Short answer: To hang a dartboard, fix it so the centre of the bull is 1.73 m from the floor, with the dark 20 segment at the top. Mark the oche 2.37 m from the face of the board, measured along the floor. Check the diagonal from bull to oche: 2.93 m.
By Andy Gibson · Updated 18 October 2026
What height should a dartboard be?
The centre of the bull sits 1.73 m above the floor. Darts Australia's playing rules and the World Darts Federation (WDF) rules both set this figure, measured straight up from the floor at the level of the oche. The PDC uses the same height. Measure to the centre of the bull, not to the bracket or the top of the board.
How far is the oche from the dartboard?
For steel tip darts the oche (the throw line) is 2.37 m from the face of the board, measured horizontally along the floor. Measure from a point on the floor directly below the board face to the edge of the oche your toes stop at. The rules measure from the face of the board, not the wall, so a cabinet or a thick bracket doesn't change the distance you mark.
Check your work with the diagonal: from the centre of the bull to that edge of the oche at floor level is 2.93 m. If the height is 1.73 m and the diagonal is 2.93 m, the oche is in the right place.
| Measurement | Steel tip standard | How to measure |
|---|---|---|
| Bull height | 1.73 m | Floor (at oche level) to the centre of the bull |
| Oche distance | 2.37 m | Along the floor, from directly below the board face to the oche |
| Diagonal | 2.93 m | Centre of the bull to the oche at floor level |
| Board orientation | Dark 20 at top centre | Check before you tighten the bracket |
| Waiting line (competition) | 1.5 m behind the oche | Where the next player stands; useful for planning room length |
Sources: Darts Australia playing rules (as published in the WA Government sports dimensions guide), WDF playing rules clauses 4.03, 6.01 and 6.02, and the PDC rules.
What should you mount a dartboard on?
Most boards hang from one central fixing, so mount it on something solid.
- A timber stud or masonry. The best option. Board makers' instructions advise fixing into a wall stud wherever you can.
- Plasterboard only. The screws supplied with most boards aren't designed for hollow walls, plasterboard or brick. Use wall plugs or hollow-wall anchors rated for the weight of the board.
- A surround or cabinet. Either protects the wall from darts that miss the board. A cabinet also closes over the board when it isn't in use.
Lights need thought too. Winmau says the centre screw on the back of its boards is designed to take the weight of the board, and that heavier add-ons, such as some lights, can overload it. For those it recommends a light that fixes to the wall instead of the board, such as the Winmau Plasma.
Choose your option
Choose your option
Choose your option
How do you hang a dartboard, step by step?
- Pick the spot. You need at least 2.37 m in front of the board to the oche, plus room to stand and walk behind it. Keep it away from windows, anything breakable and any path people walk across.
- Mark the height. Mark 1.73 m on the wall for the centre of the bull. Check your bracket's instructions for where the wall plate sits relative to the board centre, so the bull, not the bracket, ends up at 1.73 m.
- Fix the bracket. Screw the wall plate into a stud or masonry with fixings suited to the wall, and check it is level.
- Hang the board. Fit the board with the dark 20 segment at the top centre, sitting flush to the wall rather than leaning out like a picture.
- Measure the oche. Drop a plumb line or hold a square from the board face to the floor, measure 2.37 m out along the floor and mark it.
- Check the diagonal. Measure from the centre of the bull to your oche mark: it should read 2.93 m.
- Mark the oche. Use tape, a mat with the oche built in, or a laser or fold-out oche.
Plan for turning the board. Winmau recommends removing the number ring and turning the board a few segments at regular intervals to spread wear, so a dartboard bracket that lets the board come off and go back on easily saves time.
Do you need a dart mat, oche and light?
- Dart mat. Shot recommends one on hard floors, where dropped darts land. Winmau's Pro Zone Precision mats have the oche built in at the official tournament distance.
- Oche. If the mat doesn't include one, a laser or fold-out oche marks the line without tape on the floor.
- Light. The WDF rules require board lights to be screened so no light shines in the player's eyes at the oche, and extra lighting must not cast shadows on the board. A dedicated dartboard light does the same job at home.
Choose your option
Choose your option
Choose your option
Choose your option
Frequently asked questions
How high do you hang a dartboard?
1.73 m from the floor to the centre of the bull.
How far do you stand from a dartboard?
The oche is 2.37 m from the face of the board, measured along the floor.
Is the oche measured from the wall or the board?
From the face of the board. Drop a plumb line from the board face to the floor and measure from there.
What is the diagonal distance from the bull to the oche?
2.93 m, from the centre of the bull to the oche at floor level. It confirms both the height and the oche distance at once.
Can you hang a dartboard on plasterboard?
Fix into a stud if you can. If not, use hollow-wall anchors rated for the weight; the screws supplied with most boards aren't designed for plasterboard.
Which way up does a dartboard go?
With the dark 20 segment at the top centre.
How much room do you need for a dartboard?
2.37 m from the board to the oche, plus room to stand and step back. Competition rules put a waiting line 1.5 m behind the oche.
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