Darts Rules: Dartboard Height, Distance & 501 Explained

Darts rules are fairly quick to understand. You need to know how high the dartboard hangs, how far the oche is from the board, when a dart scores and how you finish a leg.

Most arguments start around double-out, busts, bounce-outs or what is allowed at the oche. That is exactly what this guide covers.

For league and tournament play, the rules of the organiser or governing body always apply. For a steel-tip setup at home, these are the rules and measurements you actually need.

In short: hang the board correctly, measure the throwing distance properly and agree on the game before the first dart is thrown. That already gets rid of most pub arguments.

Rules at a glance

The main darts rules at a glance

Dartboard height 1.73 m to the centre of the bullseye
Oche distance 2.37 m horizontally from the front of the dartboard
Visit Up to three darts per visit
Standard game 501 points
Checkout Standard 501 is usually played double-out
Bounce-out No valid score = 0 points

Contents

Measurements & oche

1. Dartboard height and throwing distance

This is worth measuring properly. For steel-tip darts, two measurements matter.

  • Dartboard height: the centre of the bullseye sits 1.73 metres above the floor.
  • Oche distance: the throwing line is 2.37 metres horizontally from the front face of the dartboard.

Do not measure from the wall. The distance starts from the front face of the board.

As an extra check, you can measure diagonally from the centre of the bull to the throwing line. The distance is about 2.93 metres.

Patty’s tip: a few millimetres will not suddenly wreck your throw. Two or three centimetres is different if this is your permanent practice setup. Measure it properly once and leave it there.

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How the game works

2. 501 and 301: the basic rules

In standard steel-tip 501, you start with 501 points. After each visit, the score you hit is taken away from your remaining total.

  • Both players start on 501.
  • You throw up to three darts per visit.
  • Your score is deducted from the total you have left.
  • The first player to finish the leg correctly wins.

301 works on the same basic principle. Entry and finishing rules can vary depending on the competition.

Agree it before you start: 501 or 301? Straight-out, double-out or another format? One quick question before the first dart saves the argument at the checkout.

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Checkout

3. Double-out: how to finish a leg

Standard tournament 501 is played double-out. The dart that takes your score to zero must land in a double.

The bullseye scores 50 and counts as double 25, so it can also finish a leg.

40 left Double 20
20 left Double 10
10 left Double 5
2 left Double 1

If you have 40 left and hit single 20, you have 20 remaining. You can then go for double 10.

If you leave 1, or reach zero without hitting the required double, the visit is bust.

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Bounce-outs & scoring

4. When does a dart count?

In steel-tip darts, where the point enters the scoring area decides the score. A dart on the floor scores nothing, even if it was sitting in a scoring segment for a moment beforehand.

Bounce-out The dart bounces out The dart hits the wire, board or another dart and falls to the floor. Score: 0 points.
Fall-out The dart falls out The dart initially sticks in the board but falls out before it has been properly scored. Score: 0 points.
Robin Hood The dart sticks into another dart The point of the second dart never reaches the scoring surface. Score: 0 points.

From my own experience: Robin Hoods look better in photos than they do during a match. With aluminium shafts, one can also damage the shaft. It still scores nothing.

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At the oche

5. Three darts per visit

A normal visit consists of up to three darts. It ends earlier if you finish the leg or go bust.

A dart deliberately thrown towards the board counts as thrown. You do not pick it up and have another go.

What are you allowed to do at the oche?

Your feet must remain correctly behind the throwing line while you throw.

You can lean your upper body well forward. Plenty of players do. The important part is the position of your feet, not your shoulder or your head.

No need to turn it into a long jump: leaning as far forward as possible does not automatically make you more accurate. Stand in a position you can repeat.

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Bust

6. Bust: when your visit ends immediately

A bust ends your visit straight away. Your score then goes back to what it was at the start of that visit.

  1. You score more points than you have left.
  2. You reach zero without hitting the required double.
  3. You leave exactly 1 point in a double-out game.

Example: you have 20 left and hit single 20. Mathematically you have reached zero, but you did not finish on a double. That is bust, so your score goes back to 20.

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Practice & scoring

Fed up with writing down every score?

Doing the maths is part of darts. For practice, though, a digital scoring system can be handy if you would rather concentrate on throwing.

DartWorldHub guide Steel-tip scoring systems & autoscoring Camera systems and electronic scorers for players who want their scores recorded automatically or calculated for them.
Compare scoring systems
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Steel tip vs electronic darts

7. Do not assume the rules are identical

Steel-tip and electronic darts look similar, but some rules and competition formats are different.

Steel-tip darts

  • Sisal dartboard
  • Steel points
  • The position of the dart point in the scoring area decides the score
  • 2.37 metres is the standard steel-tip throwing distance

Electronic darts

  • Electronic board with sensors
  • Soft tips
  • The machine registers the score
  • Distance and game format can vary depending on the machine, league or competition

Double-out, master-out and bull rules can also be set differently in electronic darts. Check the rules for the league, tournament or machine before you start.

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Patty’s Know-It-All Tips

Three darts rules people argue about all the time

Mistake 1 “But the dart is stuck in the board.” If it is in the number ring, the surround or the wall, it still scores nothing. It has to be in a valid scoring area.
Mistake 2 “The score is written down, so it can never be changed.” That is too simple. In competition, the specific rules apply. If you spot a scoring mistake, raise it straight away rather than five visits later.
Mistake 3 “You are not allowed to lean over the oche.” You can lean your upper body forward. Your feet are what must remain correctly behind the oche while you throw.

And one more: if your mate suddenly invents a new rule after three pints, that does not mean the PDC knows about it.

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Your home setup

What you actually need for a proper home darts setup

If you landed on this page because you wanted to check the rules, you do not need to fill a shopping basket.

For a permanent practice setup, four things matter most: a decent board, the correct throwing distance, wall protection and usable lighting.

Board Compare dartboards Worth checking if your current board is getting hard, badly worn or producing too many bounce-outs.
Go to the dartboard comparison
No drilling Dartboard stands Useful in rented flats, garages or anywhere you do not want the board permanently fixed to a wall.
Compare dartboard stands
Full setup Dart setup guide Dartboard height, distance, lighting and accessories explained as one complete home setup.
Read the setup guide
Throw line Dart mats A fixed oche marker that also protects the floor from dropped darts.
Compare dart mats

My order: get the board and throwing distance right first. Then sort the lighting and wall protection. That matters more at home than buying another accessory just because it looks good in a product photo.

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