Setup
Dartboard Height and Oche Distance
The bullseye goes 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) from the floor and the oche sits 2.37 m (7 ft 9¼ in) from the face of the board. The diagonal from bull to the back of the oche is 2.93 m (9 ft 7½ in), which is the measurement to check if you only check one.
The three measurements that matter
| Measurement | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Floor to centre of bull | 1.73 m | 5 ft 8 in |
| Board face to oche | 2.37 m | 7 ft 9¼ in |
| Bull to back of oche (diagonal) | 2.93 m | 9 ft 7½ in |
These numbers are identical under PDC, WDF and BDO rules and have not changed in decades. The oche distance is measured horizontally from the face of the board, not from the wall — a board on a cabinet or surround sits proud of the wall, and measuring from the wall makes the throw too long.
Board and ring sizes
| Part | Size |
|---|---|
| Playing surface diameter | 451 mm (17¾ in) |
| Scoring area diameter | 340 mm |
| Double ring outer edge, from centre | 170 mm |
| Treble ring outer edge, from centre | 107 mm |
| Double and treble ring width | 8 mm |
| Outer bull diameter | 31.8 mm |
| Inner bull diameter | 12.7 mm |
The 12.7 mm inner bull is roughly the width of a pencil, and the 8 mm double ring is about the width of two matchsticks. Those two figures explain most of what happens at the end of a leg — see double out and busting.
Hanging a board correctly
- •Find the 20. The 20 segment must be at the top, and it is the dark bed, not the light one. A board hung a segment out changes every checkout on the board.
- •Measure to the bull, not the board edge. 1.73 m to the centre of the bull. The top of the board will land at roughly 1.95 m, but that is a consequence, not a target.
- •Check it is plumb. A board tilted forward makes darts drop out; tilted back and they bounce. Use a level across the face, not the wire.
- •Mark the oche as a raised strip. A line of tape works, but a raised oche stops the creeping that a flat line invites.
- •Confirm with the diagonal. 2.93 m from bull to the back of the oche. If it does not match, one of the other two is wrong.
- •Rotate the board regularly. Most boards have a movable number ring. Moving it a segment every few weeks spreads wear away from the treble 20 and doubles the board’s life.
Soft tip and other formats
Electronic soft-tip boards keep the 1.73 m bull height but are usually thrown from 2.44 m (8 ft). The playing surface is also slightly larger, with wider segments, because plastic tips need bigger holes to sit in.
WDF para darts lowers the board so the bull sits at 1.37 m (4 ft 6 in) for wheelchair players, with the throwing distance unchanged at 2.37 m measured from the front of the footrest.
Yorkshire and Manchester log-end boards are different games entirely, with no treble ring and their own distances. If you are setting up for standard 501 or Cricket, you want a standard bristle board with the clock numbering above.
