and the score reverts to what it was before the throw — if in that throw the player scores more points than remain, scores the same as remains but does not finish on a double, or leaves a score of one (WDF Rule 2.04). A score of one cannot be finished because no double of one exists. After a bust the player's turn ends and the opponent throws; the busted player resumes next visit from the pre-throw total.

A Leg is won by the first player to reduce the score to exactly zero with a double (a valid checkout). The number of darts used in the winning visit (1, 2 or 3) is recorded for statistics. The loser's score in that Leg has no further effect — each Leg is independent.

Where sets are used, a Set is won by the first player to win the required number of Legs (e.g. 3 legs in a best-of-5-legs set). The match is won by the first player to win the required number of Sets, or — in a legs-only format — the required number of Legs. The exact targets are defined by the competition's format document. Some formats require a two-clear-leg advantage or a deciding leg; this too is set by the competition.

Performance is tracked with statistics, not used to decide the result: the three-dart average (total points scored divided by darts thrown, times three), the count of 180s (maximum three-dart throws), and high checkouts of 100 or more finished in one visit. These are recorded per player and reported but do not affect who wins a Leg.

Players supply their own steel-tip darts, each consisting of a sharp point, a weighted barrel, a shaft (stem) and a flight. A standard set is three darts. Under WDF rules a dart shall not exceed 30.5 cm (305 mm) in overall length nor weigh more than 50 g (WDF Rule 1.01). Players may change or repair darts between throws but not during a throw without the official's permission.

The dartboard shall be evenly and adequately lit, with the lighting arranged to avoid shadows and glare across the playing surface. The board, the oche and the surrounding floor must be free of obstructions so the player can throw safely from behind the oche.

Players shall throw without undue delay and remain at the oche for their throw. A player must not deliberately delay the game, distract or disturb an opponent, or coach/communicate improperly during a Leg. The official may warn a player who delays or disrupts play; persistent breaches lead to escalating sanctions.

For misconduct the official may apply escalating sanctions: a verbal warning, an official caution, then forfeiture of a Leg or the match, and ultimately disqualification from the event by the Tournament Referee/Officials' Committee. Serious offences — abuse of officials, cheating, doping, or unsporting behaviour — may be referred to the WDF Disciplinary Code.

Players must comply with the event dress code and must not play under the influence of alcohol or prohibited substances. WDF events are subject to anti-doping rules under the WADA Code; smoking and alcohol consumption on the stage/playing area are prohibited during play.

Each match is controlled by an official (caller/referee) and a marker (scorer). The marker records each throw on the scoreboard and calls the remaining score; the caller announces scores and confirms checkouts and a Leg win. The official's decision on the score and on whether a dart counts is final on matters of fact, subject only to correction of a recording error.

A player who believes the announced or recorded score is wrong must raise it before the darts are retrieved (for a throw value) or before play continues (for a board-total error). A genuine arithmetic or recording error on the scoreboard may be corrected by the official at any time on discovery; the corrected figure then stands. Once darts are removed, the darts as scored cannot be re-judged.

The WDF Playing and Tournament Rules, Twentieth Revised Edition (28 February 2018) are the core playing rules in force throughout 2026. The fundamentals — 501, straight start, double finish, three darts per throw, the bust rule, the clock board, the 2.37 m oche and 1.73 m board height — are unchanged from this edition. Later 2024-2026 revisions on the WDF site apply only to competition-specific documents (World Cup, ranking systems, Masters qualification, Europe Cup), not to these playing rules.

The PDC professional tour is a commercial organisation, not a federation, but its matches use the same fundamental game governed by the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA): 501, double-out, the identical clock board, 2.37 m oche and 1.73 m bull height. The principal differences are format and presentation (set/leg counts, walk-ons, on-stage timing) rather than the rules of play, so this rulebook applies to PDC-style events with the format defined per competition.