Dartboard Height & Throw Distance

Setting up a board at home takes ten minutes and a tape measure. These are the official measurements and the easiest way to get them right.

The measurements

The steel-tip figures are the standard used by the major darts organisations. Most soft-tip leagues and electronic boards use the 8 ft throw line.

How to measure

1. Mark a point 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) up the wall — this is where the centre of the bullseye goes, not the top of the board.
2. Hang the board so the bullseye sits on that mark, with the dark 20 segment at the top.
3. Measure the throw line from the face of the board, not the wall: drop a plumb line or hold a level straight down from the board's surface and measure 237 cm (or 244 cm) from there along the floor.
4. Double-check with the diagonal: from the bullseye to the front edge of the throw line should be 293 cm (or 299 cm). If it is, both measurements are right.

Setting up at home

• Space: plan for roughly 1.5 m wide and 3.4 m long (5 × 11 ft) of clear floor, with nobody walking through the throwing lane.
• Protect the wall: a surround or a board mounted on a backboard catches the darts that miss.
• Floor: a dart mat protects the floor and gives you a built-in oche.
• Light: light the board from the front or above so your darts don't throw shadows on it.
• Rotate a bristle board every so often (move the number ring so 20 stays on top) to spread the wear around the treble 20.

Playing with kids

For casual family games it's fine to move the throw line closer for younger players — what matters is that everyone enjoys it. Pair it with Around the Clock in Easy mode, which needs no maths at all.

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