Setting Up a Dartboard at Home

A correctly set up dartboard makes practice more effective and helps you get used to match conditions. Fortunately it is not difficult. This page gives the official measurements for steel-tip darts and practical tips for a home setup.

Official measurements

• Height: the centre of the bullseye is 1.73 metres (5 feet 8 inches) above the floor.
• Throwing distance: the oche, or throw line, is 2.37 metres (7 feet 9.25 inches) from the face of the board, measured horizontally along the floor.
• Diagonal check: the distance from the centre of the bullseye to the back of the oche at floor level should be 2.93 metres.

Measuring the diagonal is a handy way to check that both height and distance are correct.

Hanging the board

Fix the bracket securely to a solid wall and make sure the board hangs level, with the 20 segment at the top in the centre. Most bristle boards can be rotated. Turning the board regularly spreads the wear across the sisal, so the board lasts longer.

Protect your wall and floor

Missed darts will hit the wall. A dartboard surround, a ring around the board, catches most of them. A cabinet or a protective panel works too. A mat on the floor protects both the floor and your dart points, and many mats have the oche marked on them.

Lighting

Shadows on the board make it harder to see where you are aiming. A ring light around the board, or lights placed above and to the sides, gives even lighting without shadows from your darts.

Space

Make sure there is enough room around the throwing area. No one should walk between the oche and the board, and there should be space to retrieve darts safely. A garage, games room or hallway often works well.

Caring for a bristle board

• Do not soak a bristle board in water; it damages the fibres.
• Rotate the board regularly.
• Remove darts by twisting them gently out, rather than pulling straight.
• Keep the board away from direct heat or damp.

With your board ready, choose a set of darts that suits you (choosing darts) and brush up on the rules and scoring.