🏅
🏛️Official — PDC
Loading OpenSourceSports…
Precision Sports
1–2 players
indoor
dart, target
7 essential rules
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 P...
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.
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).
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 Refe...
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 fa...
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 s...
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 Refere...
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 ...
Stay still and quiet while an opponent is throwing
Players and spectators keep movement and noise to a minimum while someone is at the oche. Talking, moving in the opponent's sightline, or distracting them is considered poor sportsmanship.
Pro crowds are loud between visits, but broadcast tournaments generally ask for quiet during the throw.
Wait for the shooter's dart to land before stepping up
The incoming player stands back from the oche and does not approach the board or the throwing line until the opponent has finished the visit. Crowding or shadowing someone mid-throw is considered rude and can be seen as gamesmanship.
Pro events use a referee or marker to manage this; in pubs and leagues it is purely custom.
Ready to dive deeper?