Dartboard Height and Throw Line Calculator
A regulation dartboard has its bullseye centre exactly 5 ft 8 in (68 in) above the floor, with the throw line 7 ft 9.25 in (93.25 in) from the board face for steel tip darts and 8 ft (96 in) for soft tip. The diagonal from bull to the back of the oche is 9 ft 7.375 in and is the fastest way to check both at once.
Darts is the one game in a rec room where the setup is not a matter of taste. The World Darts Federation playing standard fixes the height, the distance and the diagonal, and a board hung two inches high plays measurably differently from a correct one. Here are the numbers, drawn to scale, plus the trick that makes them easy to hit on a floor that is not level.
Bull at 68 in above the floor. Throw line at 93.25 in from the board face for steel tip, 96 in for soft tip. Set those two and the diagonal from bull to oche comes out at 9 ft 7.375 in on its own. If it does not, one of the first two is wrong.
Dart layout calculator
Choose your tip type. Everything below is the governing standard, not a preference, so the only real variable is which game you are setting up for.
The full regulation table
| Measurement | Steel tip | Soft tip |
|---|---|---|
| Floor to the centre of the bullseye | 68 in (5 ft 8 in) | 68 in (5 ft 8 in) |
| Board face to the back of the throw line | 93.25 in (7 ft 9.25 in) | 96 in (8 ft 0 in) |
| Diagonal, bull to the back of the oche | 115.5 in (9 ft 7.375 in) | 117.64 in |
| Floor to the top edge of the board | 76.88 in | 76.88 in |
| Floor to the bottom edge of the board | 59.13 in | 59.13 in |
| Board outside diameter | 17.75 in | 15.5 to 17.5 in, varies |
| Wheelchair bull height | 54 in (4 ft 6 in) | 54 in (4 ft 6 in) |
The same figures in a printable form, plus the scoring ring dimensions, are in the dart regulation chart.
How to hang it, in the order that works
- Find the height first. Mark 68 inches up the wall from the finished floor. If you are about to lay flooring, add its thickness now rather than rehanging later. Most boards mount on a bracket whose hook sits above the bull, so hold the board against the wall and mark through it rather than trusting the bracket position.
- Rotate the board so the 20 is at the top, and check that the wire spider is seated evenly. On a sisal board the number ring rotates: move it every few weeks so the 20, 5 and 1 beds are not the only ones taking damage.
- Swing the diagonal for the oche. Hook a tape at the bull and swing 9 ft 7.375 in down to the floor. Where it lands is the back of the throw line. This is faster and more accurate than measuring along a floor that may not be level.
- Mark the line permanently. A self adhesive oche strip costs under ten dollars, a peel and stick marker is similar, and a laser throw line projects it so nothing is stuck to your floor.
- Protect the wall before the first missed dart, not after. A surround ring catches the near misses and a wall protector covers the wider spray. A cabinet does both and hides the board when the room is being used for something else.
Lighting, which is the upgrade nobody expects
A board lit by a ceiling light behind the thrower puts the thrower's own shadow on the board. A dedicated ring light such as the Corona Vision system lights the face from all sides and removes the shadow of the darts already in the board, which is the single most noticeable improvement most people make to a home setup. The cheap version is any pair of lights placed high and to both sides. More on this in the lighting guide.
The room a dartboard needs
Plan a lane about 5 ft wide by 10 ft long: 30 inches of clear space either side of the board centre, 93.25 inches of throw, and about 24 inches behind the oche so somebody can stand back. That makes darts the easiest anchor game to fit anywhere, and the reason it is the first line item in the starter buildout and the small room buildout.
One constraint people forget: the lane must not cross a walkway. A dart in flight and a person walking to the fridge are a bad combination, and it is the reason the board should go on the wall people walk toward rather than across.
What to buy
A regulation setup is genuinely cheap compared to every other anchor game. A bristle board , a set of tungsten darts , a throw line and a wall protector is a complete, correct setup for well under $200. Full picks are in the dartboard roundup, the dart roundup and the surround roundup. If you are weighing bristle against electronic, that comparison is here.
Frequently asked questions
How high should a dartboard be?
The centre of the bullseye sits exactly 5 ft 8 in, or 68 inches, above the finished floor. That figure is identical for steel tip and soft tip play and it has not changed in decades. Measure to the middle of the bull, not to the top or bottom of the board, and measure from the floor surface you will actually stand on rather than from bare subfloor you are about to carpet.
How far away should the throw line be?
For steel tip darts the throw line sits 7 ft 9.25 in, or 93.25 inches, from the face of the board, measured horizontally along the floor to the back edge of the oche. Soft tip and electronic boards throw from 8 ft 0 in, or 96 inches. The difference exists because soft tip barrels are lighter and the extra distance evens the game out.
What is the diagonal measurement for and why does it matter?
The diagonal from the centre of the bull to the back of the throw line is 9 ft 7.375 in for steel tip. It exists as a check measurement: if your height and your distance are both right, the diagonal comes out right automatically. If it does not, one of the other two is wrong. Measuring the diagonal with a tape is faster than trying to find a genuinely level floor.
How much space do you need around a dartboard?
Plan a throwing lane about 5 ft wide and 10 ft long. That is 30 inches of clear space either side of the board centre so a thrower is not shouldering a wall, and roughly 2 ft behind the oche so people can stand back and watch. A dartboard is the easiest anchor game to fit into a room, which is exactly why it belongs in rooms too small for a pool table.
Does the floor need to be level under a dartboard?
It matters more than people expect, because both the height and the distance are measured from the floor. A basement slab that slopes toward a drain will put the throw line an inch or two out over eight feet. The fix is to measure the diagonal instead: set the bull at 68 inches from the floor directly under the board, then swing a tape 9 ft 7.375 in to find the throw line.
How high should a dartboard be for kids?
The governing standard has no junior height, and lowering the board teaches a stroke that has to be unlearned later. The common approach instead is to keep the board at 68 inches and shorten the throw, which preserves the aiming geometry. If you are setting up a board that adults and children both use, a magnetic or soft tip board on a moveable stand is a better answer than moving a regulation board up and down.
Measuring your own room before anything is delivered? The Game Room Layout Planner is the paid version of these pages: 8 printable worksheets you fill in with your own numbers, plus the full PDF, $29.
How we work: we compare published manufacturer dimensions, the governing playing standards for each game, and reviews from owners who live with the equipment. We do not test games in person, and we say so on every page. Clearance figures here are researched guidance for planning a room, not professional advice: measure your own space, and have a slate table delivered, assembled and levelled by an installer rather than moving it yourself.