Guides · Hanging a dartboard · 10 min read
How to hang a dartboard at the right height and distance
How to hang a dartboard comes down to two numbers. The centre of the bullseye sits 1.73 m above the floor, and the oche is 2.37 m from the board face, which you can check in one go with the 2.93 m diagonal.
In short
- 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) from the floor to the bullseye centre.
- 2.37 m (7 ft 9¼ in) from the board face to the oche.
- 2.93 m (9 ft 7⅜ in) diagonal checks both at once.
- 20 on top, a solid wall, light from all sides.
The numbers
What is the official dartboard height and oche distance?
The official dartboard height is 1.73 m from the floor to the centre of the bullseye. The oche distance is 2.37 m, measured along the floor to a plumb line at the board face. Both come from the WDF rules, and the PDC uses the same figures.
| Measurement | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Bullseye height (floor to bull centre) | 1.73 m | 5 ft 8 in |
| Throw distance (board face to oche) | 2.37 m | 7 ft 9¼ in |
| Diagonal (bull centre to oche) | 2.93 m | 9 ft 7⅜ in |
| Wheelchair bullseye height | 1.37 m | 4 ft 6 in |
| Soft-tip throw distance | 2.44 m | 8 ft |
| Board diameter (bristle board) | about 451 mm | about 17¾ in |
Ring widths, wire sizes and the scoring area are all in the guide to dartboard dimensions.
Planning
How much space do you need for a dartboard?
Plan for a clear lane about 3.5 m long and at least 1.5 m wide in front of the board. That covers the throw, room to stand and step back, and a margin for darts that miss wide.
- Walk behindPeople pass behind the thrower, never through the lane. No door should open into it.
- Nothing fragileKeep windows, a TV and glass cabinets out of reach of bounce-outs.
- HeadroomAny normal room works. With a surround, the top edge ends up at roughly 2.1 m.
- Side wallHandy for a scoreboard, a tablet or a screen, as shown in the darts corner plan.
Step by step
How to hang a dartboard step by step
Fix the bracket so the bull lands at 1.73 m, hang the board with the 20 on top, then mark the oche from the board face. Allow about half an hour, and if you have no board yet, start with the dartboard buying guide.
What you need
- Tape measure, pencil and spirit level
- Drill with bits for your wall
- The mounting kit: bracket, centre fitting and stabilisers
- Wall plugs and screws that suit the wall
Seven steps
- Check the wallSolid masonry, or a timber stud behind plasterboard, takes the 5 kg board and its knocks. Check for cables and pipes first.
- Fit the centre fittingScrew it into the back of the board, exactly behind the bullseye, until it sits firmly.
- Mark 1.73 mMeasure up from the surface the players stand on. If a thick mat or a platform goes down later, measure from its top.
- Fix the bracketThe bull ends up where the fitting rests in the bracket, usually the bottom of the slot. Put that point on your mark, level it and screw it in.
- Hang the board, 20 on topFit the stabilisers so it cannot turn, and check that the face hangs vertical.
- Mark the ocheHold the spirit level upright against the board face, or drop a plumb line, and mark the floor below it. Measure 2.37 m out from that mark.
- Check the diagonalBull centre to the edge of the oche should read 2.93 m. If it doesn’t, measure height and distance again.
Which way up?
The dark 20 segment points straight up. If your number ring comes off, put it back so the 20 sits above a dark segment.
- 1 to the right of the 20
- 5 to the left of the 20
- 3 straight down
Measure from the board face, not the wall. Board, bracket and surround put the face roughly 5 cm in front of the wall, so an oche measured from the wall ends up too close.
Protection
How do you protect the wall around a dartboard?
Fit a surround or a backboard before the first throw. Which material stops what, and how to build a backboard, is in the guide to setting up a darts corner. Most misses land just outside the double ring, which is exactly the area a surround covers.
- SurroundA ring of foam, EVA or rubber, often about 70 cm across. Darts stick in it or drop softly instead of chipping the wall and their points.
- BackboardA cork, plywood or MDF panel about a metre square. It moves the board face forward, so measure the oche after it is up.
- CabinetWooden doors close over the board, often with scoreboards inside. Check the bull still sits at 1.73 m.
- Rotate the boardThe 20 and its neighbours wear first. Turn the board two segments and put the number ring back with the 20 on top, as the dartboard care guide explains.
Noise
How do you hang a dartboard so it makes less noise?
Most of the noise is the thud of each dart travelling through the bracket into the wall. Keep the board from touching the wall directly, and soften whatever the misses hit.
More ways to keep the peace in a flat or a shared house are in the guide to a quiet dartboard.
Lighting
How do you light a dartboard without shadows?
Light the board evenly from several sides at once, so no dart throws a shadow across the next target. An LED ring light around the board is the easiest way to get there, and it can carry the cameras of a home-built camera dartboard too.
- Ring lightMounts on or around the surround and lights the board from every side. The easiest fix.
- Two spots or moreAbove the board and off to the sides at an angle. One spot alone always leaves shadows.
- 1,600 lumensWhat every board gets at WDF events, screened from the thrower’s eyes. Pick neutral white so red and green stay clear.
- No window behindDaylight from behind the board dazzles you and changes through the day. Draw the blind.
Oche and floor
How do you mark the oche and protect the floor?
The oche is the line you throw from. Tape, a wooden block or a mat with a printed line all work, as long as the edge that counts sits 2.37 m from the board face.
- Raised ocheThe official block is 38 mm high and 610 mm long. Measure to the side your toes touch, and don’t tread on it.
- Tape lineFine at home. Put the edge nearest the board at 2.37 m; your foot may touch the tape but not go past it.
- Dart matA runner about 3 m long with the line printed on. Check that line really sits 2.37 m from the board face.
- Floor protectionDropped steel tips chip tiles, dent wood and blunt on concrete. A mat saves the floor and your points.
Uneven floor? If it slopes or has a step, trust the 2.93 m diagonal from the bull to the oche over the horizontal measurement.
Accessible setup
What is the dartboard height for wheelchair players?
The wheelchair dartboard height is 1.37 m (4 ft 6 in) to the centre of the bullseye. The oche stays 2.37 m from the board face, so the diagonal shrinks to 2.74 m.
- Why 1.37 mIt puts the board where 1.73 m puts it for a standing player’s eyes. The World Disability Darts Association proposed it, and the WDF rules include it.
- Mixed householdsUse a height-adjustable bracket or a stand, and mark both heights on the wall so switching takes seconds.
- Room to rollKeep the lane free of rugs and edges. A flat tape line or mat works better than a raised oche.
Automatic scoring
How do you add cameras for automatic scoring?
Once the board hangs right, a few USB webcams can score every dart for you. Sridu, a free browser app, works with 1 to 4 ordinary webcams, and the guide to automatic darts scoring explains how.
- 3cameras score most reliably
- 30–50 cmfrom the board
- Room around the surround for cameras spaced evenly, each seeing the whole double ring
- Firm mounts screwed to the wall or backboard, so nothing gets knocked out of place
- Even light from the ring light, which helps the cameras as much as your eyes
- Cables planned to a PC next to the board, spread over different USB ports
The shopping list and setup steps are on the camera setup page, and the system requirements list the computer each number of cameras needs.
Final check
Is your dartboard setup ready to play?
Run through this list once the board is up. If every box is ticked, your board plays like a tournament one.
- Bull centre 1.73 m above the floor you stand on
- 20 at the top, and the board cannot turn
- Oche 2.37 m from the board face, not the wall
- Diagonal from bull to oche reads 2.93 m
- Surround or backboard fitted
- Light from more than one side, no shadows
- Lane clear, no door opening into it
- Mat on the floor under the board
Sources: WDF Playing and Tournament Rules, 20th revised edition, rules 4 to 6
FAQ
Dartboard setup questions
Do I measure the throw distance from the wall or from the board?
From the face of the board. Drop a plumb line or hold a spirit level against the board face, mark the floor below it and measure 2.37 m from that mark. Measuring from the wall puts the oche several centimetres too close.
Can I hang a dartboard on plasterboard?
Yes, if you fix it to something solid. Screw the bracket into a timber stud, or mount a backboard across two studs and hang the board on that. Cavity anchors on their own tend to work loose from the constant knocks.
Is the distance different for soft-tip darts?
Yes. Soft-tip players throw from 2.44 m (8 ft), measured the same way. The bullseye height stays 1.73 m, so the diagonal becomes 2.99 m (9 ft 9⅝ in).
Which way up does a dartboard go?
With the 20 at the top. On a standard board the 20 is a dark segment, with the 1 to its right and the 5 to its left, and the 3 sits straight down at the bottom.
Can I hang a dartboard on a door?
It works, but a slammed door shakes the board and misses end up in the door. If a door is the only option, use a cabinet or a large backboard. Keep the door locked while you play, so nobody can open it into the lane.
What should I play once the board is up?
Start with 501, the game played on television, and learn your finishes from a checkout chart. For steady progress, a short practice routine a few times a week beats long, unplanned sessions.
Ready for the first leg on your new board?
Now you know how to hang a dartboard, let Sridu keep score. Open it in Chrome or Edge, type in your scores or add two or three webcams, and play X01, Cricket and dozens of other game modes. It’s free and needs no account.