Regulation Dart Board Height

If you've never had your own dart board, you probably have no idea of how to hang it. You don't want to get it wrong, or you'll risk being the mockery of all your buddies. Hanging a dart board is quite simple once you review the regulations. The World Darts Federation is a large regulatory body of tournament play with affiliate organizations throughout the world. Their rules serve as the default for tournaments, bars and homes alike.

Height

Hang the dart board at 5 feet 8 inches. This measurement is from the ground to the center of the board, not the top.

Significance

If you think 5 feet 8 inches seems like an arbitrary number, it's not. The easy explanation for this height is that it's approximately eye level for someone who is 6 feet tall. Therefore, your eyes would be aligned with the center of the board.

Measuring and Hanging

The measurement you take depends upon the type of dart board you have. More expensive bristle boards are hung from the center. You insert a screw into the back of the board and hang it onto the mounting bracket. Therefore, the measurement is a simple 5 feet 8 inches from the floor. Lesser quality boards are hung from the top. The center still needs to be at 5 feet 8 inches, so to get the hanging height, you'll need to measure from the center of the board to the inner top of the hanger. Then add that to your 5-foot-8-inch measurement.

Function

The hung dart board plays an integral role in designating your throwing area. The toe line, which is a marking on the floor designating the closest distance to throw the dart from, is 7 feet 9 1/4 inches back from the front of the board. Hang a plumb down from the center of the dart board and measure back from the plumb. The toe line, also called a hockey, can be either a raised bar that is an inch and a half high or a piece of tape or other flush designation. When using a raised hockey, the measurement goes to the back. When using a flush marking, the measurement is to the front.

Alternative Measurement

If you don't have a plumb, you could also measure directly from the center of the board. The diagonal measurement from the board to the back of the hockey or front of the flush toe line is 9 feet 7 3/8 inches.