Darts kit and the rules behind it

Darts players buy boards, darts, oches and lights. Each of these has a size or a limit in the game's rules. The figures below say whose rule they come from, because the rule books do not all agree.

Whose rules

The Darts Regulation Authority describes itself as the governing body for professional darts. Its rule book covers every event it sanctions, and the 2026 edition came into force on 31 March 2026. The World Darts Federation publishes its own playing rules for its events. Where this page gives a World Darts Federation figure, it comes from the federation's 1995 edition, as archived online, and is labelled as such.

The board

The Darts Regulation Authority calls for a bristle board 451 mm across. The numbers run in the 1 to 20 clock pattern. The 20 segment sits at the top and is coloured black.

The inner narrow band scores treble and the outer narrow band scores double. The outer centre ring scores 25. The inner centre ring scores 50 and is called the bull.

Height and distance

Both rule books agree on height and distance. The centre of the bull sits 1.73 m above the floor. The floor it is measured from must be level with the oche.

The throwing distance is 2.37 m. It is measured along the floor, from the back of the raised oche to a plumb line at the face of the board. Those two figures give a diagonal of about 2.93 m from the bull to the back of the oche, which the 1995 World Darts Federation rules used as a check.

The Darts Regulation Authority's raised oche is at least 40 mm high, 20 mm deep and 500 mm wide. When throwing, a player's front foot must be on the floor behind its edge.

The darts

Under the Darts Regulation Authority, a dart may be no longer than 200 mm and no heavier than 40 grams. It must have a metal point, and at least a barrel, a stem and a flight. The 1995 World Darts Federation rules allowed up to 305 mm and 50 grams.

Light and access

The Darts Regulation Authority asks for a light at each board, of 11 to 13 watt LED or the equivalent. Each light must have a screen, to keep the glare out of the player's eyes at the oche as far as possible.

Players must throw standing. The rule book allows another position where a disability or injury requires it, for example from a wheelchair. It sets no different board height for that.

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