No Guessing the Throwing Line: Standard Distances for Steel-Tip and Soft-Tip Darts

Among the rule differences between steel-tip and soft-tip darts, the throwing line (oche) distance is the most fundamental and easily confused. Given that the bullseye height is uniformly set at 1.73 meters, the throwing distance is the key parameter distinguishing the two formats.

Standard Distances

Steel-tip darts: 2.37 meters (exactly 7 feet 9.25 inches). This standard applies to the PDC, WDF, and the vast majority of steel-tip championships.

Soft-tip darts: 2.44 meters (exactly 8 feet). This is the standard adopted by mainstream soft-tip leagues like Dartslive and Phoenix, as well as most electronic dartboard manufacturers.

The difference between the two is only 7 centimeters, but it has a significant impact on muscle memory. It is crucial to strictly align your daily training with the specific event you will be competing in.

Measurement Method

The Horizontal Measure: When measuring, note that the distance must be measured horizontally from the front face of the dartboard (the vertical plane of the board) to the edge of the throwing line closest to the board, not from the wall.

The Diagonal Check: If double-checking by pulling a diagonal line from the bullseye to the throwing line, it is approximately 2.93 meters for steel-tip and 2.99 meters for soft-tip.

Common Pitfall: A frequent mistake is pressing the measuring tape directly against the wall. This results in a shorter actual throwing distance, as the thickness of the board and mounting hardware typically makes the front of the board protrude 3–5 cm from the wall. Practicing from a distance that is too close will negatively affect your tournament performance.

Marking the Line: When laying down the line, you can use a dedicated dart mat or tape. Whichever method you choose, ensure the edge of the throwing line closest to the board accurately matches the distances above. Additionally, the line should be at least 60 centimeters long (professional tournaments usually require 91 cm or more) to ensure legal foot placement.

Remember these numbers, and you will never mix up the throwing line positions again.