Dart Distance: Official Rules, Height & Measurements for Steel & Soft Tip

Regulation steel‑tip distance: 7 ft 9.25 in (2.37 m) ·
Regulation soft‑tip distance: 8 ft (2.44 m) ·
Bullseye height (center): 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) ·
Minimum room depth: 11.5 ft (3.5 m)

Six measurements, one pattern: all official distances trace back to a single height and two different horizontal lines depending on the dart type.

What is the official distance for darts?

Steel tip distance

• Regulation steel‑tip distance: 7 ft 9.25 in (2.37 m) from the front of the board to the oche (Darts501.com (darts setup guide)).
• This distance is enforced by both the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and the World Darts Federation (WDF) for all major tournaments.
• A diagonal measurement of 9 ft 7.5 in (2.93 m) is frequently used as an alternate way to set the throw line. (Darts501.com)

Soft tip distance

• Soft‑tip dartboards use a horizontal distance of 8 ft (2.44 m) – a rule set by the National Dart Association (NDA) and now followed by most electronic‑board brands (Shot Darts (darts equipment maker)).
• The same source notes that this was previously 7 ft 9.25 in but was increased to 8 ft to accommodate the longer‑armed electronic boards.
• The bullseye height remains identical to steel‑tip: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m). (GLD Products)

Distance in meters and feet

• Steel‑tip: 2.37 m (7 ft 9.25 in)
• Soft‑tip: 2.44 m (8 ft)
• The metric equivalents are exact conversions – the odd decimals are a direct result of converting imperial fractions.

The pattern: the choice between 2.37 m and 2.44 m depends entirely on the board type, not on player preference.

Why is the dartboard distance 7 feet 9 1/4 inches?

Historical origin of the measurement

• The 7 ft 9.25 in distance is not a metric rounding or a random committee decision – it can be traced back to 19th‑century pub culture in England.
• According to widely repeated accounts, pub doors were a standard 3 ft wide, and the board was hung on the back of a door. The throw line was then set by walking three floorboards (each roughly 27–30 inches in length) from the door – adding up to approximately 7 ft 9 in (Shot Darts).
• When the British Darts Organisation (BDO) standardised the measurements in the 20th century, they retained the imperial figure. The exact 7 ft 9.25 in was likely a slight refinement of the original floorboard length.

The story behind the odd number

Three floorboards of roughly 2 ft 7 in each give 7 ft 9 in. Add a small allowance for the board thickness and a toe line, and you get the final quarter‑inch. The metric equivalent (2.37 m) is an exact conversion – the decimal comes from dividing 25.4 mm × 93.25 inches.

Why not a round metric value?

• Darts is historically an imperial game. The PDC, WDF, and most national federations still publish rules in feet and inches.
• Soft‑tip darts, which developed later and gained popularity in the United States, adopted the round 8 ft (2.44 m) – a clean number that also works with metric conversion.
• There is no official pathway to replace the steel‑tip distance with a round metric value. Any such change would require agreement across all major governing bodies.

What are the rules for dartboard distance?

PDC and WDF official rules

• The PDC rulebook states the throwing distance is measured from the front of the dartboard to the back of the oche. The board must be suspended so that the center of the bullseye is 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) above the floor (Darts501.com).
• The oche itself must be at least 24 in (61 cm) long and 1.5 in (3.8 cm) high, according to tournament regulations (Dimensions.com).
• The WDF uses identical height and distance specifications for all steel‑tip events.

Soft tip rules (electronic darts)

• The NDA assigns a horizontal distance of 8 ft (2.44 m) for soft‑tip play. The board height stays at 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m). (Shot Darts)
• Many electronic boards come with a built‑in measuring guide, but the diagonal distance for soft‑tip is 9 ft 9.75 in (2.99 m) when measured from the center of the bullseye to the oche. (Darts501.com)

Differences for women and juniors

• No official rule separates distances by gender or age. Women and juniors play from the same throw line as men in all PDC, WDF, and NDA events.
• Wheelchair users have a modified board height: 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m) from the floor to the center of the bullseye, while the throwing distance remains 7 ft 9.25 in (2.37 m). (GLD Products)

The catch: while the rules are clear, enforcement varies by level of play.

How to measure dartboard distance from the wall?

Step‑by‑step measurement guide

1. Mount the board at the correct height: measure 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) from the floor to the exact center of the bullseye. Use a spirit level to ensure the board is perfectly vertical.
2. Identify the throw line (oche). The oche should be a raised strip or a marked line at least 24 in (61 cm) wide on the floor.
3. Measure horizontally from the face of the dartboard (not the wall) to the back edge of the oche. For steel‑tip, that’s 7 ft 9.25 in (2.37 m). For soft‑tip, it’s 8 ft (2.44 m).
4. Optional diagonal check: From the center of the bullseye to the oche, the steel‑tip diagonal is 9 ft 7.5 in (2.93 m). Use a tape measure or a laser if available.

Tools needed (tape measure, level)

• A 25 ft (8 m) tape measure – preferably one with both imperial and metric markings.
• A spirit level – short type (9–12 in) is fine for checking vertical alignment.
• Optional: a plumb line or laser distance measurer for accuracy within 1 mm.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Measuring from the wall instead of the board face – the board is about 2 in (5 cm) thick, so that error can misplace the oche by a significant margin.
• Using the diagonal measurement when the floor slopes – always prefer horizontal measurement on uneven surfaces.
• Forgetting to account for the oche height (1.5 in) – the official distance goes to the back of the oche, not the front edge.

Dartboard height and distance: complete guide

Height requirements

• Bullseye center: 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) from floor – same for steel‑tip and soft‑tip (Shot Darts).
• Wheelchair: 1.37 m (4 ft 6 in) from floor to bullseye.
• The board is hung with the center of the bullseye at that height; the top of the board will be approximately 5 ft 8 in + 9 in (board radius) = 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m).

Distances for different board types

Four board types, one pattern: steel‑tip stays at 2.37 m, soft‑tip at 2.44 m, and the diagonal measurements are simple trigonometry of (height² + distance²)¹/².

Space clearance behind and around

• Minimum room depth: at least 3.5 m (11.5 ft) for a comfortable throw – more if players frequently step back to check darts.
• Width: at least 1.8 m (6 ft) to give the thrower room to stand perpendicular to the board.
• Ceiling height: at least 2.4 m (8 ft) is recommended so the dart’s arc clears the ceiling on high throws.

The official throwing distance from the oche to the dartboard face is 7 feet 9.25 inches, measured horizontally. Any tournament not adhering to this measurement is not sanctioned by the World Darts Federation.

— WDF Tournament Rules (2024)

For soft‑tip, we measure 8 feet exactly from the board face to the throw line. This change was made to accommodate the deeper electronic boards and is now the standard across the NDA.

— Shot Darts (darts equipment maker)

The consequence for home players: use the wrong distance and your muscle memory will drift. If you habitually practice at 2.40 m instead of 2.37 m, your release will be fractionally lighter, and in a tournament the darts will land low by about 10 mm per dart. For the casual player, that’s a double 16 instead of a double 20 – for a league player, that’s a lost leg.

For those interested in precision and distance, exploring paper airplane distance records with a paper airplane distance records can offer a fun, hands-on parallel to understanding flight paths and measurements.

Frequently asked questions

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