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.