Guides · Steel-tip vs soft-tip · 9 min read
Steel tip vs soft tip darts: boards, rules and which to choose
Steel tip vs soft tip darts differ from the point on. Steel-tip darts have metal points and hit a sisal board from 2.37 m, while soft-tip darts are lighter, have plastic points and hit an electronic board that scores itself, usually from 2.44 m.
In short
- Steel-tip is the TV game: sisal board, 2.37 m, double out.
- Soft-tip means lighter darts on a board that counts itself.
- Soft-tip rules often add a 2.44 m line, a fat bull and easier finishes.
- Play your league’s version. At home, steel-tip is quieter and cheaper.
At a glance
Steel tip vs soft tip darts compared
Both versions use the same number order and hang the bullseye at 1.73 m. Nearly everything else differs, from the weight of the dart to how a leg ends.
Steel-tip
- Quiet thud in sisal
- Cheap to run, a board lasts years
- The game of the PDC and the WDF
- Needs a scorer, an app or cameras
- Wires cause bounce-outs
- Misses mark walls and floors
Soft-tip
- The board counts every dart
- Plastic tips are safer with children
- Bigger beds, easier finishes
- Louder clicks, plus machine sounds
- Tips snap and need replacing
- Rules vary from league to league
| Steel-tip | Soft-tip | |
|---|---|---|
| Point | Metal, fixed or moveable | Plastic, usually on a 2BA thread |
| Board | Bristle board of compressed sisal | Electronic board, plastic segments with holes |
| Dart weight | Most throw 20 to 26 g | Most throw 16 to 20 g |
| Throw line | 2.37 m (7 ft 9¼ in) | Usually 2.44 m (8 ft), 2.37 m in DSAB leagues |
| Bullseye height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Scoring | By hand, with an app or with cameras | Automatic, built into the board |
| Bull | Outer bull 25, bullseye 50 | Often 50 for both (fat bull) |
| Finishing 501 | Double out | Open, master or double out |
| Bounce-outs | Score nothing | What the machine registered counts |
Boards
How is an electronic dartboard different from a bristle board?
A bristle dartboard is packed sisal fibre that closes around each steel point. An electronic dartboard has plastic segments full of small holes, with sensors behind them that register every hit.
- Target sizeA bristle board scores over 34 cm (see dartboard dimensions). Electronic boards vary: about 39 cm (15.5 in) at tournament size, often 33 cm (13 in) at home.
- DividersBristle boards split the segments with thin metal wires, and a dart that hits one can bounce out. Electronic boards have raised plastic edges instead.
- WearSisal wears around the treble 20 first, and rotating the board spreads it. Electronic boards collect broken tips, but worn segments can usually be swapped one by one.
- PowerA bristle board needs a nail in the wall. An electronic board runs on batteries or mains power and has a display, a speaker and game buttons.
Darts
How do soft-tip and steel-tip darts differ in weight and points?
Soft-tip darts are lighter because the rules for electronic boards cap the weight. Barrels, shafts and flights are the same parts. Picking a set is covered in how to choose darts.
- Steel pointsFixed in the barrel, or moveable points that slide back on impact to cut bounce-outs. They last for years.
- Soft tipsFlexible plastic, screwed in, mostly with a 2BA thread. They snap regularly, so players carry spares.
- Conversion pointsScrew-in steel points turn a soft-tip barrel into a steel-tip dart, though a light one.
Official dart limits by organisation
| Organisation | Darts | Max. weight | Max. length | Throw line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WDF | Steel-tip | 50 g | 30.5 cm | 2.37 m |
| PDC events (DRA rules) | Steel-tip | 40 g | 20 cm | 2.37 m |
| NDA, United States | Soft-tip | 20 g | 8 in (20.3 cm), tip to flight | 2.44 m (8 ft) |
| DSAB, Germany | Soft-tip | 21 g including 5% tolerance (18 g until 2019) | 16.8 cm | 2.37 m |
| THE WORLD series | Soft-tip | 25 g | 30 cm | 2.44 m |
Throw distance
What is the throw distance for steel-tip and soft-tip darts?
Steel-tip darts are thrown from 2.37 m and soft-tip darts usually from 2.44 m, measured along the floor from the board face to the throw line. The bullseye hangs at 1.73 m in both. Mounting is covered step by step in how to hang a dartboard.
Germany is the exception. The DSAB (Deutscher Sportautomatenbund), Germany’s best-known e-dart league body, moved from 2.44 m to 2.37 m in 2016, first for tournaments, then for league play. Check your league’s line; many dart mats print both.
Scoring and rules
How do the rules differ: fat bull, split bull or double out?
In steel-tip, people or software keep score and every 501 leg ends on a double. In soft-tip, the machine counts, and many formats relax the bull and the finish.
- In and outSteel-tip 501 is straight in, double out almost everywhere. Soft-tip varies: open out in casual play, master out (double or treble) at THE WORLD, and in the DSAB 501 double out from the A league up, 301 master out in the B league and 301 single out in the C league.
- Bounce-outsUnder WDF rules, a dart that falls out before the visit ends and the darts are pulled scores nothing. On NDA and DSAB machines, a dart that registered still counts.
- Who keeps scoreA soft-tip board counts by itself. Steel-tip players use a chalkboard, an app or cameras: Sridu does it with one to four USB webcams (see automatic darts scoring).
- StatisticsSteel-tip players quote a three-dart average. Machines show points per dart (PPD) and, for Cricket, marks per round (MPR). The darts average guide converts them.
Practise soft-tip rules on a bristle board: Sridu’s High Score mode has a Fat Bull option that makes the outer bull count 50.
Competition
Where are steel-tip and soft-tip darts played?
The darts on television are steel-tip. Soft-tip has its own leagues, tours and national bodies, often tied to a brand of machine.
- Steel-tip, worldwideThe PDC runs the pro tour and its World Championship at Alexandra Palace in London. The World Darts Federation (WDF) and its national federations run rankings, opens and national teams, above pub and club leagues.
- Soft-tip, United StatesBar leagues on networked machines, with the National Dart Association (NDA) among the best-known organisers. Cricket is a main league game.
- Soft-tip, AsiaJapan, South Korea, Hong Kong and others have large scenes around makers such as DARTSLIVE and Phoenix, with online play and pro tours.
- Soft-tip, EuropeGermany has a big e-dart league system, led by the DSAB. The European Darts Union (EDU) holds European soft-tip championships.
Switching
How do you switch between steel-tip and soft-tip?
Your stance, grip and throw carry over, so switching is mostly about weight, distance and rules. Expect your scores to move, because a soft-tip board forgives misses that a bristle board punishes.
- Check the linePractise from your league’s line, 2.37 m or 2.44 m. Seven centimetres further back means a slightly higher arc.
- Keep the barrel shapeMany darts come in a steel-tip and a soft-tip version of the same design, so your grip stays familiar.
- Give the weight a few sessionsA lighter dart reacts more to small changes in your release. Throw a few hundred darts before you judge it.
- Relearn your finishesWith a fat bull and open out, 50 is easy and a single ends a leg. Back on steel-tip, revise your double routes with a checkout chart.
- Tighten your aim for steel-tipSmaller beds and wires cost points a soft-tip board forgives, so expect your average to drop at first.
Noise
Which is quieter at home, steel-tip or soft-tip?
Steel-tip is usually quieter: a steel point in sisal gives a dull thud, while a plastic tip clicks on plastic and the board adds its own sounds. For neighbours, the knock through the wall matters more, and both versions cause it.
Sharing a wall? The guide to a quiet dartboard goes through the fixes step by step.
Decision
Steel-tip or soft-tip: which should you choose?
Choose the version your local league plays. Without a league in view, steel-tip suits most adults, and soft-tip suits families with young children and groups who want a board that counts by itself.
- At home, no leagueGo steel-tip: quieter, cheaper to run and the version on television. Spend on a good board and a surround before expensive darts.
- TV darts and clubsGo steel-tip if you want the game from television, a pub or club team, or an average to compare with the pros.
- E-dart leagueGo soft-tip if your league or your friends play on machines. Plenty of players own both.
- Young childrenGo soft-tip: a plastic tip is far less likely to injure anyone, though the lane rules stay the same.
- CostA bristle board and steel-tip darts cost about as much as a basic electronic board and last years. Soft-tip means buying tips, and bar machines charge per game.
- Automatic scoringLong the main argument for soft-tip. With webcams and free software, a bristle board now scores itself too.
Buying your first board? For soft-tip, check the size of the scoring area and whether spare segments are sold. The dartboard buying guide compares both kinds.
Sources: WDF Playing and Tournament Rules (rev. 20), dart limits, oche and scoring, DRA Rule Book, the rules for PDC events, NDA Rules, soft-tip league play in the US, DSAB league rules (in German)
FAQ
Steel-tip and soft-tip questions
Can I use steel-tip darts on an electronic dartboard?
No. Steel points crack the plastic segments and can damage the sensors behind them. Use soft-tip darts, or fit screw-in plastic tips to a barrel with a matching thread.
Can I use soft-tip darts on a bristle board?
Not really. Plastic tips don’t grip in sisal, so darts bounce out or hang loose and the tips bend. Screw-in steel conversion points on a soft-tip barrel do work.
Soft tip vs steel tip: is soft-tip easier?
Scores are usually higher in soft-tip. The beds are larger on tournament-size boards, the fat bull turns the outer bull into 50, many formats need no double to finish, and darts that drop out still count.
Why do soft-tip players stand further back?
It is simply the standard each side settled on; the rules give no reason. The NDA in the US set 8 ft (2.44 m) for soft-tip and most international soft-tip events followed, while the WDF and the PDC throw from 2.37 m. German DSAB leagues have used 2.37 m since 2016.
Can Sridu score a soft-tip board?
Sridu’s camera detection is built for steel-tip darts on a bristle board, and an electronic board counts by itself anyway. You can still use Sridu with any board by typing in your scores, for example to play its darts games or keep statistics that the machine doesn’t.
Guides
Related guides
Automatic scoring for your steel-tip board
In the steel tip vs soft tip darts question, built-in scoring no longer has to decide it. Sridu scores your steel-tip darts with one to four USB webcams, right in Chrome or Edge, with X01, Cricket and dozens of other game modes. It’s free and needs no account.