Dart Rules, Instructions and Scoring

How far should you stand from a dart board?

Dart Board Measurements: Standard height from the floor to the bullseye on the dartboard is 5 feet 8 inches, while the oche (distance
between the front of the board and the toeline) should measure 7 feet 9.25inches.

What do you play to in darts?

If a dart hits outside the outer wire the player scores nothing for that throw, the same is true if a dart does not remain in the board after
throwing. There are many different variations on the game of darts, but the most well known is 501. Each player is given a score of
501 points before they start.

How many darts do you need?

There are many games that can be played on a dartboard, but darts generally refers to a game whereby the player throws three
darts per visit to the board with the goal of reducing a fixed score, commonly 501 or 301, to zero ("checking out"), with the final dart
landing in either the bullseye or a double segment.

How high does a dart board have to be?

The height of the dartboard should be 5' 8" from the centre of bullseye in a plumb line to the floor. The distance of the oche or throw
line from the board should be exactly 7 feet 9 inches from the point where that plumb line reaches the floor.

How to Score Darts

Your dartboard is divided into 20 numbered sections, which score from 1 to 20 points. Circular wires within the outer wire subdivide
each section into single, double and triple areas.

Any dart landing inside the outer wire scores as follows:

Hitting one of the large portions of each of the numbered sections scores the points value of that section.

Hitting the thin inner portions of these sections, about halfway between the outer wire and the central circle coloured red and
green, scores triple the points value of that section.
Hitting the thin outer portions of these sections, again coloured red or green, scores double the points value of that section.
The double-20 is often referred to as double-top, reflecting the 20's position on the dartboard.
The central circle is divided into a green outer ring worth 25 points (known as "outer", "outer bull", or "iris") and a red or black
inner circle (usually known as "bull", "inner bull" or "double bull"), worth 50 points. The term "bullseye" can mean either the
whole central part of the board or just the inner red/black section. The term "bull's ring" usually means just the green outer ring.
The inner bull counts as a double when doubling in or out.
Hitting outside the outer wire scores nothing.
Any dart that does not remain in the board until it is collected by the player (for example, a dart that hits a wire and bounces
out of the board or drops out with the impact of a later throw) also scores nothing; exception should be noted if play is on any
electronic board: darts falling out are counted.

A dart only scores if its point is embedded in or is touching the playing surface. A dart that hits the board side on or at an angle
but does not fall off because it is held in place by two other darts, for example, will score either equal to where its point touches
or not at all.

The highest score possible with three darts is 180 (scored when all three darts land in the triple 20).

Dartboard and Oche Set Up

The dartboard should be hung so that the bullseye is 5 feet 8 inches (172.72 cm) from the floor, eye-level for a 6-foot (180 cm) person.

The oche (the line behind which the throwing player must stand) is generally 7 feet 9 inches (236.86 cm) 2.7 m from the face of the
dartboard measured horizontally.