Dartboard Regulation Dimensions: Height, Throw Line and Diagonal
The centre of the bullseye sits 68 inches from the finished floor, which is 5 ft 8 in and identical for steel and soft tip. The throw line is 93.25 inches horizontally from the board face for steel tip and 96 inches for soft tip. The check diagonal from bull to the back of the oche is 115.5 inches for steel tip.
Dart measurements are fixed numbers rather than preferences, which makes this the easiest thing in a game room to get exactly right and one of the most commonly got wrong. Getting the height out by an inch teaches muscle memory that does not transfer to any other board in the world, and it is a fifteen minute job to fix now against a season of practice to unlearn later.
Bull at 68 inches from the finished floor. Throw line at 93.25 inches for steel tip, 96 inches for soft tip. Check the diagonal at 115.5 inches. Those three numbers are the whole installation, and the diagonal is what catches an out-of-plumb wall or a sloping floor.
The complete figures
| Measurement | Inches | Feet and inches | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floor to centre of bullseye | 68 | 5 ft 8 in | 1.73 m |
| Throw line, steel tip | 93.25 | 7 ft 9.25 in | 2.37 m |
| Throw line, soft tip | 96 | 8 ft | 2.44 m |
| Diagonal, bull to oche, steel | 115.5 | 9 ft 7.375 in | 2.93 m |
| Diagonal, bull to oche, soft | 117.64 | 9 ft 10 in | 2.99 m |
| Board outside diameter | 17.75 | 1 ft 5.75 in | 451 mm |
| Top of board from floor | 76.88 | 6 ft 5 in | 1.95 m |
| Bottom of board from floor | 59.13 | 4 ft 11 in | 1.50 m |
| Wheelchair bull height | 54 | 4 ft 6 in | 1.37 m |
Board geometry
The scoring rings on a regulation board are defined by their radius from the centre of the bull. These are the figures every regulation board is made to, which is why any 18 inch board is interchangeable with any other.
| Ring | Radius from centre | Scores |
|---|---|---|
| Inner bull | 6.35 mm | 50 |
| Outer bull | 15.9 mm | 25 |
| Treble ring, inner edge | 99 mm | Triple the segment |
| Treble ring, outer edge | 107 mm | Triple the segment |
| Double ring, inner edge | 162 mm | Double the segment |
| Double ring, outer edge | 170 mm | Double the segment |
| Overall playing area | 170 mm | Outside this scores nothing |
The treble bed is roughly eight millimetres deep, which is the geometric reason tungsten darts beat brass: a tungsten dart of a given weight is much slimmer, and three slim darts fit in that eight millimetres where three fat ones do not.
Lane clearance
| Requirement | Steel tip | Soft tip | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Throw distance | 7 ft 9 in | 8 ft | The regulation figure. |
| Room behind the oche | 2 ft | 2 ft | So the thrower is not against a wall. |
| Total lane length | 9 ft 9 in | 10 ft | The figure to measure your wall against. |
| Clear space each side of centre | 2 ft 6 in | 2 ft 6 in | Elbow room, and space for a second player to stand. |
| Total lane width | 5 ft | 5 ft | Fits along the long wall of most spare bedrooms. |
| Ceiling height | 7 ft 6 in | 7 ft 6 in | The top of the board is at 6 ft 5 in and a throw arcs above it. |
Hanging a board to these figures
- Establish the finished floor. If flooring is going down after the board goes up, add its thickness now. This is the single most common source of a board that is an inch low.
- Mark 68 inches up the wall and hang the board so the centre of the bull is on that mark. On a cabinet, assemble the board into the cabinet first and measure from the bottom of the cabinet to the bull, then subtract.
- Rotate the board so the 20 segment is at the top. Almost always black on a standard board, and it is where roughly half of all darts will land.
- Measure 93.25 inches horizontally from the board face along the floor, and mark the back edge of the oche there. Use a peel-and-stick throw line , a Winmau adhesive line or a laser marker .
- Check the diagonal at 115.5 inches from the bull to the back edge of the oche. If the first two are right and this is wrong, the wall is not plumb or the floor slopes, and the diagonal is the measurement to trust.
- Fit a surround. A foam ring catches the near misses that would otherwise be small holes in the paint.
Related
Apply these figures to your own wall with the dartboard layout calculator, which also handles the wheelchair standard. For the board itself see the dartboard roundup, for wall protection see surrounds and backboards, and for the step by step installation see how to hang a dartboard. The soft tip alternative is compared in bristle against electronic.
Frequently asked questions
What is the regulation dartboard height?
The centre of the bullseye sits 68 inches from the finished floor, which is 5 ft 8 in. It is identical for steel tip and soft tip, and it is measured to the finished floor rather than to a subfloor, so account for any flooring going down after the board goes up.
How far is the dartboard throw line?
93.25 inches for steel tip, which is 7 ft 9.25 in, and 96 inches for soft tip and electronic boards, which is exactly 8 ft. The distance is measured horizontally from the face of the board to the back edge of the throw line, and the thrower's foot must not cross that line.
What is the diagonal measurement for a dartboard?
115.5 inches for steel tip, which is 9 ft 7.375 in, measured from the centre of the bullseye down to the back edge of the oche. It is the check measurement rather than a separate requirement: it is simply the hypotenuse of the height and the throw distance, and if the height and horizontal are both correct the diagonal follows. When it does not, the floor is not level or the wall is not plumb, and the diagonal is the one to trust.
What is the standard dartboard size?
17.75 inches in outside diameter, which is usually described as an 18 inch board. The double ring outer edge sits at 170 mm from the centre, the treble ring outer edge at 107 mm, the outer bull ring at 15.9 mm and the inner bull at 6.35 mm. Anything sold as smaller than an 18 inch board is not a regulation board regardless of what else the listing claims.
What is the dartboard height for wheelchair players?
54 inches to the centre of the bull, which is 4 ft 6 in, with the throw distance unchanged. The rule lowers the board rather than moving the line, which keeps the horizontal geometry of the game identical and adjusts only for seated eye and shoulder height. Some venues mount a second board at this height alongside a standard one.
How much space does a dart lane need?
About 9 ft 9 in long by 5 ft wide for steel tip. The length is the throw distance plus 24 inches of standing room behind the oche, and the width is 30 inches of clear space either side of the board centre so a thrower is not against a wall or a piece of furniture. Ceiling height wants about 7 ft 6 in.
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.