You’re standing in your garage or a dimly lit pub, dart in hand, ready to channel your inner Luke Littler. But then you look down. Where exactly are your toes supposed to go? If you’re just throwing at a board slapped onto a basement door, it doesn’t really matter, right? Wrong. If you want to actually get better, you need the regulation distance. So, how far is the dart line from the board? Honestly, it depends entirely on what kind of darts you're throwing. It's not a one-size-fits-all situation, and getting it wrong by even an inch will completely mess up your muscle memory.
Most people assume there's just one universal mark. There isn't.
If you’re playing with traditional steel-tip darts on a bristle board, the distance is different than if you’re using plastic-tipped darts on an electronic board. It sounds picky. It is picky. But in a game where the difference between a Triple 20 and a measly single 1 is a matter of millimeters, that extra few inches at the floor makes all the difference in the world.
The Standard Steel-Tip Distance
Let’s talk brass tacks. For a standard bristle dartboard—the kind you see at the PDC World Darts Championship—the distance from the face of the board to the toe line (or the "oche," pronounced ok-kee) is 7 feet 9.25 inches.
That’s 237 centimeters if you’re into the metric system.
Why such a weird, specific number? It’s a bit of a historical hangover. Back in the day, the distance was often measured as three beer crates from a specific brewery (Longworth & Co., actually) laid end-to-end. Eventually, the World Darts Federation (WDF) stepped in to standardize things so people wouldn't have to carry crates around to prove a point.
Here is the thing a lot of beginners miss: the measurement is taken from the face of the board, not the wall. If your dartboard is 1.5 inches thick, and you measure from the wall, your line is going to be too close. You’ll be practicing at a distance that doesn't exist in a real tournament. You have to account for that board thickness.
A pro tip for getting this right without a second person to hold the tape measure? Drop a plumb line (basically just a string with a weight) from the front of the board to the floor. Mark that spot. Then, measure your 7 feet 9.25 inches from that mark on the floor. It’s the only way to be 100% sure.
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Soft Tip Darts Are a Different Beast
Now, if you’ve walked into a modern bar or a gaming arcade, you’ve probably seen those glowing, chirping electronic boards. These use soft-tip darts. For reasons that involve the origins of electronic darts in the United States, the distance is actually further back.
For soft-tip darts, the throw line is 8 feet exactly.
That’s 2.44 meters.
Why the extra 2.75 inches? Some say it’s because soft-tip darts are lighter and fly truer over a longer distance. Others argue it was just a way to differentiate the "bar game" from the "professional game" when electronic boards first hit the scene in the late 70s and early 80s. Whatever the reason, if you’re practicing for a soft-tip league, don’t use the steel-tip mark. You’ll find yourself hitting low constantly once you get to the venue.
Don't Forget the Vertical Height
You can't talk about how far is the dart line from the board without talking about how high the board is hanging. If the board is too low, the horizontal distance becomes irrelevant because the angle of your shot is dead wrong.
The center of the bullseye must be exactly 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) from the floor.
This is universal. Steel-tip, soft-tip, it doesn't matter. The bullseye is always at that height. It’s supposed to be eye-level for a person of "average" height, though if you're 6'5", you're going to be looking down at it.
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The Diagonal Check: The "Golden Rule" of Setup
If you want to be a real stickler for the rules—and you should be—you use the diagonal measurement. This is the ultimate way to verify your setup is perfect. It accounts for any slanting floors or slightly off-center walls.
- For Steel-Tip: The distance from the center of the bullseye to the back of the oche (the toe line) should be 9 feet 7.5 inches.
- For Soft-Tip: That diagonal distance jumps to 9 feet 9.5 inches.
If your horizontal and vertical measurements are right, the diagonal will naturally fall into place. If it doesn't? Something is crooked. Check your floor. Or your wall. Or your tape measure.
The Oche: More Than Just a Line
In a professional setting, the line isn't just a piece of tape. It’s the oche. Usually, it’s a raised bar, at least 1.5 inches high and about 2 feet wide.
Why a raised bar? Because players are notorious for "creeping." When the pressure is on and you need a double to win the match, your toes tend to slide forward. A raised oche means you can jam your foot right against it without looking down, knowing you are at the legal limit.
Interestingly, the rules say you can stand anywhere behind that line. You can stand three feet back if you want (though you shouldn't). You can also stand to the extreme left or right of the oche, as long as your feet stay behind the front edge of the line. This is a common tactic for players who are trying to find a clear path to a bed that’s already crowded with two other darts.
Common Mistakes When Setting Up
I've seen some pretty creative setups in people's basements. Most of them are wrong.
One of the biggest errors is ignoring the "lean." Some players lean so far forward over the line that their chest is practically halfway to the board. Is that legal? Yes. As long as your feet stay behind the front edge of the oche, you can lean as far forward as your balance allows. Some pros, like Michael van Gerwen, have a very pronounced lean that effectively shortens the flight distance by several inches.
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Another mistake? Measuring along the floor without accounting for the carpet. If you have a super plush carpet, your tape measure might be dipping and weaving, which actually shortens the perceived distance. Stretch that tape tight.
Why These Inches Matter for Your Game
You might think, "It’s just two inches, what's the big deal?"
Darts is a game of repetition. Your brain is a calculator. It learns exactly how much force is required to move a 23-gram tungsten barrel through the air to hit a target. If you practice at 7 feet 7 inches at home and then go to a tournament where the line is 7 feet 9.25 inches, you are going to miss low. All night. You'll be frustrated, you'll try to overcompensate, and your throw will fall apart.
Precision starts with the setup.
If you are serious about improving, you need to treat your practice space like a professional stage. Buy a dart mat. Most of them come with the distances pre-marked for both steel and soft tip. It protects your floors from "bounce-outs" (those annoying times the dart hits a wire and flies back at you) and it keeps your distance consistent.
Actionable Steps for Your Home Setup
Ready to fix your setup? Here is exactly what you need to do right now:
- Check the Bullseye Height: Measure from the floor to the dead center of the bull. It needs to be 5' 8". If it's not, move the bracket, not the floor.
- The Plumb Line Trick: Hang a piece of string from the very front face of the board (not the wall). Mark the floor where the weight touches.
- Measure the Floor Distance: From that mark on the floor, measure out 7' 9.25" for steel-tip or 8' for soft-tip.
- Confirm with the Diagonal: Run your tape measure from the bullseye to your new floor mark. For steel-tip, it should be 9' 7.5".
- Fix the Line: Don't just use a piece of masking tape that will peel off in two days. Use a proper oche sticker or, better yet, a raised piece of wood or a professional dart mat.
Setting the correct distance is the simplest thing you can do to immediately improve your consistency. You can't control how much your hand shakes in a final leg, but you can definitely control where your feet are. Get the measurements right, and the rest is just practice.