Dartboard Setup

Location:
Low traffic area, free of breakables with no clutter or obstacles between the oche and the board - around 5 ft wide by 11 ft long is ideal.

Ideal floor is carpet or use a rubber mat. Concrete can damage darts and darts will damage wooded or vinyl floors.

Mark the oche with some sort of line - tape, wooden/metal block.

A rubber darts mat will achieve all this for you. Your floor and darts will be protected and the correct throwing distance will be marked out.

Leave sufficient clearance around the throwing area for the non thrower and any spectators. Also leave room for a score board and scorer to the side of the board.

Hanging The Board:
The dartboard is positioned exactly 5 feet and 8 inches from the centre of the bullseye to the floor in a plumb line.

Use a backboard or a rubber surround to protect the wall area around the board.

Marking The Throw Line:
The throw line, oche, toe-line or hockey should be around 3 feet wide and should be exactly 7 feet 9 1/4 inches from the face of the board. This is the standard steel-tipped setup. For soft-tipped darts, the line should be 8 feet from the face of the board.

Lighting:
You should take care to light your dartboard correctly. Dart players need to be able to see where a dart has landed without adjusting their position. Ideally use 2 lamps, left and right of the board, mounted on the ceiling. The aim is to have a brightly lit throwing area with minimal shadow.