Section 1: Introduction
Professional darts contested on the PDC (Professional Darts Corporation) circuit is played under the General Playing Rules of the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA), the independent, not-for-profit governing body responsible for drafting and administering the rules and disciplinary code that bind PDC events, PDPA (Professional Dart Players Association) members and associate members, and any other party who agrees to be bound as a condition of entry to a darts event. The DRA describes itself in its own Rule Book as "the Governing Body for Professional Darts and any Darts organisation that affiliates to it," and its General Playing Rules (Section 6 of the DRA Rule Book) are the source referenced throughout this article for on-oche conduct, throw mechanics, starting/finishing procedure, scoring, and in-play sanctions.
The current edition in force is the DRA Rules 2026, which took effect on 31st March 2026 and supersedes all previous editions. The Rule Book's own foreword notes that the General Playing Rules and Code of Conduct have been periodically reviewed since their first publication in 2002, with the DRA Board (comprising up to five independent members) retaining authority to supplement, amend or vary the Rules at any time, such changes becoming binding from the date of publication (Rule 3.22).
These Rules govern individual leg, set and match play at PDC-sanctioned events (ProTour, Players Championships, European Tour, and major televised events run under DRA-compliant Tournament Rules), while the specific format of a given event — legs per set, sets per match, and whether the event is straight-leg or sets-based — is set by the Promoter's Tournament Rules within the framework the DRA lays down (Rule 6.8.4).
Section 2: Equipment
Darts (Rule 6.1.1): Players must supply their own darts. Each dart must not exceed an overall maximum length of 200mm and must not weigh more than 40 grams. Every dart must consist, at minimum, of a metal point, a barrel, a stem and a flight. Under Rule 6.1.2, a Tournament Director may prohibit the use of specific darts within an event if they are found to be causing undue damage to the dartboard, and under Rule 6.1.3 a player in doubt as to whether their darts are permitted should seek clarification from the Tournament Director before the match.
Dartboard (target) (Rules 6.5.1–6.5.13): Matches must be played on a dartboard that has been approved for use in compliance with the DRA General Playing Rules. All dartboards must be of the "Bristle" type, measuring 451mm in diameter, and set out in the "1–20 Clock" numbering pattern. Only an appointed Official may change or realign a dartboard, and any mid-match change may only occur before the start of, or after the completion of, a leg, or at the next suitable break in play (Rule 6.5.11–6.5.12). Other (non-Bristle) dartboards may be used only with the prior approval of the DRA or the tournament organiser (Rule 6.5.13).
Playing attire: the Rules do not mandate a specific uniform, but Rule 6.17 imposes binding restrictions: players may not wear jeans, or trousers/skirts fashioned in a "jeans style" from denim or corduroy, nor active sportswear, leisure or training attire; non-formal footwear requires the Tournament Director's prior permission; headgear is prohibited without religious or documented medical grounds and prior written permission from the Promoter; and earphones, headphones or headphone-type ear defenders may not be worn during the throw at the Bull or during match play (in-ear ear plugs are permitted). Because these are restrictions on discretionary attire rather than a mandated kit item, they are not listed as required equipment above.
Section 3: Playing Area
The Oche (Rule 6.7): A raised Oche, a minimum of 40mm high, 20mm deep and 500mm wide, must be placed at the minimum throwing distance. That distance is measured from the back of the raised Oche, along the floor, to a plumb line at the face of the dartboard, and must equal 2.37m (Rule 6.7.1). Where the Oche sits on a raised playing area, that platform must be centrally placed relative to the dartboard, with a minimum width at the Oche of 1200mm and a minimum standing depth to the rear of the Oche of 1200mm (Rule 6.7.2). During match play, no player may tread on the raised Oche while throwing, nor deliver a dart with the front foot anywhere other than grounded on the floor behind the toe edge of the raised Oche — a breach means the thrown dart's score does not count (Rule 6.7.3–6.7.4).
Exclusion Zone (Rule 6.7.6): Where an Exclusion Zone is in place, it must be clearly marked, extending at least 300mm on either side of the Oche and at least 900mm behind it. The throwing player must turn right and exit the zone promptly after retrieving darts; the non-throwing player must not enter the zone until the throwing player has released the final dart of the visit, and should not begin their own throw until the opponent has exited the zone following retrieval. Where no Exclusion Zone is in place, the non-throwing player must stand at least 60cm to the rear of the player at the Oche while their opponent's throw is in progress.
Dartboard placement (Rule 6.5.9–6.5.10): the dartboard must be fixed so that the perpendicular height from the floor (at the same level as the Oche) to the centre of the Bull measures 1.73m, and so that the "20" segment is coloured black and positioned at the top of the board.
Lighting (Rule 6.6): Floor dartboards must be adequately lit by a suitably positioned light fitting of at least 11-13 watt LED intensity (or equivalent) at each board; boards used in Stage Finals require two such fittings. All light fittings must carry screens that divert light away from the players' eyes at the Oche, and any supplementary floods or spotlights used in Stage Finals must not, in the Promoter's, Tournament Director's or Referee's opinion, cast shadows onto the dartboard during play.
Section 4: Players & Officials
Referee: the DRA Rule Book defines the Referee as the Official appointed to take charge of Match play at a Match board or on stage during a Darts Event. The Referee acts as umpire in all matters pertaining to the General Playing Rules, consulting Scorers and other Officials where necessary before announcing decisions (Rule 6.4.10), and has the final say on all matters relating to starting and finishing a leg (Rule 6.3.12).
Second Referee (Rule 6.7.7): where appointed, a Second Referee's powers are as wide-ranging as the Referee's, but in practice they specifically supervise scoring corrections, the Exclusion Zone, and general player behaviour out of the primary Referee's sight. The Referee retains primacy over all decisions, with the Second Referee acting in an assisting and advisory capacity.
Marker (also "Scorer"): a person appointed by the Promoter to mark scores during a Match. Darts may only be retrieved from the board by the throwing player once the Referee has called, or the Marker has recorded, the score for that visit (Rule 6.4.3).
Tournament Director: the person appointed by the Promoter to oversee the running of a Darts Event. The Tournament Director rules on dartboard-change requests where the parties disagree (Rule 6.5.11), determines disqualification for breaches of the General Playing Rules (Rule 6.1.7–6.1.11), and adjudicates matters of Playing Attire (Rule 6.17.1, 6.17.6).
Promoter: any organisation or individual promoting or organising a Darts Event under DRA Rules. The Promoter's decision on all matters pertaining to the General Playing Rules during an event is final and binding (Rule 6.8.3), and the Promoter performs the event draw (Rule 6.12.1).
Darts Regulation Authority (DRA): a company limited by guarantee, registered in England (company number 4509423), governed by a Board of up to five independent members. The DRA Board delegates disciplinary matters to a Disciplinary Commissioner (Rule 9) for allegations of Minor Misconduct, and to the Disciplinary Committee (Rule 10), chaired independently, for Non-Minor and Serious Misconduct, with a route of appeal to an Independent Disciplinary Panel or Appeals Committee (Rules 16–17).
Section 5: Rules of Play
The Throw (Rule 6.2): a player must throw darts from a standing position, except where a physical disability or injury requires a non-standing position, such as from a wheelchair (Rule 6.2.1). All darts must be deliberately thrown in an overarm fashion, one at a time, by and from the player's hand (Rule 6.2.2), and thrown with the needlepoint aimed towards the face of the dartboard — any dart not thrown this way is a "foul throw" and does not count (Rule 6.2.3). Darts dropped before the deliberate throwing action has begun may be picked up and used as part of the same throw (Rule 6.2.4). A throw is deemed to have commenced once the opposing player has retrieved their darts from the board (Rule 6.2.5).
The Visit (Rule 6.2.6): a "Visit" consists of a maximum of three darts thrown consecutively by a player. A Visit is considered complete before three darts are thrown if the throwing player touches any dart already in the dartboard during that visit, if the leg, set or match is completed in fewer than three darts, or if the player busts their score during the visit with fewer than three darts thrown. Any dart that bounces off or falls out of the board before being retrieved by the throwing player does not count and is not re-thrown (Rule 6.2.7). A player may use more than three different darts across a match provided the Tournament Director or Match Referee is informed in advance of the match starting (Rule 6.2.8).
Starting and Finishing (Rule 6.3): unless a Darts Event's playing format states otherwise, every leg is played with a straight start from 501, finishing at exactly zero on a "Double" (Rule 6.3.1). The Bull counts as 50 and, where 50 is required to complete a leg, set or match, the Bull counts as double 25 (Rule 6.3.2). The "bust" rule applies: if a player's throw would score more points than remain in the leg, the same points as remain without finishing on a double, or would leave a score of exactly one, that score does not count and the player's score reverts to what it was prior to the visit (Rule 6.3.3). A "Game Shot" called by the Referee is valid only if the darts actually thrown achieve the required finish; an invalid call entitles the throwing player to continue and complete the visit toward the required finish, with the Referee replacing any prematurely retrieved darts as near as practicable to their original position (Rules 6.3.4–6.3.7). The first player to reduce their required score to exactly zero via the required Double is the winner of that leg (Rule 6.3.11).
Order of Play (Rule 6.13): unless the Tournament Rules specify otherwise, the order of play for a match is determined by both players throwing a dart at the Bull, in a manner prescribed by the Tournament Director. The winner throws first in the first leg or set and in all odd-numbered legs or sets thereafter (Rule 6.13.1–6.13.2). Only darts that hit and remain in the Bull or the 25 bed count toward this determination; a dart that rebounds or falls from the board must be re-thrown until one remains, and a tie is resolved by both players re-throwing in reverse order until one dart lands nearer the Bull (Rules 6.13.5–6.13.7).
Practice (Rule 6.14): each player is entitled to a specified number of practice darts at the assigned Match board before the match begins — nine, if no number is otherwise specified — with no further practice darts permitted during the match without the Referee's or an Official's prior permission. In Round-Robin events, a player's practice darts for the second and subsequent visits to the Match board are limited to three.
Section 6: Scoring
Board values (Rule 6.5.4–6.5.7): the inner narrow band of each numbered segment scores treble the segment number, and the outer narrow band scores double the segment number. The outer centre ring scores 25, and the inner centre ring — the "Bull" — scores 50.
Scoring a dart (Rule 6.4): a dart only scores if its point remains in, or touching, the face of the dartboard within the outer double wire and, having been "called," is subsequently retrieved from the board by the throwing player (Rule 6.4.1). A scoring dart is counted by reference to the segment into which its point enters and remains in or touching the board face (Rule 6.4.2). Darts may be retrieved by the throwing player only after the score for that visit has been called by the Referee or recorded by the Marker; a player unable to retrieve their own darts for reasons of physical disability or injury may nominate a representative to do so, who must stand behind both players while they are throwing (Rule 6.4.3). Any protest about the score attained or called is not necessarily upheld once the darts have been retrieved from the board (Rule 6.4.4).
Verification and correction (Rules 6.4.5–6.4.9): all scores and subtractions should be checked by the Referee, the Marker and both players after each throw, ideally before the next player's throw commences. Arithmetic errors stand as recorded on the scoreboard unless corrected prior to the next throw of the player whose score is in error; however, the Referee may correct any scoring error at any time up until a Game Shot is called in that leg. Where an incorrect score has resulted in the win of a leg, the result stands unless corrected before the start of the next leg; where an incorrect score has resulted in the win of a match, the result is considered final once both players and the Referee have left the playing area believing the match to have been successfully completed. The score required by a player must be displayed on the scoreboard, clearly visible at board level to both players and the Referee.
Section 7: Violations & Penalties
In-Play Sanctions (Rule 6.9): during Match play, the Referee or Tournament Director may issue sanctions for persistent gamesmanship, aggressive, abusive or disruptive behaviour, physical contact, visible or verbal obscenity, encouraging the Referee to warn an opponent, tampering with the dartboard or other stage equipment, or any conduct likely to bring the game of darts into disrepute (Rule 6.9.1). The escalation procedure is prescriptive: a first formal warning is issued; a second warning is accompanied by notice that continued behaviour will result in the player being docked a leg; if the behaviour persists, the player is immediately docked the leg in progress (or the leg just concluded) and warned that continuation will forfeit the match; a further repetition forfeits the match outright (Rule 6.9.2). Where a player makes serious physical contact with an opponent or any other person while involved in a Match — from the moment they enter the Stage or Playing Area to the moment they exit it at the match's conclusion — the Referee or Tournament Director must immediately disqualify that player and have them removed from the venue (Rule 6.9.3).
Administrative disqualification (Rules 6.1.7–6.1.11): failure to comply with the General Playing Rules makes a player liable to disqualification from the event at the Tournament Director's discretion. A disqualified player must be advised immediately, and if already in match play the match is stopped at once; the player must be given the reason for disqualification and, where reasonable grounds for appeal exist, the Tournament Director must hear the player's case before finalising the decision. Where the match was unfinished at the point of disqualification, the opponent is awarded the match and advances to the next round; where the disqualified player had already won and completed their match, they are instead removed retroactively from the draw, giving their next scheduled opponent a bye.
Playing Attire and Alcohol breaches (Rules 6.17.6, 6.18.2): a player who refuses to meet the Promoter's playing-attire requirements forfeits the relevant match and is reported to the DRA Board for disciplinary proceedings. Consuming alcohol outside a designated practice area while engaged in a Darts Event (Rule 6.18.1) may likewise result in forfeiture of the match and referral to the DRA for disciplinary proceedings.
Misconduct and discipline (Sections 7–8): under the DRA's Articles of Association, the DRA Board may charge, hear, determine, suspend (including prior to charge or a hearing), and discipline any person bound by the DRA Rules for Misconduct — defined non-exclusively to include breaches of the Rules, the Anti-Doping Rules, contractual obligations owed to the PDC, or any act bringing the player or the sport into disrepute. Misconduct is classified as Minor, Non-Minor, or Serious (Rule 8.3), with the disciplinary route and available sanctions — up to expulsion, public reprimand, fine, or suspension — determined accordingly by the Disciplinary Commissioner or Disciplinary Committee.
Section 8: Safety Considerations
Reckless throwing prohibited (Code of Conduct, Rule 3.15): the DRA Code of Conduct expressly provides that players must not recklessly throw their darts at any time, a direct, standing safety obligation that applies throughout any Darts Event, not only during scored visits.
Physical separation at the Oche (Rule 6.7.6): the Exclusion Zone provisions — a minimum 300mm clearance on either side of the Oche and 900mm to the rear, or a minimum 60cm separation for the non-throwing player where no marked zone exists — exist to keep the non-throwing player, Officials, and broadcast personnel clear of a player mid-throw, reducing the risk of collision or being struck while darts are in flight.
Standing-position accommodation (Rule 6.2.1): players who require a non-standing throwing position because of physical disability or injury — for example, throwing from a wheelchair — are expressly accommodated, as is the use of a nominated representative to retrieve darts for a player unable to do so themselves (Rule 6.4.3), removing any incentive for an injured or disabled player to over-extend at the board.
Zero-tolerance for physical contact (Rule 6.9.3): unlike the graduated warning system that applies to gamesmanship or verbal misconduct, serious physical contact with an opponent or any other person during a Match triggers immediate disqualification and removal from the venue, with no escalation step, reflecting the DRA's treatment of physical safety as non-negotiable.
Lighting and equipment condition (Rules 6.6.3, 6.1.1–6.1.2): mandatory light-fitting screens that divert illumination away from a throwing player's eyes reduce the risk of mis-throws caused by glare, while the 40-gram/200mm dart specification and the Tournament Director's power to withdraw darts causing undue board damage limit the risk of dart deflection, rebound, or board degradation that could otherwise endanger players and bystanders near the throwing area.
