How to set up a dartboard

One of the most common of all questions from our dart customers is how to set up a dartboard. 

By 'setting up a dartboard' we mean the correct height and distance a dartboard needs to be placed from the OCHE. Oche, pronounced ‘Okey’, is often referred to as the ‘throwing line’, ‘throw line’ or ‘toe-line’. The oche is the distance marker from the face of the dartboard where a player stands, with their toe or foot on or behind the Oche, not over it, whilst throwing their darts.

OK lets get your 'How to set up a dartboard' lesson underway! :)

If you have just taken delivery of a new dartboard you will find the package contains a little plastic bag full of little hardware tid bits and screws. This is the dartboard mounting kit. If you have purchased or been given a second hand dartboard more than likely will need to purchase a new dartboard mounting kit unless the people you got the dartboard from were nice enough to supply the original mounting kit as well. If you weren't supplied a dartboard mounting kit, don't despair, any good dart supply shop will have dartboard mounting brackets available as a spare part. Spare dartboard mounting brackets not only replace original missing brackets, but also allows you to have your dartboard in different areas of your home, inside during winter, outside during summer!

The standard dartboard mounting kit includes a wall mount fixing bracket, short stubby dartboard screw, leaf springs, leaf spring nails or tacks and long wall bracket fixing screws. First nail the leaf springs to the back of the dartboard 7 1/4 inches (180mm) from the centre screw hole and at the 20, 8 and 10 number segments. Holding the dartboard on its edge will make it easy to pencil mark the 20, 8 and 10 positions on the back of the dartboard. The leaf springs act as little shock absorbing stabilisers so the dartboard doesn't bang and slam against the wall when hit by darts, as well as, helping to reduce dart barrel fatigue and impact noise. 

Next, screw in the shorter stubby screw to the centre of the back of the dartboard, you will see a pre-drilled hole so you don't need to try and measure this position. Leave about 3-4 mm of thread between the back of the dartboard and the bottom of the screw head to allow for hooking into the dartboard mounting bracket. If necessary, you can adjust the screw depth once the mounting bracket is in place.

Depending on where you are going to mount your dartboard you will need either 2 x wall plugs for a solid brick wall, or suitable fixings for a dry wall or plasterboard wall. These are available from you local hardware store. Measure 5 foot 8 inches (173cm or 1.73 meters) from the floor and put a pencil mark at the measurement. Hold the wall mounting bracket against the wall with the bottom of the 'U' cut-out about 2mm below the pencil mark. Mark the 2 wall bracket mounting hole positions on either side of the 'U'. Drill small pilot holes at these marks to avoid mis-drilling then drill the wall plug holes for the mounting bracket. Insert wall plugs, or dry wall fixings, then using the 2 long screws, in the mounting kit, fix the mounting bracket into position, with the flat side of the bracket against the wall.

Place the dartboard back centre screw in the U cut out of the mounting bracket and check for stability. The board should be a snug fit against the wall and without any wobble. If necessary you can adjust the dartboard back mounting screw to achieve a firm and stable fit.

Below you will find more information and diagram on dartboard mounting distances and set-up.

Thank you to the nice people at abcsports.com.au for their permission 

their images and information to produce this info-blog post.