Setting up your dart board correctly is essential for consistency in your game. If your board height or oche distance is slightly out, you are setting yourself up for failure.
Practising on a board that isn’t set up correctly will leave you frustrated and confused when playing on a different board that has.
Having spent time and effort purchasing your perfect darts set up, it make senses to have your dart board installed correctly.
Height of board
The board must sit exactly 5 feet 8 inches from the floor to the centre of the board (the bull). This measurement can also be made as 68 inches, 1.73 metres or 173 centimetres.
Oche distance
The oche, or throwing line, is measured from the front of the board and must be 7 feet 9 and one quarter inches. This distance can be also be measured as 93.25 inches, 2.37 metres or 237 centimetres .
Bull to oche
A great way of checking your board is now set up correctly is to measure the distance from the bull to the oche. If you board is set up correctly this distance will measure 9 feet 6 inches, or 115.35 inches, 2.93 metres or 293 centimetres.
Ladies throwing distance
Generally the throwing distance for women is the same as for men. There are some leagues around the word who do have slight variations for women. These may range from 7 feet to 7 feet 6 inches.
Wheelchair set up
Traditionally the wheelchair set up for a dart board was no different from that of a normal dart board. Russ Strobel founded the WDDA, to promote equal opportunities for disabled players. Through their work it has been officially sanctioned that that the board should be set at 4 feet 6 inches (137 centimetres) compared to the standard board.
Altenative solution
Having a permanently mounted dart board in the house may not be an ideal situation for everyone. Modern house construction has left us with paper thin walls. Securing a dart board may be challenging enough. The continual pounding it get during play may damage the wall long term.
Unicorn Darts have designed a great alternative that can be assembled in minutes. It is completely portable, but more importantly takes the measuring aspect out of the set up.