Apt Dartboard Height For You!

According to the World Dart Federation, the official governing body of the sport, the standard dartboard height measurements are 1.73 meters or 5 feet 8 inches. This is the eye-line of an average 6 feet tall person.
Darts is traditionally played in a pub, although now it’s played as a competitive sport around the world.

It is played by throwing small darts at a circular dartboard. Points are scored by hitting specific areas of the dartboard. The game is generally played between two people, throwing three darts per turn. The World Darts Federation(WDF) is the official governing body of the sport and is responsible for organizing tournaments around the world.

Standard Measurements

Setting up the dartboard correctly is an important part of the game of darts. It is a bit tricky, but for the game to be standard, strict measurements must be followed. The standard conditions to set up a dartboard, as per the guidelines of the World Darts Federation are :

1. The dartboard height should be 1.73 meters (5 feet 8 inches) from the floor. This distance should be measured from the bullseye of the dartboard to the floor.
2. The dartboard should be set up 2.37 meters (7 feet 9 and quarter inches) from the Ochie. The distance should be measured from the front of the dartboard. This is called as horizontal throwline distance
3. The diagonal throwline distance: After the dartboard has been setup, make sure that the centre of the dartboard is 2.93 meters (9 feet 7 and a half inches) away from the Ochie.

The main terms to note here are :
Bullseye of the dartboard: the centre of the dartboard consisting of concentric circles. It is divided into an inner bull and an outer bull.
Ochie: In layman terms, it is called as the throwing line. It can be defined as the line behind which a player is supposed to stand.

Variation Of Dartboard Height For Different Boards

Even though there are standard measurements given by the World Darts Federation, the type of dartboard that you use, plays a big role in determining the dartboard height and measurements. The standard measurements, given above, are for a Bristle steel tip dartboard. This is one of the most commonly used dartboards across the world. Bristle dartboards are known for their robust performance and the dartboard height is the standard 1.73 meters.

For Bristle dartboards, the darts used are of the steel tip variety. Steel tip darts have metal points and are usually heavier, and are used for precision throws. Steel tip is made from the alloy of iron and carbon, gives strength and durability to the darts.

Another variant of darts used commonly today is the Soft tip dart. Made from moulded plastic, it provides safety to the player. Soft tip darts are a recent addition to darts, and nowadays, they have attained popularity among the crowds. Although soft tip darts are safe, they are more prone to damage due to regular usage. 

Soft tip darts are used along with electronic dartboards. Like soft tip darts, electronic dartboards are a fairly recent addition to the sport. It is comparatively easier for players to score on electronic boards than in their bristle counterparts. 

Electronic dartboards allow for multiplayer games. You can play with people from different countries in real-time. If this isn’t a perk, I don’t know what else is. The dartboard height for electronic dartboards is the standard 1.73 meters. The horizontal throw line is increased to 8 feet.

American darts, the variant of darts played in eastern parts of the U.S.A, uses a dartboard that is completely different from the traditional dartboard. Most noticeable is the absence of the iconic black and green colours of the traditional dartboard. Basswood is used to make the boards, with rotatable centres. This is done so that the damage from regular users will be more even.

The American darts not only have a different type of dartboard, but its setup measurements are also entirely different. The conditions for mounting a dartboard for American darts are :

1. Dartboard Height (Height from the floor to centre of the cork): 1.60 meters
2. Horizontal Throwline Distance (Back of the dartboard to Ochie): 2.21 meters
3. Diagonal Throwline Distance (Center of the cork to Ochie): 2.73 meters

The main difference to note is the term “cork”. This is the centre bullseye of the American dartboard. Unlike the traditional dartboard, American ones don’t have the inner bull and outer bull, just one centre cork. Another difference is the measurement of the horizontal throwline distance. It is measured from the back of the dartboard, instead of the front of the board, like traditional practice. 

The game of darts originated in England as a military pastime. Even though the game is played around the world, England is considered to be the birthplace of modern darts. It is interesting to note that there are regional varieties of the dartboard with its unique mounting features. Some of them have been lost to time and others have been modified to the versions we see today. 

The prominent among regional dartboards is the Yorkshire Dartboard. Named after the place it originated, the Yorkshire Dartboard is the forerunner of the London Dartboard, which is considered as the standard dartboard. It is also referred to as clock dartboard. 

Yorkshire Dartboard was set up according to the measurements :

1. Dartboard Height (Height from floor to centre bull): 1.676 meters
2. Horizontal Throwline Distance (Front of the board to Ochie): 2.184 meters
3. Diagonal Throwline Distance (Center of the bull to Ochie): 2.743 meters

The dartboard height and measurements for the standard London Dartboard is given as :

1. Dartboard Height (Height from floor to centre bull): 1.73 meters
2. Horizontal Throwline Distance (Front of the board to Ochie):2.37 meters
3. Diagonal Throwline Distance (Center of the bull to Ochie): 2.93 meters

For people with disability, the dartboard height and measurements are :

1. Dartboard Height (Height from floor to centre bull): 1.37 meters
2. Horizontal Throwline Distance (Front of the board to Ochie):2.37 meters
3. Diagonal Throwline Distance (Center of the bull to Ochie): 2.74 meters

Lincoln dartboard is another one of England’s regional dartboards. Made distinctively in black colour, the Lincoln dartboard is designed after the Yorkshire dartboard with a double ring and centre bullseye. The dartboard height and measurements for the Lincoln dartboard are as follows :

1. Dartboard Height (Height from the floor to centre bull): 1.73 meters
2. Horizontal Throwline Distance (Front of the dartboard to Ochie): 2.134 meters
3. Diagonal Throwline Distance (Center bull to Ochie): 2.74 meters

The London fives dartboard or the narrow fives dartboard is used rarely these days. A sight to behold in the East End of London, the London Fives Dartboard has twelve sets, narrow double and treble scoring areas. Hence the name, Narrow fives dartboard.

The dartboard height and measurements for this board are :

1. Dartboard Height (Height from the floor to centre bull): 1.676 meters
2. Horizontal Throwline Distance (Front of the dartboard to Ochie): 2.743 meters
3. Diagonal Throwline Distance (Center bull to Ochie): 3.2 meters

The Ipswich Fives dartboard or the wide fives dartboard is the classic fives dartboard with standard double and treble scoring areas. The mounting setup for the Wide fives board is supposed to follow the standard measurements.

The Manchester or Log end dartboard is a unique, double-sided, wooden dartboard. The small area of the Manchester dartboard makes it the hardest to play on. The Manchester dartboard is jet black and has two different dartboard height measurements based on the game. The dartboard height and other measurements are given below:

1. Dartboard Height (Height from the floor to centre bull): 1.61 meters
2. Horizontal Throwline Distance (Front of the dartboard to Ochie): 2.29 meters
3. Diagonal Throwline Distance (Center bull to Ochie): 2.79 meters

Another set of dartboard height and measurements used for the Manchester board are :

1. Dartboard Height (Height from the floor to centre bull): 1.68 meters
2. Horizontal Throwline Distance (Front of the dartboard to Ochie): 2.29 meters
3. Diagonal Throwline Distance (Center bull to Ochie): 2.84 meters

Dartboard Height For Wheel Chair Users

Darts is a precision game. In a game of darts, a person without the ability to stand up without aid, have a huge disadvantage against a normal person. Russ Strobel, the founder of World Disability Darts Association, submitted a petition in 2010 to reduce the dartboard height to 1.37 meters. It was approved and accepted as the standard dartboard height for wheelchair users.

It was mentioned earlier that the standard dartboard height of 1.73 meters was based on the eye-level of a 6 feet tall person. Russ Strobel calculated the eye-level of the same 6 feet tall person if he was sitting in a wheelchair. The figure came out to be 1.365 meters. It was rounded off to 1.37 meters for ease of recollection.

The standard measurements for dartboard set up for people with disability are :

1. Dartboard Height (Height from the floor to centre bull): 1.37 meters
2. Horizontal Throwline Distance (Front of the dartboard to Ochie): 2.37 meters
3. Diagonal Throwline Distance (Center bull to Ochie): 2.74 meters 

The additional rule to this is both the rear wheels of the wheelchair must be behind the Ochie(throwing line).

Conclusion:

From my research, I observed that the dartboard height mainly depends on the type of dartboard that is being used. Although we can decide on the measurements according to our preferences, to gain professional attention to our play, I would recommend using standard measurements. The darts community is kind of a stickler to traditions, hence using traditional measurements would help in naming yourself as a professional player.