Dartboard Height and Distance: The Official Setup Guide
Get the dartboard height and distance wrong and every leg you play at home is a slightly different game to the one on television. The regulation numbers are simple once you know them — but small errors compound, and a board hung an inch too low or an oche taped a few centimetres short changes the angles more than you’d think. Here is exactly where the board and the line should go, for steel-tip, soft-tip and wheelchair play.
Official Dartboard Height and Distance
The regulation dartboard height is 1.73m (5ft 8in), measured from the floor to the centre of the bullseye. That figure doesn’t change between steel-tip and soft-tip play — it’s the throwing distance where the two formats diverge. Steel-tip darts, the format used on the PDC ProTour and at every major televised event, are thrown from 2.37m (7ft 9¼in), measured horizontally from the face of the board to the front edge of the oche.
Soft-tip (electronic) darts use a longer throwing distance of 2.44m (8ft), set by the governing bodies for that format. The extra 7cm accounts for the different flight characteristics of a lighter, plastic-tipped dart compared to a steel-tip dart on a bristle board.
| Format | Bullseye height | Throw distance | Diagonal check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel-tip (standard) | 1.73m (5ft 8in) | 2.37m (7ft 9¼in) | 2.93m (9ft 7½in) |
| Soft-tip (electronic) | 1.73m (5ft 8in) | 2.44m (8ft) | — |
| Wheelchair | 1.37m (4ft 6in) | 2.37m (7ft 9¼in) | — |
How to Measure and Mark the Oche
Once the board is hung with its bullseye at 1.73m, the cleanest way to mark the throwing line is with the diagonal check rather than trying to measure a perfectly horizontal 2.37m along the floor with a tape measure held in mid-air. Run a tape from the centre of the bullseye down to the floor at an angle — when it reads 2.93m (9ft 7½in), that point on the floor is your correct oche position for steel-tip. If your board height is exactly right, the diagonal measurement does the horizontal-distance job for you in one step.
For soft-tip boards, the same principle applies but there’s no single standard diagonal figure quoted by manufacturers — measure the 2.44m horizontal distance directly, using a spirit level to keep the tape parallel to the floor, or mark the height on a wall first and drop a plumb line to establish a true vertical reference point.
The oche itself just needs to be a fixed, visible line — a strip of tape, a raised bar, or a permanent marker on a wooden floor. Its front edge, the one closest to the board, is what the distance is measured to; stepping on or over it during a throw is a foul in competition play.
Dartboard Diameter and Scoring Zone Measurements
Beyond height and distance, a regulation bristle dartboard has fixed internal proportions too. The board itself has an overall diameter of 451mm (17.75in), and the scoring zones inside it are laid out at fixed distances from the centre:
The double and treble rings themselves are narrow — each about 8mm (0.315in) wide — which is why they’re the hardest part of the board to hit consistently and exactly why they carry double or triple the score of the surrounding segment.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Dartboard at Home
- Choose a wall with clear space. Allow enough room either side and above the board for a comfortable stance and a full arm swing, and make sure the wall behind can safely take fixing screws.
- Mark the bullseye height. Measure 1.73m (5ft 8in) up from the floor and mark the wall — this is where the centre of the board will sit once mounted.
- Fit a backing surround or cabinet if you have one. Most home setups use a corkboard or cabinet surround to catch stray darts and protect the wall — mount this so the bullseye still lines up with your 1.73m mark.
- Hang the board. Mount the board so the centre of the bullseye sits exactly on your marked height. Use a spirit level to check the board isn’t leaning, since an angled board changes the effective height of different segments.
- Measure and mark the oche. Use the 2.93m diagonal check from the bullseye (steel-tip) or measure 2.37m/2.44m horizontally with a spirit level, then fix a permanent line or raised bar on the floor.
- Double-check with a few throws. If your usual scoring on a known board (like the one at your local club) feels noticeably different at home, re-check the height and distance before assuming it’s your form.
Common Mistakes When Setting Up a Dartboard
The most frequent error is measuring the throwing distance from the wall rather than from the face of the board itself — a cabinet or surround can sit several centimetres proud of the wall, and that gap needs to be accounted for. The second most common mistake is hanging the board slightly too high, often because the numbers ring at the top makes 1.73m to the bullseye look lower than expected once it’s on the wall. Trust the tape measure over your eye.
A board that rotates slightly on its mount over time is another quiet source of inconsistency — the standard advice of rotating a bristle board periodically to spread wear evenly is sound, but re-check it sits level and centred every time you do.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high should a dartboard be?
The official dartboard height is 1.73m (5ft 8in), measured from the floor to the centre of the bullseye. This figure is identical for steel-tip and soft-tip (electronic) boards.
How far should the oche be from the dartboard?
For steel-tip darts, the throwing distance is 2.37m (7ft 9¼in), measured horizontally from the face of the board to the front of the oche. Soft-tip boards use a longer distance of 2.44m (8ft).
What is the diagonal check measurement for a dartboard?
The diagonal distance from the centre of the bullseye down to the front of the oche is 2.93m (9ft 7½in) for a steel-tip setup. Measuring this diagonal is a quick way to confirm both the height and the distance are correct without needing a spirit level.
Is dartboard height different for wheelchair players?
Yes. The regulation height for wheelchair players is 1.37m (4ft 6in) to the centre of the bullseye, while the throwing distance stays the same as standard steel-tip play at 2.37m (7ft 9¼in).
What size is a regulation dartboard?
A regulation bristle dartboard has an overall diameter of 451mm (17.75in). The playing area — the outer edge of the double ring — extends to 170mm from the centre, with the treble ring outer edge at 107mm from the centre.