English Darts Measurements

Though they may not know it, dart players in pubs and basements throughout the United States often play the game as it originated in England. When a dart player refers to "English darts," he usually is referring to the scoring method rather than the measurements of the board and the playing floor. In addition, English dart boards, made of African sisal fibers, are widespread in the U.S. American dart boards are made of hardwood but are, otherwise, nearly identical in appearance. Official standards of measurement for professional play are specified by the British Darts Organization.

  1. Board Basics

    • By British Darts Organization standards, the dartboard is round in shape and has a diameter of 451 millimeters. The circle of the board is divided, like a pie, into 20 equal wedges that are labeled with point values from 1 to 20. The center bull's-eye, which is worth 50 points, has a 12.7-millimeter diameter. The ring around the bull's-eye, known as the "25" and worth 25 points, has a 31.8-millimeter diameter, which includes the bull's-eye's 12.7 millimeters.

    The Treble Ring

    • The treble ring is a circular strip 8-millimeters wide positioned about halfway between the bull's-eye and the outer edge of playable board surface. The ring is concentric with the bull's-eye's border. A dart thrown into the treble ring produces triple points. If you throw a dart into the treble ring on the three-point wedge, the dart earns nine points. The outer edge of the treble ring is 107 millimeters from the center of the bull's-eye.

    The Double Ring

    • The double ring encircles the outer edge of the dart board's playable surface. Like the treble ring, it is 8 millimeters wide and concentric with the bull's-eye's border. The double ring yields double points. A dart sticking in the portion of the double ring that passes through the three-point wedge gives the thrower six points. The double ring's outer edge is 170 millimeters from the center of the bull's eye.

    Board Variations

    • The British Darts Organization allows certain dartboard measurements to vary from the measurements specified. The bull's eye diameter, for example, can vary up to 0.2 millimeters from the official measurement, and the 25 ring may be off by up to 0.3 millimeters.

      The wire used to border the different scoring sections on the board should be between 1.27 and 1.85 millimeters thick, but that measurement can vary by up to 0.2 millimeters also.

    Game Set-up

    • Hang the board so that the center of the bull's-eye is 173 centimeters from the floor. From the board's playing surface, follow a plumb line to the floor. From this point on the floor, measure 2.37 meters to the back of the oche. Players must throw their darts from behind the oche, which is a ridge line 610 millimeters long and 38 millimeters high. The British Darts Organization dictates that darts be 30.5 centimeters in length or shorter and must not weigh more than 50 grams.