Dart Board Dimensions

Darts is an exciting sport that many people love to play because of its numerous interesting rules and aspects. It is highly popular in countries such as Canada, the United States as well as the Netherlands. Furthermore, it is highly regarded as a traditional pub game in the United Kingdom. First played in the 1870s, this sport is governed by the Professional Darts Corporation and the World Darts Federation. Aside from these things, it is interesting to know the different dart board dimensions.

The Dimensions of a Dart Board

In terms of dimensions, a regulation-size dart board has a diameter measuring 17¾-inches or 47.08 centimeters. It is equally divided into 20 different sections. The board is usually set at 5-feet and 8-inches from the floor, with the bulls-eye as the basis of measurement. For people who are 6-feet tall, this height is in the same level as their eyes. Meanwhile, the line where the player must throw the darts, which is also called the oche, is usually 7-feet and 9¼-inches away from the board. Diagonally, the distance between the oche and the bulls-eye is 9-feet and 7-3/8-inches.

Additional Facts and Other Highly Interesting Details

According to sports historians, the origins of the dart board can be traced back to the cross-section of a tree. The London board is an interesting variation, which is divided equally into 12 segments. They are numbered 10, 15, 5, 20, 10, 15, 5, 20, 10, 15, 5 and 20. In terms of width, each of the different trebles and doubles in this type of board measures a quarter of an inch. In a standard dart board, there are 20 different numbered sections. The scores range from as low as 1 to as high as 20. Each of these sections is subdivided into triple, double and single areas.

Today, some of the top players of the game compete in a number of tournaments and special competitions organized by governing bodies such as the Professional Darts Corporation. These include major tournaments like the World Grand Prix, the Las Vegas Desert Classic and the Premier League. Likewise, some of the best competitors of the sport also join the World Matchplay, the UK Open as well as the World Championship.

As of June 2009, the top international dart players include Raymond van Barneveld of the Netherlands, James Wade of England and Phil Taylor, who is also from England. There are also several notable women dart players, some of the most popular of which are Julie Gore of Wales, Irina Armstrong of Russia and Trina Gulliver of England.