There are four main kinds of dartboard. Bristle boards (compressed sisal fibers) are the standard for steel tip darts and the only type the World Darts Federation and the German DDV allow in their events. Electronic boards take plastic-tip (soft tip) darts and count the score themselves. Magnetic boards hold darts with magnets instead of points and are not used in any rule set we read. Cork and coiled paper boards are cheaper steel tip boards that no federation we checked allows in competition.
| Type | Darts | Scores itself | Allowed in competition by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristle (sisal) | steel tip | no | WDF, DRA (PDC), DDV, ADO |
| Electronic | soft tip (plastic points) | yes | soft tip leagues, for example NDA (US), DSAB (Germany) |
| Magnetic | magnetic darts | no | none we found; NDA bans magnetic darts |
| Cork, coiled paper | steel tip | no | none we found (rule books require bristle) |
Bristle dartboards (sisal)
A bristle board is made of bundles of sisal fibers, compressed and bound into a disk. The point of a steel tip dart pushes between the fibers instead of making a hole. Wikipedia dates the first sisal boards to 1935; before that, UK pubs used boards of elm wood, which had to be soaked to stay soft.
The rule books define the board closely. The WDF requires boards "to be manufactured from Sisal", "of the 'bristle' type" and "of the '1 - 20' clock pattern" (WDF 4.01); the DDV says the same ("Alle Dartboards müssen vom Typ Bristle sein", SpWO §7(1)). The key measurements, from WDF rule 4.01:
| Part | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Overall diameter | 17.8 in (451 mm), plus or minus 3 mm |
| Outer edge of the double wire, across the board | 13.4 in (340 mm) |
| Bull (50), inside diameter | 0.5 in (12.7 mm) |
| Outer bull (25) ring, inside diameter | 1.25 in (31.8 mm) |
| Double and treble rings, inside width | 8.0 mm with wires, 10.0 mm with strip material |
The American Darts Organization calls for "a standard 18" bristle board" (ADO rule 57). The 20 segment sits at the top and is the darker color (WDF 4.02).
Wires, and what "blade" means
The wires that divide the segments are called the spider. The WDF allows wires that are "round, triangular or diamond-shaped in section", or strip material with "a sharpened edge to form an apex", embedded into the board or lying flat on it.
"Blade" is the name of a Winmau board line. The Scolia shop, for example, describes the Winmau Blade 6 as "a sisal dartboard" with "ultra-thin 60° angled wire". So a blade dartboard is a bristle board like the others, not a separate type.
Electronic dartboards (soft tip)
An electronic board has a face with small holes. Soft tip darts have flexible plastic points that stick in those holes (DSAB-Liga-Regeln 1.4.2), and the board registers each hit and keeps the score. Wikipedia notes one rule difference this creates: on an electronic board a dart that falls out still scores, as long as the board registered it.
Soft tip leagues set their own rules:
| NDA (US) | DSAB (Germany) | |
|---|---|---|
| Throw distance | 8 ft (96 in) from the face of the target | 2.37 m (7 ft 9¼ in) to the board |
| Height to the center of the bull | 5 ft 8 in (68 in) | not stated in the rules we read |
| Board | skill ratings count games "on a 15.5-inch target" | Löwen machines with the tournament board |
| Who counts | the machine: players accept it is "always right" | the machine |
The NDA does not define in its rules what the 15.5 inches measure. The DSAB board has "Single 20 Segment blau, double und triple Segment rot" (DSAB-Liga-Regeln 1.4.1), a different color scheme from a bristle board, where the 20 segment is black (DDV §7(9)) and the double and treble rings are red and green (Wikipedia).
Magnetic dartboards
Magnetic boards use darts that hold by a magnet instead of a point. None of the rule books we read covers magnetic boards, and the NDA explicitly states: "No blow darts or magnetic darts are allowed" in its leagues. Their appeal is that there is no sharp point. Because no rule book covers them, nothing guarantees they match the measurements above; measure one before you use it to practice for league play.
Cork and coiled paper dartboards
Wikipedia: "Quality dartboards are still made of sisal fibres ...; less expensive boards are sometimes made of cork or coiled paper." Because the WDF and DDV require bristle boards, these do not count as match boards. They take steel tip darts like a bristle board.
Which dartboard suits you?
- You play steel tip in a club or a pub league: a bristle board to the WDF measurements, hung at 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) to the center of the bull with the oche 7 ft 9¼ in (2.37 m) away (WDF 6.01 and 6.02). Measuring and hanging it is covered in dartboard height and distance.
- You play in a soft tip league: practice on an electronic board with the same kind of darts (steel tip vs soft tip compares the two games). Check your league's distance, because the NDA's 8 ft and the DSAB's 2.37 m differ.
- You play for fun at home: any board works. Match the darts to the board: steel tips for bristle, cork and paper, plastic tips for electronic boards, magnetic darts for magnetic boards.
We do not recommend board brands or models: we have not tested them side by side, and the rule books only set measurements, not quality. What to look for in the darts themselves is in how to choose darts.
Scoring on any board
A bristle, magnetic, cork or paper board does not count for you. That is where a scoring app helps: in Darts Counter you tap in each dart, and the app subtracts, catches busts and suggests your checkout, whatever board you throw at. On an electronic board the machine already counts, but you can still use the app to keep statistics per player. You can count all games for free.
Sources
Written by FLAME Apps, maker of Darts Counter since 2015. Checked 2026-09-25. Imperial conversions of metric rule figures are ours.
- WDF Playing and Tournament Rules, 20th revised edition, rules 4.01, 4.02, 6.01 and 6.02
- DDV Sport- und Wettkampfordnung, §7 (German)
- ADO Tournament Rules Booklet, rule 57
- NDA Rules, dart machine and dart equipment specifications
- DSAB-Liga-Regeln 2016, rules 1.4.1 and 1.4.3 (German)
- Wikipedia: Darts, sections on history and equipment
- Scolia: Scolia Home 2 (description of the Winmau Blade 6 board as a sisal board with "Blade technology")
- Keep reading: how to choose darts, dartboard height and distance, darts rules
