On a standard darts board, the number positioned at the very top is 20.
The familiar board uses 20 numbered wedges arranged around the circular face. The number 20 is at the twelve-o’clock position, with 1 and 18 immediately beside it in the standard sequence. Players aim at particular wedges and rings rather than simply at the largest visible area.
The board’s numbering arrangement is designed to penalize inaccuracy: high-value numbers sit beside low-value numbers. A dart intended for 20 can therefore land in 1 or 5, while an attempt at 19 can drift into 7 or 3. This layout is one reason precision matters so much in scoring darts.
The top number should not be confused with the bullseye, which is the circular target at the centre. The outer bull scores 25 and the inner bull scores 50, while the 20 wedge scores 20 in its single area, 40 in its double ring and 60 in its treble ring.