Choose the board first, then buy darts and replacement tips approved for it. Steel-tip and electronic soft-tip setups differ in equipment and can differ in throwing distance, so a single generic room diagram is not enough.
Treat the board and darts as a matched system
Check the board’s specified tip type, permitted dart weight and replacement-tip requirements. Do not assume interchangeable tips make every dart suitable for every board. For an electronic board, confirm scoring behavior, power needs and the exact games included; for a conventional board, decide how scores will be recorded.
| Check | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Board construction | The maker’s approved dart and tip type |
| Throwing line | The measurement required by the exact setup or competition |
| Power | Adapter, batteries and cable route where applicable |
| Scoring | Manual scorekeeping or supported electronic features |
| Replacement parts | Exact tips, segments or accessories for the model |
Two official setup examples
Winmau’s Blade X setup guide places the bull at 1.73 meters and the horizontal throwing line 2.37 meters from the board face. Arachnid’s Galaxy guide specifies a 68-inch bull height and 96-inch throw-line distance from the darthead face. The different horizontal distances demonstrate why soft-tip and steel-tip setup advice should be scoped to the relevant product or rules.
Do not measure from the wall if the board face projects into the room. A cabinet, bracket or electronic housing changes that offset. The height reference is the finished floor where the player stands, not the bottom edge of a decorative cabinet.
Plan the surrounding area
Keep the throwing lane clear of through-traffic and allow space to retrieve darts without crossing another player’s throw. Check wall and floor protection and the manufacturer’s mounting instructions. These are setup considerations, not a claim that a surround can catch every missed dart. If the room cannot provide the required lane, choose a different location rather than quietly shortening the distance and calling it regulation.
Sources and method
This is a researched decision guide. Product facts were checked against the primary sources below on November 2, 2026. Selection advice and worked examples are editorial reasoning. This guide does not include hands-on testing.
