How High Is a Dart Board? Height, Throw Line and Setup

The centre of the bullseye on a standard dart board sits 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) above the floor. For steel-tip darts, the throw line, or oche, is 7 feet 9¼ inches (237 cm) from the face of the board, measured along the floor. Soft-tip boards use the same height with a throw line that is usually 8 feet (244 cm) away. Once those two figures are right, the rest of the setup comes down to safety and comfort.

Standard dart board measurements

The diagonal is the handy cross-check. Hook a tape measure on the centre of the bull and run it down to the throw line at floor level. When the height and the diagonal are both correct, the floor distance has to be correct as well, which saves measuring around a skirting board or a bulky cabinet.

How to hang a dart board

1. Choose the spot. You need a clear lane from the wall to well behind the throw line, away from doors, walkways, windows and anything fragile. A wall with no doorway beside the board is ideal, so nobody steps into the line of fire.
2. Find solid fixing points. A board in a cabinet is heavy enough that it belongs in a stud or masonry, or in fixings rated for the load on hollow walls. The advice on wall anchors in this guide to hanging a gallery wall applies here too.
3. Work out the bracket height. Most boards hang on a bracket screwed to the back. Measure where the bracket sits relative to the centre of the bull and adjust your wall mark so the bull ends up at exactly 173 cm.
4. Set the orientation. The 20 segment goes at the top, and on most boards it is a dark segment. Many boards have a removable number ring; line it up before tightening anything.
5. Check that it sits firm. The board should not rock or rotate when darts land. Some brackets come with clips for the lower edge to stop that.
6. Mark the throw line. Measure from the face of the board, not from the wall, because the board stands a few centimetres proud. A strip of tape works; a slightly raised oche bar stops toes creeping forward.

Protecting the wall and floor

Even steady throwers miss. A surround ring or backboard catches stray darts and saves the plaster, and a wooden cabinet does the same while closing over the board when nobody is playing. On the floor, a dart mat protects wood and tiles from dropped points and usually has the throw line printed at the correct distance. Soft-tip boards are a sensible choice for homes with young children or delicate walls, since plastic tips are far less likely to damage whatever they hit.

Lighting the board

Shadows cast by the darts themselves make it harder to read the segments. A light fixed above and slightly in front of the board, or a ring light made for dart boards, spreads light evenly across the face. Avoid hanging the board directly opposite a bright window, which leaves the thrower squinting into glare.

Reading the board and keeping score

Each of the twenty numbered segments scores its number. The thin outer ring doubles it, the thin inner ring trebles it, the outer bull counts 25 and the inner bull counts 50. Two games cover most evenings at home:

• 501. Each player starts on 501 and subtracts the total of every three-dart turn. The final dart must land in a double that brings the score to exactly zero. Going below zero, or leaving a score of one, is a bust, and the score returns to where it stood at the start of that turn.
• Cricket. Players try to hit 15 through 20 and the bull three times each to close them. Extra hits on a number you have closed score points until your opponent closes it too, and the winner is the first to close everything without trailing on points.

Safety in a home setup

• One person throws at a time, and nobody stands between the line and the board.
• Darts are collected only after everyone has finished throwing.
• Steel-tip darts are stored out of reach of young children.
• Pets stay out of the room while a game is on.

Turning it into a games corner

A dart board pairs naturally with somewhere to rest a drink and a scorecard. A tall table set to one side keeps glasses well clear of the throwing lane, and the reasoning in this piece on choosing cocktail table heights carries over neatly to a home bar area. If there is space for a table as well, the companion guide to 8-ball pool rules covers the other classic of the games room.