How to Hang a Dartboard

how to hang a dartboard

One thing a lot of people don't consider when they're just getting started with darts is how they're going to hang their dartboard. When I bought my first dartboard, I just figured I'd put it up on the wall wherever it fit and I could just start playing. And let me tell you, I couldn't have been more wrong.

Hanging your dartboard is extremely important because it impacts how you aim, your throwing motion and distance. Make a mistake in any of those areas and you could completely throw off your game.

That's why I always recommend following the general best practices for hanging your dartboard. I've outlined the process below, step-by-step to make it nice and simple.

Here's how to hang a dartboard: 

Materials needed to hang a dartboard

  • Tape measure
  • Stud finder
  • Dartboard and cabinet kit
  • Level
  • 2 1/2-inch wood screws
  • Power drill with long screw tip
  • Plumbline or string
  • Screwdriver
  • Location

    Dart rules insist that you need a clear area of 11ft long by 5ft wide to install your dartboard.

    Ensure that this area is away from pathways, bathrooms or doorways to ensure you that you do not need to keep disrupting the game while at play to let people pass, or worse gorge a friend's eye out with a steel dart...yikes!

    Your dart can bounce over 8 feet, so if anything delicate like windows or vases is within 3 feet on either side of the board, please move it away.

    Your space also needs to be clear of furniture or obstacles to avoid distractions and to enable you to retrieve your darts easily. Ensure that you have an area for spectators too.

    Protect your wall

    Hard walls and floors will easily dull or break your darts. Darts will also puncture wood floors or break hard floors.

    If your floors are hard to purchase a dart mat, which is made from rubber to protect your darts and the floors. Here's the mat I use, and I love it.

    You can also use it to mark the throw line’s correct distance. Apart from a dart mat, you can (and should) also use a backboard or a dart cabinet to protect the walls.

    Protect your floor

    A carpet strip or mat, about 3 feet wide and extending two feet 6 inches beyond your throw line should help keep your floor or carpeting safe.

    Carpets and other floor material may fade under the tear and wear of constant foot traffic to and from the dart board and throwing line. Again, I suggest picking up the mat I mentioned above.

    How to hang your dartboard

    According to dart rules, your board should hang 5 feet, 8 inches (173cm) from the floor to the bull’s eye. This is the eye level for persons 6 feet tall.

    dartboard setup
    1. For dart boards that are hung from the center, using your tape measure, measure 68 inches (5 feet, 8 inches) up the wall, make a mark, this should be your bull’s eye.
    2. Using a screwdriver to screw your bracket to the wall. A U shaped wall bracket works perfectly. If you want the bracket more secure, screw the bracket in with toggle bolts instead of screws.
    3. Put a short wide head screw at the exact center of the dartboard’s back, leaving it at least a quarter inch out. This is the bit that will slide into the bracket you have placed on the wall.
    4. If you have a dartboard that is hung from the top, measure the distance from the bulls-eye to the hanger and add 5 feet 8 inches to it, to get the right height to hang your dartboard. Put on the wall your bracket or screw to hang it.
    5. To ensure your board surface is on an even plane, attach to the back of the board the rubber feet or metal strips that are provided by the manufacturer.
    6. Hang your dartboard flush to the wall, not slanted.

    I should also mention that some dartboards include everything you need for installation. But many don't, which is why I put together this guide on how to hang a dartboard.

    Here's a video that'll walk you through how to hang a dartboard as well:

    How to determine your throw line

    In darts, the throwing or toe line for steel tips is 3 feet wide and 7 feet 9.25 inches (2.37m) while for soft tipped darts it is 8 feet from the face of the board.

    This distance should be measured from the face of the board, excluding the little space between the face of the board and the wall.

    • To determine this distance drop a plumb line or string from the face of the board to the floor and make a mark. Measure 7 feet 9.25 inches (2.37m) to determine your throw line. Put a mark or tape and you are ready to go.

    Ensure that the floor is level

    Here's something most people never even think about, but you want to make sure the floor in the room you're hanging your dartboard is level. Having a level floor improves your stance and prevents any imbalances.

    Using a level, ensure that your floor is level. If your floor isn't leveled, you can add cardboard under your dart mat or carpet to even out the imbalance.

    Voila! You can now call your friends for some stress relief and mental math boost as you play this game for gentle people.

    Dartsharp.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.