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Dartboard Height and Distance

A regulation dartboard hangs with the centre of the bull 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) off the floor, and the throw line is 7 feet 9¼ inches (2.37 m) from the face of the board — 8 feet for soft-tip darts. The diagonal from the bull to the line, 9 feet 7⅜ inches, checks both in one measurement. This page has the setup drawn from the side, the board itself measured ring by ring, the differences between steel-tip and soft-tip setups, a throw-line marker you can print, and the score sheets for the games.

Measured · hang it, mark it, score it

Seven sheets: the setup, the board, a throw line and three score sheets.

The side view and the throw-line marker get the board hung right; the front view measures the rings; the score sheets run the games.

Side view of a dartboard on a wall with the 5 ft 8 in bull height, the 7 ft 9¼ in steel-tip oche, the 8 ft soft-tip oche and the 9 ft 7⅜ in diagonal dimensioned
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Height and Distance — Side View

The board on the wall, the bull at 5 ft 8 in, the steel-tip and soft-tip throw lines, the diagonal that checks both, and the lane behind the line.
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Regulation dartboard front view with the 451 mm overall diameter, 340 mm scoring area, double and treble rings, bulls and the number order
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Dartboard Dimensions — Front View

The board in colour with every ring measured from the bull, the 451 mm and 340 mm diameters, and the number order clockwise from the 20.
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Printable darts throw line marker with the steel-tip and soft-tip distances and an arrow toward the board
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Throw Line Marker — Print and Tape

A toe line you cut out and tape to the floor, with both regulation distances and the diagonal printed on it so you can check the setup with one tape measure.
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501 and 301 darts score sheet with scored and remaining columns for two sides, legs boxes and the three-dart checkout chart from 170 to 61
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501 / 301 Score Sheet — With Checkouts

Scored and remaining columns for two players or teams, legs boxes, and the three-dart checkout chart from 170 down to 61 on the same page.
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Darts cricket score sheet with columns for four players either side of the 20 to 15 and bull numbers, plus a points row
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Cricket Score Sheet — 4 Players

The classic chalkboard layout on paper: 20 through 15 and the bull down the middle, marks either side, points along the bottom, the marking legend printed.
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Baseball darts score sheet with nine innings, two extra innings and a runs column for six players
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Baseball Score Sheet — 6 Players

Nine innings, two extras and a runs column for up to six players, with the single-double-treble scoring and the kids' version in the legend.
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Dartboard face in colour with numbers and no dimensions
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Dartboard Face — Build Custom

The board with no numbers around it but the numbers on it — for a league board or a pub sign. Build Custom adds your name and logo.

Regulation dartboard numbers

Height and distance from the WDF Playing Rules (steel tip) and the NDA rules (soft tip); board dimensions from the WDF board specification.

MeasurementValue
Height5 ft 8 in — 68 in — 1.73 m from the floor to the centre of the bull (steel and soft tip alike)
Throw line, steel tip7 ft 9¼ in — 93¼ in — 2.37 m from the face of the board, measured along the floor
Throw line, soft tip8 ft — 96 in — 2.44 m from the face of the board (NDA and most electronic-board leagues)
Diagonal9 ft 7⅜ in — 2.93 m from the centre of the bull to the back of the steel-tip line; about 9 ft 9½ in (2.99 m) for soft tip
Board451 mm (17¾ in) across overall; 340 mm (13⅜ in) to the outside of the double wire
RingsDouble ring 162–170 mm from the bull, treble ring 99–107 mm — both 8 mm wide; outer bull 31.8 mm across, inner bull 12.7 mm
DartsSteel tip: up to 30.5 cm and 50 g (WDF). Soft tip: about 8 in and 18–20 g depending on the league
Lane5 ft wide (2 ft clear each side of the board) and 3–4 ft behind the line — about 11–12 ft from the wall

Steel tip, soft tip and the bar: how the setups differ

The height never changes. The distance, the board and the darts do.

RulebookHeightThrow lineBoardDartsThe usual game
WDF / PDC (steel tip, international)1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) to the bull2.37 m (7 ft 9 1/4 in) horizontal; 2.93 m diagonal451 mm bristle board, 340 mm scoring areaMax 30.5 cm and 50 g501, straight in, double out; legs and sets
ADO / American steel-tip leagues5 ft 8 in7 ft 9 1/4 inSame bristle boardSame limits; most players throw 18-26 g501 and 301 (301 often double in, double out), cricket, baseball
NDA / soft tip (electronic boards)5 ft 8 in8 ft (2.44 m) horizontal; about 9 ft 9 1/2 in diagonal15 1/2 in electronic face, 13 in scoring area on most boardsMax about 8 in and 18-20 g301 / 501 open in and out, cricket; the board scores and calls busts
Typical bar / basement5 ft 8 in if someone measured; often higherWhatever tape mark survived; 8 ft is common for both dart typesBristle or electronicHouse darts, 16-22 gCricket and 301; around the clock with kids

Hanging the board without a second trip to the hardware store

Three measurements and one of them is a check. Mark 68 inches up the wall for the bull. Measure your own board from the centre of the bull to the hanging slot on the bracket — it is usually close to 8½ inches, but it is your board that matters — add that to 68 and drive the screw there, leaving it proud enough for the plate to hook on. Hang the board, turn it until the 20 is at the top and the wire between 20 and 1 is vertical, and check the bull is at 68. Then run a tape from the bull down to the floor at 9 feet 7⅜ inches: where it lands is the back edge of the throw line, and it should be 7 feet 9¼ inches out from the face of the board. If it is not, the height is wrong, not the line.

Soft-tip players do the same thing with 8 feet and 9 feet 9½ inches. If the board serves both kinds of dart, mark both lines — the printable marker has each distance on it — and nobody has to remember which league they are in tonight. A raised oche, the wooden bar the professionals toe, is 1½ inches high and at least 2 feet long under WDF rules, and entirely optional at home; a strip of tape does the job as long as it stays put.

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What is the regulation height for a dartboard?
Five feet eight inches — 68 inches, 1.73 metres — from the floor to the centre of the bull. That figure is the same in the WDF and PDC rules for steel tip and in the NDA rules for soft tip, so an electronic board hangs at the same height as a bristle one. Measure to the bull, not to the top of the board or to the mounting bracket: the bracket screw usually ends up about 8½ inches higher, but brackets differ, so hang the board, then check the bull.
How far away do you stand from a dartboard?
For steel-tip darts the front of the throw line — the oche — is 7 feet 9¼ inches (2.37 m) from the face of the board, measured horizontally along the floor. For soft-tip darts on an electronic board it is 8 feet (2.44 m). Because the board is about 1½ inches thick, measuring from the wall instead of the board face puts the line 1½ inches too close. The printable throw-line marker has both distances on it.
What is the diagonal measurement, and why use it?
The straight-line distance from the centre of the bull to the back edge of the throw line: 9 feet 7⅜ inches (2.93 m) for steel tip, about 9 feet 9½ inches (2.99 m) for soft tip. It is the hypotenuse of the height and the distance, so if the diagonal is right and the height is right, the distance is right too. It also catches the common mistake of measuring the distance from the wall rather than the board.
What are the dimensions of a regulation dartboard?
The board is 451 mm (17¾ in) across including the number ring, and the scoring area — everything inside the outer edge of the double wire — is 340 mm (13⅜ in) across. Working out from the centre: the inner bull is 12.7 mm across and scores 50, the outer bull 31.8 mm and scores 25, the treble ring runs from 99 to 107 mm and the double ring from 162 to 170 mm, each 8 mm wide. The twenty segments are 18 degrees each with the 20 at the top.
Is a soft tip dartboard the same size?
No. Electronic boards have a 15½-inch face with a scoring area of about 13 inches, slightly smaller than the 13⅜-inch bristle board, and their segments are plastic holes rather than wire-bounded sisal. They hang at the same 5 ft 8 in height but the line moves back to 8 feet. The rings and number order are the same, so the games are the same.
How much space do you need for a dartboard?
A lane about 5 feet wide and 11 to 12 feet deep: 2 feet clear either side of the board so a stray dart hits wall and not a picture frame, the 7 ft 9¼ in (or 8 ft) to the line, and 3 to 4 feet behind the line for the thrower and the people waiting. Normal 8-foot ceilings are fine. Face the board away from doors and walkways, and put something soft — a backboard, a surround or cork — around it.
What is the regulation weight and length of a dart?
The WDF caps steel-tip darts at 30.5 cm long and 50 g, which nobody approaches: most players throw 18 to 26 g darts about 15 cm long. Soft-tip leagues run the other way, with maximum weights of 18 or 20 g (the NDA says 20 g and 8 inches) to protect the electronic board. Barrel, shaft and flights all count toward the length.
Where do the numbers go on a dartboard?
Clockwise from the top: 20, 1, 18, 4, 13, 6, 10, 15, 2, 17, 3, 19, 7, 16, 8, 11, 14, 9, 12, 5. The 20 sits at the top on the vertical centre line, flanked by the 1 and the 5, so missing the biggest number costs the most. Every board uses the same sequence; if yours does not, the number ring has been turned.
What are dartboard height and distance in centimetres?
Height 173 cm to the bull. Distance 237 cm for steel tip, 244 cm for soft tip, both from the face of the board. Diagonal 293 cm (steel) or about 299 cm (soft). The board is 45.1 cm across with a 34 cm scoring area.
How do I hang the board so the 20 is at the top?
Most bristle boards hang from a single centre bracket: a screw in the wall and a slotted plate on the back of the board, with three rubber feet to keep it flat. Mark the bull height (68 in), measure your board from the bull to the bracket slot, add that to get the screw height, drive the screw, hang the board and rotate it until the 20 is dead vertical — the number ring on most boards can be turned so you can rotate to a fresh 20 segment as it wears.

Height, distance, board and dart limits from the WDF Playing and Tournament Rules and the NDA soft-tip rules; lane clearances are the usual league guidance. Updated through September 2026.