BOARD SETUP & MORE  Choosing Your Location -
When deciding where you wish to hang your board, care should be taken to ensure the floor does not slope away from the wall. If this is the case, the height of the bullseye will not be located the correct height from the floor in relationship to where the player is standing. In this, the location of your board will need to be adjusted either up or down, whichever the case may be. -
The area you choose should be approximately 5 feet in width and 11 feet in length, allowing enough cleared area to avoid distractions from the thrower. -
There needs to be a place for a score board in sight from the line, preferably right next to the board. -
The area should be isolated from high traffic areas to avoid interruption of the game, distraction from the game, as well as any injury risk. -
Darts do bounce several feet, so avoid breakable items in the immediate area. -
There should be adequate room for spectators and players in the room away from the immediate sight of the thrower. -
Consider your type of floor to decide on using a throw line sticker for soft-tip or steel-tip, a piece of tape, a screwed down wood or metal bar (oche), or a dart mat. Also, make sure you know the rule for where to stand on your particular toeline. If the toeline is a raised oche, the proper distance is measured to the back side (most further from the dartboard) of the oche where the player's foot will rest against it. Players may NOT stand on the oche. However, if the toe line is a length of tape or throw line sticker, the proper distance is measured to the front side of the mark (closest to the dartboard). In this case, the player may stand on, but not over the line.
Hanging Your Board  Your board will need to be hung exactly 5 feet 8 inches from the floor to the center of the bullseye. Keep in mind, if a backboard is used to protect the wall around the board, measurements should be considered to keep the backboard centered around the dart board.
Center of bullseye needs to be set at 1m 72cm or 5' 8' inches. And the diagonal line from bullseye to the front of the throw line is 2m 96cm or 9' 7 3/8'' inches for steeltip. Most boards are sold with a clip for mounting the board to the wall. On the back side of the board there should be a screw (or at least a hole for putting a screw in). This screw is placed at the center of the bull's eye and it fits into the clip. Mount the clip on the wall (at the correct throwing height) and when you hang the board, the screw will snap into the clip. With this slight extension, your board could wobble without the three nails placed evenly around the board to steady it against the surface. Place these in a triangle formation near the triple ring area. Marking Your Throw Line A toe line is either a raised oche or a length of tape placed along the floor parallel to the wall the dart board is mounted on. The throw line must be a minimum length of (24"). Furthermore, a raised oche is specified and must be a minimum of (1.5") high. Whichever type of throw line you decide upon, it should be placed -
Exactly 7 feet 9 1/4 inches or 2m 37cm from the face of the board for
STEEL-TIPPED DARTING.
or
Exactly 8 feet or 2m 43cm from the face of the board for
SOFT-TIPPED DARTING. To measure from the face of the board, have someone hold a plumb line (or string with a pencil attached to the end) from the bottom-front of the board to the floor. Make sure the throw line is exactly perpendicular to the face of the board and centered with the board. i.e. measuring from the bullseye to each corner of the line. Women and men throw from the same distance. The Throw
In simple terms, the breakdown of a throw is: -
Stabilization of the body (finding your comfort zone!) -
Moving smoothly into your own launch mechanism
(Again, this varies from one player to the next) -
Launching the dart -
Working out the next shot without interrupting the usual pace and rhythm of your throwing - Or in a 3 step process,
- A - hold the dart in front of you with a streched arm,
- B - pull back your hand so it almost hits your face,
- C - strech out your hand and release the dart just before you streched your arm,
- Try to do the A, B, C steps in one smooth flow. Some people go A B AB ABC to aim in before throwing.
Scoring  The ability to compute rapidly and plan and alter scoring strategies during a three-dart throw and while waiting for a turn to throw is an important element in playing competitive darts. If you are playing on an electronic board, the score will be kept for you. If, however, you are the scorekeeper for a match using bristle boards, there are certain CHALKER RULES from which you must abide.
Proper Lighting Proper lighting of the dart board is very crucial. It is important to be able to see exactly where your darts land without ever having to move from the throw line. Whatever type of lighting you choose, keep in mind you want to keep the area bright enough to see well without casting shadows that can distract you from the board. The best way would be to place a light on the ceiling approximately 18-24 inches in front of the board or to use a special light that mounts on the backboard.
 Proper Care of Your Board Bristle Boards:
Due to the nature of the game, the board will wear uneven with the 20 section being used the most. To avoid this from happening, it is a good idea to rotate the board occasionally. When rotating the board, the wire number ring is removed and replaced so that the 20 is always in the 12 o'clock position and is always over a black wedge. The board should be replaced when the wear and tear on it affects the game, such as when the bullseye, double, and triple ring areas will no longer hold a dart. A large misconception with bristle boards involves softening the board by wetting it. DO NOT WET YOUR BOARD! This will cause the sisal to dry and swell, quickly destroying your board. You want to keep the lighting over your board off during the time it is not in use to reduce the heating of its surface and prevent excessive drying. Thus, a quality board should last a long time relative to its use.  Electronic Boards:
Your electronic board will provide many hours of fun if cared for properly. Never use spray cleaners, or cleaners that contain ammonia, acetone, or other harsh chemicals as they may cause damage. Instead, we suggest regular dusting with a damp cloth. Use a mild detergent and damp cloth for more vigorous cleansing. Avoid exposure to weather or any liquids near the game. Under extreme electrical interference conditions, electronic boards can show erratic behavior and can fail to continue to perform. By disconnecting all power sources from the game unit and waiting 3 seconds, games can usually be restored to normal operation when reconnected to a power source. Many thanks to - http://www.universaldarts.com/dart_regulations_setup/
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