dartshooters.com

Dart boads originally had various  designs, and regional variations remain in some parts.   The dartboard may get its origin from the cross section of a tree.  There are some historical records that suggest the first standard dartboards were the bottoms of wine casks, also known as the game ”butts”. It is believed that the game originated among soldiers throwing short arrows at the bottom of the cask or at the bottom of trunks of trees.   As the wood from the casts dried & cracked “sections” would develop naturally in the wood.  Regional standards began to emerge and many woodworkers supplemented bar tabs by fabricating dart boards for the local pubs.

The most common numbering plan, has a 20 on top; however, a great many other configurations have been used throughout the years in various geographical locations across the globe.  Brian Gamlin devised the numbering layout in 1896 to penalize inaccuracy.  The left-hand side, around the 14 is preferred by beginners because it has a concentration of larger numbers on that side.  

Darts first appeared on British television in 1962 when Westward Television broadcast the Westward TV Invitational.  Darts coverage expanded over the next decade and there were many major tournaments broadcast on ITV and BBC during he 1970’s and early 1980’s.  In 1985 coverage of darts declined with the cancellation of ITV’s World of Sport, but it has again picked back up and is gaining popularity.

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USE OF EQUIPMENTPlayers may not use equipment or accessories for purposes (or in a manner) other than those for which the items were intended.  No more than two mechanical bridges may be used at one time.  The following is a list of acceptable equipment items a player may bring to the table to use in a World Pool-

Billiard Association sanctioned event:(a) Cue Stick - Each player is permitted to use one or more cue sticks that meet the specifications listed in the equipment specifications section. He may use either a built-in extender or an add-on extender to increase the length of the stick.

(b) Chalk - The player may apply chalk to his tip to prevent miscues, and may use his own chalk, provided its color is compatible with the cloth.

(c) Talcum Powder

(d) Mechanical Bridges - The player may use up to two mechanical bridges to support the cue stick during the shot.

(e) Gloves - The player may use gloves to improve the grip and/or bridge hand function.   CUE BALL FOULS ONLYIt is a foul for a player to touch any ball with the cue, their clothing, body, mechanical bridge or chalk, before, during or after a shot. However, when a referee is not presiding over a game, it is not a foul to accidentally touch stationary balls located between the cue ball and the shooter while in the act of shooting. If such an accident occurs, the player should restore the object balls to their correct positions.  CALLING SHOTSA player may shoot any ball he chooses, but before he shoots, must designate the called ball and called pocket.  He/she does not have to indicate any detail such as kisses, caroms, combinations, or cushions (all of which are legal).

THE BREAK Determining who breaks is done by either flipping a coin or lagging.  To lag for the opening break, each player stands to the left or right of the head spot and shoots balls of equal weight and size simultaneously to the foot cushion and back to the head end of the table.  The player whose ball is the closest to the innermost edge of the head cushion wins the lag.  The player winning the lag has the choice of performing the opening break shot or assigning it to the opponent.  All subsequent breaks are made by the player who won the previous match            

CUE BALL ON OPENING BREAK The opening break shot is taken with cue ball in hand behind the head string. The object balls are positioned according to specific game rules. On the opening break, the game is considered to have commenced once the cue ball has been struck by the cue tip.  If there is a scratch on the break, the incoming player has cue “ball in hand” behind the head string.  The incoming player may place the cue ball anywhere behind the head string. The shooting player may shoot at any object ball as long as the base of the object ball is on or below the head string.  He may not shoot at any ball, above the head string, unless he first shoots the cue ball below the head string and then by hitting a rail causes the cue ball to come back above the head string and hit the object ball.   

FAILURE TO CONTACT OBJECT BALLIt is a foul if on a stroke the cue ball fails to make contact with any legal object ball first. Playing away from a touching ball does not constitute having hit that ball.   It is a foul (scratch) if on a stroke, the cue ball is pocketed.  

FOOT ON FLOORPlayer must have at least one foot in contact with the floor at the moment the cue tip contacts the cue ball, or the shot is a foul.  

ILLEGAL JUMPING OF BALLUnless otherwise stated in rules for a specific game it is legal to cause the cue ball to rise off the bed of the table.  Any miscue when executing a jump shot is a foul.  It is a foul if a player strikes the cue ball below center and intentionally causes it to rise off the bed of the table in an effort to clear an obstructing ball.  In all pocket billiard games, when a stroke results in the cue ball or any object ball being a jumped ball off the table, the stroke is a foul.  JAWED BALLSIf two or more balls are locked between the sides of the pocket, it is referred to as jawed. You (or a referee) inspect the balls in position and project where the ball would fall if hit directly downward.  Using the best judgment, if the ball would fall in the pocket it is considered a pocketed ball.  Any ball that would come to rest on the bed of the table, if pushed directly down is then placed where it would fall on the table and play continues.             

NON-PLAYER INTERFERENCEIf the balls are moved by someone not playing the match (a player is bumped while shooting and that play is directly affected), the balls shall be replaced as near as possible to their original positions prior to the incident and play shall resume with no penalty on the player affected.  

POCKETED BALLSA ball is considered pocketed if as a result of an otherwise legal shot, it drops off the bed of the table into the pocket and remains there.  A ball that rebounds from a pocket back onto the table bed is not a pocketed ball.              SPOTTING BALLSWhen the game rules for a specific game call for spotting balls, it means that an object ball will be replaced on the table.  A single ball is placed on the foot spot (the center of the second diamond marking from the foot).  If more than one ball is to be spotted, the additional balls are placed behind one another, in a long string, in ascending numerical order.

GENERAL TERMS OF THE GAME           

APEX BALL – This is the forward-most ball in the rack.  All balls must line up behind the Apex ball and be pressed together so that they are touching each other.             

CUE BALL – The cue ball is the solid white ball on the table and is used to strike the object ball, the ball you want to put in a pocket.            

FOOT SPOT – The place on the table where the APEX ball in the rack is positioned.  It is located on the side of the table where the balls are returned and is the center of the 2^nd pair of diamond markings.  This is also the place where              

FOUL – A player must cause the cue ball to contact a legal object ball and then pocket a numbered ball or cause the cue ball or any numbered ball to contact any part of the rail. Failure to meet these requirements is a foul.  Below are some examples of a foul.

(a)    It is a foul if on a stroke the cue ball fails to make contact with any legal object ball.

(b)    It is a foul (scratch) if the cue ball is pocketed.

(c)     It is a foul to strike, touch or in any way make contact with the cue ball or any object balls in play with anything (the body, clothing, chalk, mechanical bridge, cue shaft, etc.) except the cue tip in the execution of a legal shot.  Any object ball moved during a standard foul must be returned as closely as possible to its original position.           

HEAD STRING – A small area of the table, opposite from where they balls are/were racked, behind the second pair of diamond markings on the length of the table.  Imagine an invisible line connecting the two diamonds across the table.  This is the head string area.            

INNING – The term used to describe when both players have completed their turn.  Each player’s inning is over when they do not pocket a ball.             

OBJECT BALLS – The numbered ball you are expecting to drop into a pocket.               

POCKET – The 6 places on a pool table where the balls drop.  There are 4 corner pockets and 2 side pockets.

RACK – The positioning of the balls on the table before a break.  A triangle is usually used to position the balls for most pool games.  However, in 9-ball a diamond shaped rack may be used. 

You’ve discovered the world of darts and want to know where to go and what’s going on.  Most people will frequent a place where darts are played.  To find a place to play, try your local bar (pub) or just open the phone book and look for dart shops.    

Once you find a place, where darts are played,  get into games when you can.   You can play another dart enthusist for fun, join a team (league) or play in local tournaments. 

Other dart players are friendly and welcoming to newcomers.  They will help you learn the ropes from how to stand when throwing darts to setting up electronic boards.  Dart shops will sometimes have a practice area where you can try throwing a few rounds.  They will let you try different styles and weights of darts.  Some will even give you pointers.  Everyone has their own style when throwing darts and learning accuracy.  Remeber to do what is most comfortable for you.  

Throwing darts is a skill.  And as with any sport, practice will help develop your own ability to throw. 

DMI Bandit Staple-free Bristle Dartboard

Price: $44.99 USD

This regulation-size 18-inch-diameter board offers a patented razor-thin spider that minimizes bounce-outs, 10 percent more playing surface, a high-grade sisal that produces a clean appearance, and powder-coated number wiring that improves visibility. The end result is an attractive, high-scoring board that holds up to years of use and abuse. Adding to the Bandit’s longevity is a movable number ring that prolongs the life of the board over time. And if that weren’t enough, the DMI Bandit is endorsed by national dart associations the world over. Measuring 1.5 inches thick, the board comes with both mounting hardware and official game rules for Cricket and 01. It’s also backed by a one-year warranty.

Click on the name to purchase this board or other related items!

Cricket

Cricket uses the numbers 15 - 20 and the bullseye. The first player to hit a number or a bullseye 3 times has “closed” that number. In standard cricket a player may continue to hit a closed number for points until all opponents have closed the number. The last person or team to close a number closes the number for all players.

Cricket utilizes the single, double and triple points value areas. A player may close a number with a single dart, if he/she hits the triple ring for that number. Any additional hits to that number count as points until all players have closed the number.

Once a player or team has closed out the cricket numbers and has the highest score, that player has won. It is possible to close all the numbers and not have the highest score. In a close match, the score often decides the winner.

301, 501, and 701

The object of the 01 games is to count down from the starting number to zero without going over. If the total score of the three darts exceeds the remaining score, the player has busted (exceeded the correct amount of points) and the score returns to what it was prior to that throw.

01 games are sometimes played with a Double In (DI) and/oor Double Out (DO). In the case of doubling in or out, a double bull can be used to open or close a game. 01 games can also be played with “fat bulls”. This is where any bull counts as 50 points (single or double).

General Rules

Most places have their own house rules, but the following are some standards commonly found:

Getting Started

1. To decide who shoots first, all players shoot for the bullseye on a single board. The player who comes closest to the center of the bullseye shoots first. For multiple players, the next closest would go second and so forth. Once the order is decided, you alternate turns.

2. A turn consists of one player throwing three darts from behind the line.

Playing / Throwing Darts

1. The point of the dart must touch the board to count. In soft tip darts, the board will register the number (score) for the hit. In steel tip darts, the general rule is the dart must stick in the board to count.

2. Darts that miss the board or bounce to the floor cannot be rethrown. However, a player may pick up and play a dropped dart.

Scoring

The playing area is divided into wedges, like slices of pie. Each wedge is marked along the outer edge with a point value. THere are two rings overlapping the playing area. The outer ring counts as double points and the inner ring is triple points, if you hit these spots.

1. A. Single = one dart hitting part of the wedge that is not the inner or outer ring. The number of points is the face value of the pie wedge.

2. A Double = one dart hitting the outer ring and it counts as 2 times the face value of the pie wedge.
3. A Triple = one dart hitting the inner ring and it counts as 3 times the face value of the pie wedge.
4. A Single bull = one dart hitting the outer circle of the bullseye. It counts as 25 points
5. A Double bull = one dart hitting the inner circle of the bullseye and has a point value of 50.

This forum will be for anything DARTS!