The Game of Darts

The Dart Board: The game of darts is most commonly played on what is known as the 'clock board', 20's board or English board. A regulation board is 17 3/4 inches (451 mm) in diameter and is divided into 20 radial sections, the outer ring worth double, inner ring worth triple and the bull (25) double bull (50) in the center. Each section is separated with metal wire or a thin band of sheet metal. The best dartboards have the thinnest wire, so that the darts have less chance of hitting a wire and bouncing out. The numbers indicating the various scoring sections of the board are also normally made of wire. It is said that it was designed to give the player a challenge when going for different numbers, there are over 92,000,000 different number combinations.

Darts: Any dart may be used provided it's total weight is under 55 grams. Darts are made up of four parts: the point, the barrel, the shaft, and the flight. The shaft and the flights come apart from the barrel unless the darts are really inexpensive. This allows you to experiment with different parts. Getting the correct shaft length, flight size and weight combination is sometimes hard to figure out, but is part of the fun of playing darts.

The barrel is where you grip the dart when you are throwing; they come in a wide assortment of shapes, sizes and gips and are made of all sorts of different materials such as wood, copper, chrome, nickel, aluminum, brass, and tungsten. The shaft screws into the barrel and is usually made out of plastic or aluminum. Shafts are also available in different styles, colors and lengths. The material of the flight can be anything from plastic, nylon, fabric, metal, or actual feathers. The flight provides drag to keep the dart on track toward the target.

Choosing a Location: The proper place to hang a dart board can be a difficult choice:

• The area should be a low-traffic area to decrease the risk of injuries.
• There should be nothing breakable 2-3 feet on either side of the board and preferably nowhere near the board at all. Darts can bounce 8 feet or more off the board.
• You need an empty area roughly 5 feet wide and 11 feet long. Although you can throw over items in the area, it can be VERY distracting. It is also annoying walking an obstacle course each time you pull your darts out of the board.
• The floor should be considered in several ways:
  • A concrete, stone or tile floor will break darts and dull the points.
  • A wood floor will get lots of holes in it around the front of the board.
  • Linoleum or vinyl flooring will also get alot of holes.
  • Carpet will show ALOT of wear from the traffic between the board and the line.
  • You will need to mark the throw line with something; tape, a sticker, a screwed down wood or metal bar or just paint.
  Taking all this into consideration, you might want to think about purchasing a "dart mat". This is a roll out rubber mat that serves several functions. It protect the dart from breaking and dulling, it protects the floor and marks the proper distance to the throw line.
• There should be adequate room for spectators & players and their drinks & snacks when they are not throwing.
• There needs to be a place for a score board in sight from the line, preferably right next to the board.

Hanging The Board:

The board needs to be hung 5 foot 8 inches from the floor to the CENTER OF THE BULLS-EYE. Good quality boards are hung from the center, making this measurement easy. If you have a board that hangs from the top, you will have to measure the distance from the center of the bullseye to the hanger and add that to the height. If a back board is used to protect the wall around the board, this should also be centered around the board.

Marking The Throw Line: The throw line (also known as the oche, toe-line or hockey) should be about 3 feet wide. It may be made of tape, a store bought throw-line sticker, a piece of wood or metal or painted on the floor. It should be placed exactly 7 foot 9 and 1/4 inches from the FACE of the board for a standard steel-tipped setup. For soft-tipped darts, the line should be 8 feet from the FACE of the board. (NOTE: Some British pubs use an 8 foot or 8 foot 6 inch measurement for steel tip darts.) Make sure the throw line is exactly perpendicular to the face of the board and centered with the board.

Lighting: Proper lighting of the dart board is very critical. It is important to be able to tell exactly where the dart landed quickly and without moving from the throw-line. The ideal lighting is from 2 lamps mounted from the ceiling to the left and right of the board. The main goal is to light it reasonably brightly and create as little shadow as possible. My dart board is in my garage and is lighted by an eight foot shop light. This works beautifully cause the light hits it from all angles.

Darts is considered a "gentlemanly sport". There are certain things that are expected of players, scorekeepers and spectators. Stick to these simple rules, and you will have a much more enjoyable game and make a lot more friends than enemies.

We all learned this stuff as children. Play nice, treat others as you would like to be treated, don't run with scissors, etc...

Sportsmanship: Generally, all dart players are good sportsman. They typically shake hands at the begining of a match and wish each other good luck. Similarly at the end of the game, they'll shake hands and say "good game" or "nice shooting".

No Distractions: Much like golfers making an important putt, dart players like no distractions while throwing. This means:

• Be sure to give your opponent ample room to shoot and stay behind him while he throws.
• Do not walk across the dart line during play for any reason.
• Treat other players courteously by refraining from loud noise and any other kinds of distractions that may affect someone's game.
• While a certain amount of talking, laughing, music, etc., is to be expected as normal pub conditions, excessive rowdy behavior is discouraged.
• Do not speak to the player who is shooting.
• Don't go "ooh" and "aah" with each dart that is thrown.
• Wait until all three darts have been thrown to say "good darts" or "right there".
• Do not make sudden movements in front of the shooter. Scorekeepers should remain statue-still while a player is throwing.
• Spectators should try to keep movement and noise to a minimum while a player is shooting.
• No one but the scorekeeper or a teammate should tell the shooter what has been hit.
• What has been hit should only be annouced if the shooter asks.
• No one except a teammate, not even the scorekeeper, should ever tell the player what to hit next.
• Darts can be dangerous projectiles in the wrong hands, and should not be considered toys, and children should always be supervised while using darts. Keep in mind the safety of fellow teammates and those just watching you play. Never throw a dart in anger or at another person — THERE COULD BE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES!

Score Your Darts Before You Pull Them: This can avoid many arguments. If you write down the score on the board before you pull the darts from the board, you can show your opponent what you threw if there is a discrepancy.

Don't Be A Sore Loser: Appreciate what the other player has accomplished. If the other player bested you, live with it. Remember if you had thrown something really amazing, you'd be happy about it, so be happy for the other player too. Not only will this show that you are a lady/gentleman, but by keeping your own spirits up, you will remain relaxed and throw you're next darts better than if you got angry or tense.

Have fun, just try to be courteous.

There are many different dart games which are popular today.

While each game has its own set of rules, as well as local league and tournament rules that apply, there are general rules and etiquette guidelines that are recommended in all games. I recommend that you check with your opponent(s) and/or partner(s) about any rulings until you are comfortable with the way the games are played in your area. Places may have "House Rules" which are variations or traditions of play.

Beginning The Game: "Diddle for middle". To decide who plays first, each player or someone from each team throws one dart and the player closest to the bull goes first. In the event of a tie, both players throw again in reverse order. (note: a single bull is beat by a double bull and you do not measure when both players hit either a single bull or a double bull, you throw over.) Winner of the bullseye throw has the choice of what game will be played.

During Play:

• Each player throws up to three darts as needed in each turn.
• Players take turns, one player from each team, alternating throughout the game. If a player plays out of turn, and it is discovered before the next player on the same team throws, the darts are voided and playing order resumes. If it is discovered after the next player on the same team throws, the offending player on that team should skip a turn to return to normal playing order.
• If a player's foot extends over the throw line, it is called a foul and all three darts thrown in that round do not count.
• A player may lean as far over the line as they desire, as long as they are not standing with any part of their foot over the line.
• The dart is scored where the point enters the board.
• The wires that divide the board determine where the dart entered the board, not the colors.
• If a dart bounces out of the board or is knocked out, the dart does not count nor may it be thrown again.
• If a dart falls out of the board before it is scored or pulled out by the player, it does not count. It is, however, legal to go to the board a grab a dart before it falls out, but only after all darts for that round have been thrown.
• When a player has thrown their darts for the round, they should be agreed upon with the scorekeeper or the opponent and marked on the scoreboard (appropriately for the game being played) before they are pulled from the board.
• A dart that sticks in the back of another dart does not score.

Here's the most common dart games. There are many other games and a great list of dart games and rules can be found here: http://www.mostdartgames.com

x01 (pronouced oh-one)

x01 is probably the easiest game to learn. The rules are very simple, yet the game requires skill in order to play well and win. It is a very good game for beginners because it develops accuracy around the whole board and the simple rules allow the players to concentrate on their throwing.

The Object: The game play typically starts with a score of 301, 501, or 1001. The object is to get to exactly zero by throwing rounds of three darts and subtracting the sum of those darts from your current score. Games may be played as "double-start" (also called "double-in") or "straight start" (also called "straight-in" or "flying-in"). Games are usually played as "double out" ("double finish") but can be played as "straight out" ("straight finish") however "straight out" is extremely rare. Games of 301 are typically played as double in/double out. While games of 501 and 1001 are typically played as straight in/double out.

The Scoring: The agreed upon starting score of the game is written at the top center of the score board (ie: 301) with a vertical line drawn down the center of score board. After each round, the total points thrown is written on the board along with the remaining score on that player/team's side of the board.

The Play: If the game was called as a straight-in game, the first player begins by throwing three darts trying to attain the highest score possible. Each dart is scored by the number where it lands with the thin inner ring being worth 3 times the number indicated and the thin outer ring worth 2 times the number indicated while the two large sections score exactly the number indicated. Thus the highest attainable score with three darts is 180 by hitting three triple 20's.

If the game was called as a double-in game, the first player must hit any double on the board before they may begin counting their score. Once a player has "gotten in" subsequent rounds do not require a double be thrown again.

Play continues alternating the players on each side of the score board.

A "double out" game means that you must hit a double that makes your score exactly zero to win the game. Any throw that reduces your score below zero, to exactly one, or to zero but not ending with a double results in a "bust" and your score is reset and your turn is forfeited.

A "straight out" game means that no double is needed to win, you must simply arrive at zero points. The only way to "bust" in a straight out game is to end up with less than zero as your total score.

Cricket

The goal of cricket is to be the first player to open or close all the cricket numbers and have a higher or even point total.

Cricket Numbers: Cricket uses the numbers 15 to 20 (or sometimes 10 to 20, and less frequently a predetermined selection of numbers) and the bull's-eye. To open or close a number, it must have been scored 3 times in any fashion, on one or more turns. Hitting the triple will close a number in one throw; a single and the double will open or close it in two throws or three singles will open or close it in three throws. Numbers do not have to be opened or closed in any particular order and several numbers can be hit in the same turn. A scoreboard is used to keep track of the hits on all the numbers. Hitting a number once is shown by placing a slash (/) beside the number, second hit by turning the slash to an X, and the third by a circle (O) around the X.

Scoring: The object is for a player to hit each number and the bullseye three times. Doubles count as two hits and triples as three. The first player to hit a number three times owns that number and it is said to be opened. Further hits on the opened number score that number of points (e.g. triple 20 gains 60 points) until his opponent also hits that number three times and closes it, then that number is removed from play. The double ring scores double the number's value and the treble (inner) ring scores triple the number's value. The outer bullseye ring is worth 25 points and the inner circle (or double bull) is worth 50. Once a player has opened or closed all the required numbers and bull and has equal or more points than his opponent, that player wins. Alternatively, cut-throat style scoring can be used, in which case points are undesirable; hitting a number that is opened results in points being given to any other players who do not have that number closed, and the lowest score wins.

Playing: During a player's turn, the player throws three darts. After the last dart, the player's score is totaled. Any number that has not been scored three times is considered to be open.

Around The World

Around The World (or Around The Clock) is a very easy game, but good practice because it uses the whole board. It is also a very fast moving game and can usually be finished in under 10 minutes. Any number of players can play. Handicapping can be done by limiting the target area of stronger players.

The Object: To hit every number on the board IN ORDER with one dart and finish before the other players. It's a race to the end.

The Play: The first player tries to shoot first at 1, when a one is hit, play moves on to two and so on until all three darts are thrown. The next player then does the same thing, and so on. Remember only the number that the player is shooting for counts and all the numbers must be shot in order.

Variations: Many people have variations or house hules on this game.

• If you hit a double or triple of the number your next number is two or three counts ahead. If you are shooting at the number 4 and you get a triple 4, your next number would be 7.
• Last dart plays again. If you hit the number, you shoot another three darts at the board. Some people play that you shoot only one extra dart.
• Finish with the Bull, or three Bulls to close out the game.

All the Varieties: A score of 57, for the advertising slogan of Heinz 57
Annie's Room: The number 1
Arrows: Darts
Baby Ton: A score of 95, usually by scoring five 19's
Bag O' Nuts: A score of 45
Barrel: The part of a dart you grip, right behind the point
Basement: The double-3
Bed: Any scoring segment of the board, like the 20's segment, 19's, etc.
Bottom of the House: double 3's
Breakfast or Bed-And-Breakfast: A score of single-5, single-20, single-1 in a game of x01. This was based on the typical price of a bed-and-breakfast, 26 pence
Brush: Failing to get in a game before your opponent goes out
Bucket Of Nails: Landing all three darts in the 1's
Buckshot: When you're darts land wildly all over the board
Bull or Bulls-Eye: The center of the board
Bust: Hitting more than you needed in an x01 game, and the darts don't count
C: In a Cricket game this refers to high scores base on the number of darts scored. For example a triple-20, single-20, single-20 would be called a C-5 because "5 darts" were scored with three darts
Can't Drive When you hit 55
Chucker: A player who just "chucks" the darts at the board, doesn't aim or care
Circle It:When a player scores a single digit (less than 10) with three darts, his team-mates would shout out "Circle it!" to the scorekeeper to highlight the terrible throw
Clock: The dart board
Cork: The center of the board. This comes from the cork in the end of a keg where it is tapped. The ends of kegs were used for targets in the begining of darts
Diddle or Diddle For Middle: Two darters throw 1 dart each at the bull, closest dart has option to start the game first
Double: The thin outer ring of the board, it usually counts for two times the number hit
Double In: A double is needed to start the game
Double Out: A double is needed to win the game
Double Top: The double-20
Double Trouble: Not being able to hit the double needed to win the game
Downstairs: The lower portion of the board, usually in reference to the 19's in a game of x01
Easy In: A game that requires no special shot to begin scoring
Feathers: The "wings" at the end of a dart that make it fly straight. Also known as flights
Feathers: The number 33
Fletchings: Another name for flights
Flights: The "wings" at the end of a dart that make it fly straight. Also known as feathers
Flying In: A game that requires no special shot to begin scoring
FM or Friggin Murphy: a score of 26, referring to Murphy's law
Game Shot: The winning dart
Half a Crown: A score fo 26, taken from the former British coinage, two shillings and sixpence equals half a crown...
Hat Trick: A score of three bulls-eyes
Hockey: The line you you stand behind and throw the darts from
Island: The actual playable area of a dart board (doubles ring and inside). If you miss, your "Off the island"
JT or Just There: Describes any close shot, can be used sarcastically for a real bad shot
Kadhafi/Terrorist Darts: Cricket played going for as many points as possible, even if not needed to win.....
Leg: One game of a match
Mad House: The double-one, because it can drive you crazy trying to hit one in a game of x01
Middle For Middle: A throw to see who gets one dart closer to the bullseye to determine who shoots first in the game
Monger: A person who deliberately scores many more points than needed to win the game
Mugs Away: A phrase meaning "loser of the last game goes first"
Murphy: A score of single-5, single-20, single-1 in a game of x01. Based on Murphy's Law
Nine Mark: Hitting 3 triples with 3 darts
Oche: The line you you stand behind and throw the darts from
Perfect Game: For 501, nine dart game, for Cricket, an eight dart game.
Point Monger: A person who deliberately scores many more points than needed to win the game
Popcorn: When the darts land so close to each other, they knock their flights out
Prophalactic: See Rubber
Right Church, Wrong Pew or Right House, Wrong Bed: When you a double or triple, but the wrong number
Robin Hood: Impaling a dart into the flight or shaft of a dart already in the board.
Rod Sterling: Referring to someone hitting really awesome, in the twilight "zone"
Rubber: The tie breaking game of a set
Scud: A dart way off the target
Shaft: The part of a dart behind the barrel when the flights are mounted
Shanghai: A score of a single, double and triple in the same number. In some games this is an automatic win. This is also the name of a game
Short Ton: T5 and two singles (25 points)
Shotgun Darts: When your round of darts is like buckshot (all over the board)
Shut Out: When you lose a game without ever scoring in it
Skunked: When you lose a game without ever scoring in it
Slop: Darts that score, but not where you wanted them
Spider: The metal web that divide the dart board
Splash: Darts that score, but not where you wanted them
Straight In: A game that requires no special shot to begin scoring
Three In A Bed: Three darts in the same number
Throw Line: The line you you stand behind and throw the darts from
Toe Line: The line you you stand behind and throw the darts from
Ton: A score of 100 in a game of x01. Scores over 100 would be called a "ton-whatever" for example, a ton-thirty would be a score of 130
Ton o' Ones: A score of 5 by hitting 5 ones
Tops, Top of the House, Upstairs, Double Tops: all describe double 20
Treble: See Triple
Triple: The thin inner ring of the board, it usually counts for three times the number hit
Trombones: A total turn score of 76 points
Upstairs: The upper portion of the board, usually in reference to the 20's
Wet Feet: Standing with your feet over the line
Wire: Darts that just miss where you aimed but on the other side of the spider

[coming soon]