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A dart board can provide hours of entertainment, but you'll want to keep safety in mind when setting up the board - especially if steel-tipped darts. The board should be placed at the proper height, and the throw line should be at the regulation distance from the board. Study the room where the board will be placed before installing it.
Protect Your Walls
Darts won't always hit a bristle or electronic dart board, so you'll want to place the board on a backboard or inside a cabinet to protect the walls. Consult the dart board user manual for information on what hardware is needed to hang the unit.
To decrease the chance of injury, it's wise to avoid placing the dart board in high-traffic areas. Darts can bounce 8 feet or farther, so make sure nothing breakable is within 2 to 3 feet from either side of the board. An area 5-feet wide and 11-feet long is the minimum suggested playing space.
The regulation height of a dart board is 5 feet, 8 inches from the floor to the center of the bullseye. Measuring is easy for quality boards that are hung from the center. Boards that hang from the top will need to be measured from the center of the bullseye to the hanger.
The type of floor in the playing area is important. A concrete, stone, or tile floor will break darts or dull the dart points. Steel-tip darts can poke holes in a wood, linoleum, or vinyl floor. Carpet will show wear from continuous dart play. A dart mat can protect the floor.
Marking the Throw Line
Setting the throw line at the proper distance is just as important as the height of the dart board. For a steel-tipped setup, the regulation throw line is exactly 7 feet, 9 1/4 inches from the face of the board. The distance is 8 feet from the face of the board for soft-tipped darts. The line itself should be around 3 feet wide.
Depending on the floor surface, you can mark the measurement on the floor with chalk or tape to establish the front edge of the throw line. Place 2 feet of the throw line tape in a straight line. The front edge of the tape is as close as a thrower can stand.
It's important to make sure the throw line is at the exact distance from the board, because that's the measurement recognized by the World Darts Federation. It's the same distance you'll find at businesses with dart boards. However, if you travel overseas to play, you may see variations in throw-line distances.
Dart playing is growing in popularity as an enjoyable way to pass the time. You'll get more fun from the game by taking the time to properly set up your dart board.
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