by C. Vosler

Created on: March 26, 2008   Last Updated: April 15, 2008

Stepping into the world of darts is very easy and with a little bit of effort you can have a beautiful setup in your own home. The first step, of course, is the board. Steer away from the thin, flimsy boards that are generally made of paper and instead go for the higher quality dartboards that are thicker and are generally made from sisal.

With board in hand it's time to build the arena. Setting up a dartboard doesn't take too much space. The actual playing area only needs to be about 4 feet by 10 feet, but it's nice to have extra room to the side for other players and spectators. Generally the corner of a room works well.

When choosing the area for your dartboard it's important to consider the surroundings of the playing area. Most people hang their boards on drywall or paneling, but you have to remember that there will be plenty of times where the darts don't hit the board. No big deal if you don't mind doing some periodic patching, but there are ways to help protect the walls and make the area even more appealing. One of the best ways is to get a piece of plywood to attach to the wall under the board. This backer board will cover a much larger area than the dartboard and it can even be stained or painted to make the playing area shine. Even with this precaution it's important to remember that there will still be misfires, especially if you have kids or drunken neighbors around. However, the backer board will hopefully collect of large percentage of the misses.

In addition to the walls, don't forget about the floor either. The darts won't always stay in the board or backer board and they will fall to the ground many times with the point down. If you have hardwood or vinyl tile flooring under the board you will get holes in that area. A much safer bet is either carpeting or a hard floor such as concrete or ceramic tile.
Once the area is set, the final step is hanging the board and marking the throwing line. Officially, the center of the bullseye should be 5 feet 8 inches from the floor. This is roughly eye or nose level for an average person. The line, or oche (sounds like hockey) as it's known in darts, should be 7 feet 9 inches from the front of the board. If you measure from the wall make sure to add the thickness of your board.

Everything's now in place and it should be game on. Whether your game is 501 or cricket, your set up should be the envy of the neighborhood. Good luck and keep the darts out of the wall.

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