Why 7ft. 9 1/4" ?

[jimdandy]

I've played darts for a very long time but I don't ever remember being told why 7ft. 9 1/4" was chosen as the throwing distance. I started at 9ft, then 8ft. 6", then 8ft and for a short period of time 7ft. 6", all very even numbers. Does anyone know why/how this exact but 'mysterious' measurement was reached ?...j.d. Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

[Banned]

I started on a board 5ft 3in high to the bull and a 7ft 3in oche :s

"American darts"

[nimrod33]

Don't know why, but when I throw a little closer or further away it's harder to get darts to go where they are supposed to. I would guess the first person to throw darts only had so much room.

[181-3dartout]

I've played darts for a very long time but I don't ever remember being told why 7ft. 9 1/4" was chosen as the throwing distance. I started at 9ft, then 8ft. 6", then 8ft and for a short period of time 7ft. 6", all very even numbers. Does anyone know why/how this exact but 'mysterious' measurement was reached ?...j.d. Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

don't have a answer
but why isn't in metric ?
i am fine at 7ft 9 it's 1/4" that makes me look foolish when i play darts Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

[jimdandy]

It's even more ridiculous in Metric...2.368550 metres !...j.d.

[181-3dartout]

It's even more ridiculous in Metric...2.368550 metres !...j.d.

lol Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

[jc14]

"Why is the oche 7ft 9 and 3/4 inches away from the board?
A strange distance admittedly. The official original line was 9ft although different regions in the country had their own boards and their own throwing lines. The current distance would seem to be a compromise between the different distances used around the UK."

Taken from:
https://www.reddragondarts.com/pages/378...rivia-FAQ/


Edit:
Interestingly Red Dragon have added half an inch........

[neiller]

There was a programme on itv4 / bbc .I remember seeing something about the length of the oche. It was decided it was going to be measured by old wooden beer cases placed end to end.

[Getagrip]

I've played darts for a very long time but I don't ever remember being told why 7ft. 9 1/4" was chosen as the throwing distance. I started at 9ft, then 8ft. 6", then 8ft and for a short period of time 7ft. 6", all very even numbers. Does anyone know why/how this exact but 'mysterious' measurement was reached ?...j.d. Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

You started at 9 feet!!!

Were you playing Jim Pike Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.


I think its a stupid distance really, but I think it was probably the fact there were so many different oche lengths that they needed a standard and took the halfway option between 7ft 6 and 8ft. But why the 1/4 inch and not just 7ft 9 is crazy?

[dannyd180]

It was a compromise between the various lengths but I can't find why this particular length was chosen, just that it was in 1977. I remember seeing John Lowe talking about it once and he cited a reason, but I could only find the following on the Patrick Chaplin website:

"In December 1977 The World Darts Federation recommended a throwing distance of 7' 9 1/4". Up till then there were many different rules:
South Africa 9': Nottingham 6': Norfolk 6' 6": Newcastle 7' 3": Stoke 7' 1":
Some Norfolk leagues threw from 6' 11.9" (9 foot diagonal to the bull!!)"

[conanthewarrior]

In the olden days, when archery was popular, it was turned into a pub game by making their 'arrows' smaller and more throwable by hand.

They then measured the distance by laying the two town midgets head to toe, and it made 7 foot 9 and a 1/4, that is why different variations of the game are played at various distances, as different towns/ countries had different sized people. Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

I just noticed Nottingham used to throw at 6 feet. Cheating sods lol (Not meant to offend anyone from that, only joking Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.).

EDIT: Also, as a fairly new player I have only know 7"9' and a 1/4, and 8 feet on the flipside of my oche, guess thats for a different type of game.

[ReggaeDarts]

In the olden days, when archery was popular, it was turned into a pub game by making their 'arrows' smaller and more throwable by hand.

They then measured the distance by laying the two town midgets head to toe, and it made 7 foot 9 and a 1/4, that is why different variations of the game are played at various distances, as different towns/ countries had different sized people. Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

I just noticed Nottingham used to throw at 6 feet. Cheating sods lol (Not meant to offend anyone from their, only joking Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.).

That's it..! Now we know; Oche distances were concocted with the help of Hobbits living deep in the Shires.

[pilmat]

It's just some average then... I figured it had come out of a old dark pub somewhere that had crooked floors and warped walls. But averages of local regions in 1977 is a bit boring. I'll stick to my imagined scenario, it has much more colour :p

[mc1958]

I've played darts for a very long time but I don't ever remember being told why 7ft. 9 1/4" was chosen as the throwing distance. I started at 9ft, then 8ft. 6", then 8ft and for a short period of time 7ft. 6", all very even numbers. Does anyone know why/how this exact but 'mysterious' measurement was reached ?...j.d. Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

You started at 9 feet!!!

Were you playing Jim Pike Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.


I think its a stupid distance really, but I think it was probably the fact there were so many different oche lengths that they needed a standard and took the halfway option between 7ft 6 and 8ft. But why the 1/4 inch and not just 7ft 9 is crazy?

I believe the East London fives board league still throw from 9 feet.

[181-3dartout]

ok what was it in the u.s in 1976 ?Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
if the standard was set to 7 9 1/4 by the uk in 1977