dart board measurements
ice9
hello all,
i need to know the measurements for setting up a dart board
from the middle of the cork to the floor
and from the board to the foul line
i need to know this info a.s.a.p.!!!!!
any answers please let me know
thanks a bunch!!!!!!!!
Perry Israel
========================================
alt.sport.darts FAQ June 15, 1994
This FAQ was started by Bill Garland (bi...@kean.ucs.mun.ca). Bill
passed it on to Perry Israel (pis...@crl.com) and Bob Lanctot
(ae...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA) in 1994 on a "two years or so lending basis.
The FAQ is in two parts: part 1 has frequently asked d questions of a
more general nature (how do you set up the board? what type of board do I
use? what type of darts? where do I get more information? who are the
champions? how are "x01" and "American" Cricket played?); part 2 has
rules relating to the variants of darts. The FAQ is an evolving creature;
please email comments or additions to pis...@crl.com (Perry) or
ae...@freenet.carleton.ca (Bob).
========================================
New since last posting: I've learned how to use the tab key. In
addition, I've marked with an asterisk (*) the beginning of each new
paragraph. We have some more mail order places, a discussions on
throwing, much talk about shafts, flights, and the like. A few new
variants in part 2.
========================================
Table of Contents:
1. How is the board set up?
2. If the toeline is more than a line wide, do you stand on it or
behind it?
3. How is darts actually played?
4. What are all those wires?
5. What kind of board should I buy?
6. What kind of darts should I buy?
7. What's all that other stuff they sell?
8. What are some mail order places?
9. How do I get better?
10. Where can I learn more?
11. What's going on in professional darts?
12. So who's the world champion?
13. How do you play the x01 games?
14. OK. Now I'm ready for a more interesting game.(:-)) How do I play
American Cricket?
=====================================
1. How is the board set up?
The dart board is hung so that the center of the bullseye is 1.74m
(5' 8") from the floor. The height is properly measured from the throw
line (also referred to as the oche [pronounced "ockey"], the hockey
[mostly in the States], or the toeline), so if your floor slopes down or
up from the wall on which you hang the board, appropriate adjustments
should be made. According to United States rules, the hockey (after all, I
do live in the States [Perry]) is 7' 9.25" (2.44m) from the face of the
dart board--n from the wall, so be sure to take the thickness of the board
and any surround, backboard, or cabinet into account. The official
British rules appear to require that the oche be a minimum of 2.28m (7'
6") from the face of the board. For the U.S. measurement rements, you can
also simply measure a 9' 7.375" (2.73m) line from the center of the
properly hung board to the floor.
2. If the toeline is more than a line wide, do you stand on it or
behind it?
Officially, it depends upon how the line was set up. If the proper
distance was measured to the side of the line closest to the board, you
may stand on, but not over, the line. If the proper distance was measured
to the side away from the board, don't stand on the line--your feet will
get wet! Some official competitions require a raised oche, i.e. a solid,
inch-or-so high toe-line that you can put your toe up against, not simply
a line on the floor. If you play with a raised oche, DON'T step on it. F
or most cases, it is best to either agree before you start throwing or to
stand behind the line.
3. How is darts actually played?
Different games have different rules. The two most popular in the
Western Hemisphere, the x01 games and American Cricket, are discussed in
this FAQ; other variants are in part 2 of the FAQ. However, in general,
each player has a turn consisting of three darts (a "flight"--not to be
confused with the part of the dart called a "flight." %-).). To determine
who begins, each player (or one player from each team) throws one dart at
the bullseye. The closest goes first. Sometimes a coin toss is used
instead. Throwing for the bull to see who goes first is often called
"diddling for the middle" or "one up." It is common to allow each player a
warm up of three flights, taken on flight at a time in series. All
intentionally thrown darts count, but darts that mi miss the board, fall
from or bounce off the board, or stick in another dart receive no score
(rules may vary with soft-tip electronic darts). An accidentally dropped
dart is not intentionally thrown and may be picked up and thrown. The
score is determined by the point of entry of the dart based on the wire
divisions, not the color.
4. What are all those wires?
The dartboard is divided into wedgeshaped segments numbered 1 through 20
(not in sequence), plus the center, or bullseye. (Some refer to the
larger center as the "bull" and the smaller as the "bullseye." The smaller
is more commonly called the "double bull ".) The wedges are further
subdivided by two narrow rings. The outer ring (or "doubling ring") counts
as double the number indicated for that segment of the board. The ring
approximately halfway in (the "tripling ring") counts (yes) as triple the
number indicated for that segment of the board. The outer perimeter of
the bullseye (or the "single bull") is worth 25 points; the center of the
bull (the "double bull") is worth double that.
5. What kind of board should I buy?
Assuming you are playing steel-tipped darts, you should buy a bristle
board. There are several good makes. Mount the board so that it can be
turned, and turn it on a regular basis. When you turn it, remove the
number ring (the "spider") by slipping it off (generally it will stretch
slightly over the retainers) and replace it with the 20 at the top. DO
NOT WET YOUR BOARD!! By the same token, when you are not playing darts,
you should turn the spotlights, tracklights, or whatever you have that
light the e board off, so that you will not over-dry it. Properly
maintained, a good board should last for years.
Plastic, automatic scoring dart boards are also available, which require
the use of special soft-tip darts. Since I don't know a lot about them,
they're not yet in the FAQ.
Wayne Newberry (wa...@becks.cac.stratus.com) says:
I have seen boards [that do automatic scoring with steel-tip
darts] that here in Massachusetts, and from what I understand, they are
both accurate and reliable. One thing I don't know is how they score a
bounce-out or a dart that drops out after it originally stuck into the
board. About a year ago, there was even an attempt to set up a small
league involving those bars/pubs that had these boards. I didn't follow
up to find out if it actually got going or not. My view of these boards
is much the same a s for the plastic boards, not because of accuracy of
the equipment, but because they are too mechanical to fit well with the
game that I love. Part of it is that scoring is a part of the game. I
know from watching some score keepers that it can be a very painful
experience to score an '01 game, but to me, it goes with the territory.
Sharpening your score keeping skills helps you to do the quick
calculations so that you can adjust after a missed triple and go to the
next best choice. The other point, for me, is something that a few
others have made. Pumping coins into a machine all night is a waste as
far as I am concerned. I'd rather spend that money on new flights or
darts, and have an extra beer or two. While the bars are certainly
entitled to ma make money any way they can, if they waited for me to
patronize either kind of machine, they'd lose.
Bob Lanctot adds:
The coin-op steel tip electronic darts machine you are referring
to is manufactured by Wellow Leisure Products in the UK and distributed in
the U.S. by T.O.P. Dart Systems, Inc. of Rochester, New York. It sells for
around $3000 US. It uses a special sisal dart board impregnated with
graphite to make it electrically conductive. Each scoring area of the
board is a separate component. If the sensors in a component fails, that
component is replaced rather than the board.
The biggest problem is that after playing on the board for a time,
the graphite tends to stick to the points turning the player's hands
black. The light coloured areas of the board also get messed up as the
graphite is dragged to the surface when the darts are removed.
It's a brilliant idea, really, but needs a little works to make it
more congenial.
6. What kind of darts should I buy?
Ah--now there's the question. Generally, people prefer "tungsten"
darts, which have are made of a more massive material. As a result, your
darts can be thinner for a tighter grouping. Try several different types
of darts--use friends' and go to dart stores ores that will let you try
different darts. Once you've tried several darts at a dart shop, it might
be considered rude to walk away without buying anything!
There are maximum lengths and weights for darts: maximum length
is stated at twelve inches, maximum weight at 52 grams. (Don't ask us why
they mix English and metric measurements!) For the beginning (and many
players), longer may be better aerodynamically. Movable points are
available and may be used in tournaments--some like them, claiming fewer
bounce backs, some don't claiming less control.
* steve...@aol.com (SteveR7678) responds to
Jroxbyd...@redstone-emh2.army.mil (Donald C. Roxby), who asked: Are
Hammerheads worth the extra expense or not?:
* Generally not. Bounce outs are more a function of the condition of the
wires. New boards bounce less than used ones. I've seen the best bounce
game shots using Hammerheads. If your dead on the wire, it is coming out,
period.
* But they do help keep a good point on the dart. However, don't
confuse a good point with being sharp. Stones are meant to remove burrs
so it does not pull the fibers from the board when you remove the dart.
If the tip is too sharp, it will dig into the wire and you will bounce even
more. Remove the burrs, but leave the point with a rounded surface so it
will "roll" to one side or the other when you hit a wire with a glancing
blow.
7. What's all that other stuff they sell?
Darts consist of several parts:
The tip--the business end.
The barrel--the metal part that holds the tip.
The shaft--the piece that screws into the barrel and holds the flights.
The flights--the little plastic, metal, or sometimes feather things that
make the dart fly straight.
There are several types of flights and shafts available. Bob
Lanctot has the following to say about shafts:
I use white Jocky Wilson shafts for several reasons. First, these
are not plastic but nylon based, thus stronger. They have a little metal
ring which prevents the fingers from breaking off when hit by a dart and
also serve to secure the flight and prevent it from falling off. I prefer
white because the white ones are stronger. The coloured doping supposedly
weakens the material.
Plastic shafts tend to break more easily thus requiring
replacement more often. If you don't like the Jocky Wilson shafts, try
some of the other nylon-based shafts. Metal shafts do last longer, but
I've found that there are 3 annoying things about them. T hey are always
coming unscrewed. Some come with little rubber washers to help keep them
tighter while others have holes drilled through them so you can stick the
point of another dart into them to tighten them up. When I used them I
used to use plumbing tape on the threads. That kept them nice and
tight. Another thing I don't like about metal shafts is that because most
are made of aluminum, a soft metal which tends to bend when the dart falls
on the floor. The thinner/longer the shaft, the greater the chance of
bending. Finally, I don't like them because when you "Robin Hood" them the
fingers get bent out. You can bend them in but they are no longer "true"
and unbalance the shaft and dart.
Harrows makes a product called "Alamo" shafts. They are a
combination of plastic/nylon and aluminum. The fingers thread into the
shaft and are made of aluminum. I used to use them too, but found that the
plastic expanded a little and the aluminum insert would get loose. What
I did like is that you could buy replacement fingers. So when they got
bent, you could throw them away and plug in new ones.
I also used what they call "bubble" shafts for a while. The are a
type of plastic shaft that is made of clear plastic in several colours.
Their name is derived from the distinctive bubbles you can see in the
plastic. These are nice shafts, inexpensive, but their longevity is
questionable.
I've been using the Jocky Wilson's since about '87 or '88. They're
cheap and last a hell of a long time.
Bill Garland (bi...@kean.ucs.mun.ca) adds:
Plastic flight holders break within thirty or forty seconds of
use. Rarely get over a minute from them. They are worth nothing.
I use the Alamo plastic shafts that have the metal tips on them.
Robin Hoods break the metal tips, but they are replaceable. It usually
takes a few hits to permanently destroy them, however. Sometimes the
plastic breaks, too, by cracking. You can buy a set of the metal tips for
ummmm lemme remember mmmmm $1.29 or something. The shafts with plastic
shaft and metal tip flightholders themselves are less than two bucks, if
I'm not mistaken.
All metal shafts are expensive. I had a set - must have been
nearly five bucks with all that tax we have to pay - and bango. First
dart, into the twenty. Second dart, into the first dart. Broke right away.
Someone from here told me about a set of titanium shafts he had,
said they cost about fifteen bucks in the States, but they had a _15 year_
guarantee. Hard to believe...
Bob Lanctot responds:
Geez, Bill I've never heard of titanium shafts that were
guaranteed for one game of darts let alone 15 years. Here about the Ottawa
area you can get a set for titanium shafts for about $8.00 + PST + GST.
The shafts won't break, however, they will bend if you carry you
dart wallet in your back pocket and sit on them. The word "titanium" is a
little confusing. It's like "tungsten". The dart barrels are made of
tungsten alloy, but the points are still steel. Because titanium is so
hard, you can't really do anything fancy with it, like put threads on it.
So, the fitting that goes into the dart barrel is made of aluminum
and there's a little fitting that pushes on to the other end to slide your
flights in. It's made of aluminum too, like the fitting on the Alamo
shafts. If you Robin Hood them, they will bend and/or break too. The
advantage of the titanium shafts is that they are pretty rugged and are
thin and non-obstructive.
I (Perry) have used metal and plastic shafts. I personally prefer
the metal, notwithstanding Bob's comments.
* tan...@islnds.enet.dec.com (Gabe Tang) chimes in:
* I'll agree with Bill here.....plastics really won't do the job
if you are shooting tight groups or robin-hooding frequently. Even
drops onto the floor can break 'em. The nylons are only slightly
better and they can lose their ability to hold flights in snugly
usually after just the first robin-hood. And I hate constantly
picking up other peoples flights when they use those darn nylons. :-o
* I use Alamos exclusively now too. They tend to last longer if you
don't over-torque them or they don't crack on a drop to the floor.
Actually, as the shafts do tend to crack more than the metal tips,
I will keep the good tips to swap-out when I can't bend them back
to shape after a robin-hood. cheaper than buying a set of tips only.
* I once bought a set of the Titanium and promptly
proceeded to robin-hood the tip within 15 minutes. and they are a
bugger to try to bend back into shape.
* The titanium shafts are sort of guaranteed.......guaranteed to
sucker you into buying them! :-}
I went back to the bar owner and local dealer of these
thingies and he wouldn't give me satisfaction so I've never gone back
since. And he was supposedly Umberger's manager at the time.
Sheeesh....if you can't get somebody in the business with a reputation
to uphold to stand behind their products.....you have to go back to
the manufacturer to replace the product. heck, with the cost of
a few bucks to ship the damaged set to them and the lost time and
aggravation.....I don't consider it worth it. Things break...pure
and simple. That being so, I opted to get the most reliable shaft I can
for the cheapest I can and write it off as a consumer expendable.
So what did I do, I called Cornhuskers and bought 50 sets at some
really cheap price like maybe 50 cents a pop and I haven't run out
yet. It also helped that I got flights and other darts and even a
set of plastic tips and steel screw-in tips and such. Why......well,
when I travel, I don't like to put my darts in an airline check-in
box since they lost a set a few years back. And they won't let you
carry steel tips on board if they catch you at the metal detector
x-ray inspection. But they will let soft-tips go through! So I just
slip the plastics on and walk through but I have the metal screw-ins
for real darts later on when I'm at my destination with my darts
safely in hand rather than lost somewhere in baggage-handling.
All legal and safe. nyuck nyuck nyuck.
* As to flights, from ae...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Bob Lanctot), one of our
regulars:
*In a previous article, lan...@dirac.scri.fsu.edu (Randolph Langley) says:
*>As a lark, I recently bought a set of turkey feather flights. It's been
*>nice not having to replace flights, and they throw fine for me.
*>
*>Has anyone else tried these?
*>
* Used to be, back in the olden days (20 years ago), there were basically
three types of flights you could buy for your darts, which were made of
brass and equiped with 1/4" threads (instead of 2BA threads common to the
tungsten darts). You could buy the feather flights in 2 basic styles and
several different lengths, molded plastic flights (like the ones that came
and, perhaps, still do come with paper boards) or wooden shafts (referred
to as "canes" by the Brits) in which you would stuff paper flights in much
the same fashion as our plastic/aluminum, etc. shafts and folded flights
we use today.
* Of the three, the turkey feather flights were by far the best and, in my
opinion, still are. The long arrow feather flights provided the smoothest,
most stable flight for your darts. The feather flights fell into disuse
mainly because players began buying tungsten darts with leatherette
wallets which allowed them to carry their darts safely in a shirt or pants
pocket. Feather flights are also easily damaged and spares are bulky and
difficult to carry. The darts must be carried in a box to protect the
flights. Strangely enough, many players to day, prefer not to remove their
flights and carry them in a plastic holder which would be ideal for
protecting the feather flights. But due to a shortage of suitable turkey
feathers, the flights are pretty expensive. Why is there a shortage of
suitable turkey feathers when there is no shortage of turkeys? Because
today, poultry is speed fed with all kinds of unnatural ingredients to
make them grow faster and bigger so the farmer can get them to market
faster and make more money. This results in a poor grade of feather. Such
is life in the '90s.
8. What are some mail order places?
Cornhuskers aka Mueller's Sporting in Nebraska and Iowa.
1-800-627-8888 for orders 24 Hrs/7 days 1-800-925-7665 for info/service
Mon-Sat 9-6 CST.
* Soft tip only... Bottlesen Dart Co. 805-922-4519 or 4510 or 5961 FAX.
for orders 800\537-2164.
* Dart World (617)581-6035 (617)592-8760 FAX
* Horizon Dart Supply 2415 South 50th St. Kansas City, KS 66106,
If you send 'em $5 for a catalog, they will credit you $10 on an order.
* Griffin Darts, 80 N Washington, Oxford MI - 800\334-1261 Steel/soft.
* Ton-eighty Darts, 842 farrington Dr., Marrero, LA 70072, 504-340-3278,
800-458-0649
* North American Dart Supplies (the exclusive USA distributors of
Unicorn), P.O. Box 5260, Bergenfield, NJ 07621, (201) 384-4537
9. How do I get better?
Practice. Make a point of setting a goal for each session. Try
to develop a consistent stroke. Try to eliminate unnecessary motion of
the body or the arm. Follow through. (Many players end a throw with
their fingers pointing at the board.) Compete with friends. Have a good
time. Try to get in the "zone" and don't think about your mechanics as
you play! (It doesn't matter whether you breath in or out on your throw.)
Here are some ideas to think about:
Bob Lanctot:
In a previous article, def...@peca.cs.umn.edu (Daniel Efron) says:
>Is it bad for darts to spin on their way to the dart board?
Only if you stare at them - you can get such a dizzy spell and
fall on the floor and everybody will think you are drunk again and carry
you out and leave you in a snow bank. (Assuming you aren't living in a
gloriously warm place.) :-) Actually, not at all. I find that a slight
spin gives the dart stability in flight. Mine spin - have for 20 years.
Bob also says:
In a previous article, d...@pyrtech.mis.pyramid.com (David Clark) says:
>On that note , I've recently been adjusting my throw and have come up
>with some better results and I got to thinking if there is a general
>approach I might try ( I've read the FAQs ). What I mean is ...
>Some people tend to align the dart in it's flight path ( point the tip
>at the desired entry point then throw ) infact most people I've seen
>throw do this. I have always pointed the flight at my entry point then
>in the recoil , turned it in the right direction then shot.
>Anyone else use this method? Do you find it accurate (Maybe that should
>say are you a shit hot player :)
I've seen a number of players throw that way over the years, some
pretty good, some pretty bad. I've known a couple who like to hold the
dart parallel to the board when they aim too. One guy use to throw it that
way too. Pretty bad thing to do. Most of the time the dart would stick in
the board and a 30 degree angle to the right. Many times it would end up
on the floor accelerated by the edge of the board. Bent his points that
way, too. I haven't seen him in about 17 years. I hope he quit playing
'cause he'd've gone broke replacing points (or darts).
I used to aim by using the flight as a "V" - a sort of sight. Now
I don't sight quite that way anymore but when I aim, the dart is close to
90 degrees to the board. I guess most people do it that way.
I (Perry) personally believe that trying to add spin to your darts
(as opposed to acquiring it naturally) can add too much extra motion to
your game. If it comes naturally to you, fine. If not, don't worry about
it.
* wa...@becks.cac.stratus.com (Wayne Newberry) has the following to add:
* I will comment on these two points, and leave the mental
preparation part of his post for another "soap box" session. Here are my
thoughts:
* For me, the ability to produce tight groups is the acid test of
any change I'm trying out, whether it is with equipment or technique. I
am, by nature, an experimenter, so what I've written below is based on my
own experience. I read whatever I could find when I started shooting, but
since then I've done a lot of trial and error work in fitting that
information into my own game.
*Stance: I am a firm believer in "minimum body motion" because I want
to introduce as few errors as possible into the throw. I
believe strongly that any swaying of my body will either mess
up my accuracy or require some kind of compensating motion
that will lead to a style that will break down under pressure.
In the past, I have stood with almost all my weight on my
forward foot with my rear foot just touching the floor, and
leaned WAY forward. This was my way of dealing with my own
uncertainty about hitting the target reliably. I have found
that the distance gained by leaning forward was more than
offset by the loss of accuracy in this shaky stance. When I
moved to a more stable stance, I found that I could adjust
quite easily to the new distance from the board, and my groups
tightened up right away.
*Grip: As I mentioned in a post a while back, I've actually used a
video camera (mounted on a tripod, and pointed over my
shoulder) to study the motion of my darts. Based on this, I
know that it IS important to release a dart so that it is
pointing perpendicular to the board. What I saw when a dart
was released at an angle were two things:
* 1. The dart oscillated as the air had the normal effect on
the flights. This could be side to side, up and down, or
some combination, depending on the angles at release.
This was what I expected and what makes basic sense.
* 2. Whenever the dart was pointed in any direction other than
straight forward, it tended to move slightly in that
direction. If I released it pointing to the left it tended
to go left, then, as it straightened out and oscillated to
point right, it started to go right. By the time it hit
the board, it was again pointing left and going left.
These oscillations were around the center of mass, I'm
assuming, so you could say that the dart stayed mostly on
target all the way, but there is a problem with this
thought. I'm interested in where the point hits the board.
If the dart is pointed either left, right, up, or down,
the point will be off target compared to what I want.
I've tried to figure out how far off it can be, and I've
found that even small amounts of oscillation can make the
point hit the width of a double off target. This is not
something that I scientifically measured, but it was
enough to convince me that my goal should be a clean
release, without oscillation of any kind. Sometimes I
even achieve that!
* Hope this helps. Tight groups to everyone!
* tam...@chem1.fi.ameslab.gov (Michael Tammaro) adds:
* My theory has at times been the following: When you throw the
dart, grip it at it's center of gravity and imagine that that part of the
dart is the only part that exists. In other words, hold it comfortably,
but forget about what angle the shaft is at (but be sure that that angle
is consistent). It's almost like you are throwing a rock at the board.
Wayne brings up a very good point- in the process of straightening out,
the dart will oscillate a small amount and go slightly in the direction it
is pointed. You can imagine that if you are consistent, you will
automatically, in time, learn how to compensate for this motion. BUT! As
we all know, the more things you have to compensate for (i.e. extra leg
motion) the worse off you are.
* My conclusion is the following: I believe that if the dart is
held almost straight to the board at the time of release, the oscillations
will be VERY SMALL, and also the veering off of the dart will be VERY
SMALL. So I will try to incorporate a grip that points the dart more
towards the board. (When I try to point the dart exactly at the board I
find that there is a lot of tension in the wrist which cannot be good)
* ae...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Bob Lanctot), never one to be shy
about contributing, says:
* Try keeping your arm and release straight. Make sure you are
following through when you release the dart and not pushing or snapping
your throw. The position of your thumb is also something to watch our for
as it will effect the way you releast your dart. Finally, go to your board
and experiment with how you're throwing keeping these things in mind.
Don't worry too much about where your darts are going, rather "how"
they're going for now until you find out what your doing (or not doing) to
cause them to wobble.
* wa...@becks.cac.stratus.com (Wayne Newberry) gives two more
cents' worth:
* I use the same approach as Bob, and there is one other thing that
I think about as I try to figure out what's wrong. I have noticed that I
need to have a very relaxed throwing hand. A little tension in that hand
can make for some sideways pressure (caused by a finger or thumb) during
the release of the dart. Once my hand is relaxed while releasing the
dart, then I watch for the position of the thumb and the follow-through
that Bob has talked about. Remember that the dart is light enough that
small changes in your grip and release will definitely have an effect on
the flight of the dart through the air. Stance is an important part of a
good game, but a change in stance doesn't tend to produce wobble, at
least not in my experience.
10. Where can I learn more?
Bull's-Eye News Magazine. 281 E. Broadway St., Westerville, Ohio
43081-9852. Phone number 800-688-3278 and you can call and say
"Charge-It!". One year's subscription is only $24 (2yrs=$44, 3yrs=$60) and
worth every penny. Canadian subscriptions are $40; overseas $60 for 1
year (in US dollars, of course).
All About Darts, by I.L. Brackin and W. Fitzgerald. Contemporary
Books 1986. 180 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60601. "Rather
informative about Dart history, the equipment and throwings grips and
styles. I found the book interesting." (Kevin D. Cooke,
kdc...@mailbox.syr.edu)
Darts American Style, by Fred Holmes. Lone Star Publications
1984. P.O. Box 540251, Dallas, Texas, 75354-0251. Phone number
214-351-0637.
The Craftey Cockney - The Official Biography of Eric Bristow, by
Deryk Brown. Queen Anne Press, a division of Macdonald & Co. (Publishers)
Ltd., Maxwell House, 74 Worship Street, London, England, EC2A 2EN.
The Book of Darts, by Jack McClintock. Random House, New York 1977.
Darts World (magazine). 2 Park Lane, Croydon Surrey England, CR9
1HA; telephone 081-681-2837 (extn 180). Fax orders 981-688-5159. Rates
are for 6/12/24 issues in English pounds 6.60/13.20/26.00. American
agent: Mercury Airfreight Int. Inc., 2323 Randolph Avenue, Avenel, N.J.
07001. U.S. subscription rate is $27.00. No phone number provided.
11. What's going on in professional darts?
Randy T. Sheik (af...@freenet.carleton.ca) has the following to
say:
In a previous article, gus...@flipper.hacktic.nl (Gustav Rossner)
says:
>I watched the Embassy World Championship on BBC 2 at Sunday 2
>Jan 1994, but I read on CEEFAX, I saw an another Worldchampionship:
>WDC World Championship at Purfleet. What is the difference ?
What you see here is the sad state of international darts. The
international dart scene is controlled by the WDF (World Dart Federation)
and under it all the national dart associations including the "BDO"
(British Dart Organization). A group of professional dart players, their
managers, and some dart equipment manufacturers decided that the BDO was
not promoting the professional game as much as they should. Prize money
had dropped, televised tournaments had decreased, etc. As a result they
started up a n organization called the "World Dart Council" (WDC) and, to
get their message across that they were serious, they sent a letter to the
BDO stating their intent to boycott the British Masters tournament run by
the BDO. Well, to make a long story short, the e BDO reacted by banning
the players who signed the letter from playing for England. This dispute
has not been settled, and now the BDO is trying to influence the whole
world in banning these players for life. That indeed would be sad, as
some of the players are John Lowe, Eric Bristow, Jocky Wilson,
Dennis Priestley, Rod Harrington, etc. (16 in all originally). Two
players have since switched back to the loving arms of the BDO (Chris
Johns of Wales and Mike Gregory of England). So which World Championship
is the real one? I'm afraid only time will tell. If the winners of both
were to playoff, my money would be on the WDC. For further information on
this, there are a few articles in Bullseye magazine. I don't get Darts
World magazine but I would h hope that there has been some coverage. PS
Neither Chris Johns nor Mike Gregory qualified for the Embassy after they
switched back.
To which Bob Lanctot adds:
What Randy says is absolutely correct. It's unfortunate that the
BDO is so intent on maintaining their little empire and are willing to
forsake the future of our sport rather than sitting down with the WDC
(which they steadfastly refuse to do) and try to come to a usable
compromise. The World Cup held in Las Vegas in October was definitely a
"watered down" version. Roland Scholten of the Netherlands won the men's
singles and I'm sure he's a darn fine darter; however, I don't believe he
would have won if the field of competition had included the likes of
Dennis Priestly, Peter Evison, Bob Anderson, etc., etc.
By the way, several US players are now blacklisted by the BDO
(let's face it the World Dart Federation is simply a puppet organization
of the BDO's, anyway).
12. So who's the world champion?
It depends on who you ask.
Bob Lanctot wrote the following about the Embassy Championship
(BDO/WDF):
I thought some of you might be interested in the article I wrote
for the Ottawa Pub Dart League Newsletter which I produce for the league.
I'd like to express my thanks to David E. Newton, Reijer Grimbergen and,
especially, Gustav Rossner who kept us posted and provided us with the
news as it happened. I was also able to compose my article using
information about the tournament printed in Bull's-Eye News magazine, Jan.
1994.
CANUCK WINS EMBASSY PROFESSIONAL
The prestigious Embassy World Professional Championship title was
captured by a Canadian darter in London last weekend. John Part of
Oshawa, Ontario humbled the Brits by defeating Bobby "Mr. Glitter" George
by a score of 6 sets to nil. For his efforts, John will bring home $70,000
in prize money. Not bad for a few days' work.
Brits Steve Beaton and Ronnie Baxter (who was beaten by Part in
the first round) and Dutchman Roland Sholten, the top 3 seeded players,
failed to make it through to the quarter finals. Sholten recently made
his mark in the darts world by winning the men's event at the World Cup
held in Las Vegas.
On his way to victory, Part beat Steve McCollum of England 4 sets
to nil in the best of 7 sets quarter finals. Next to fall to this
Canadian steam roller was Ronnie Sharp of Scotland. The semi-finals are a
best of 9 sets event and Part knocked Sharp off with a 5 to 1 win - the
only set Part lost during the tournament. Then it was on to the the
finals, held on Saturday, January 8th.
Bobby George smiled and joked throughout the finals in spite of
the fact he was wearing a corset to ease the pain of his trapped sciatic
nerve which caused him to limp as he walked to and from the dart board.
Part seemed quite calm and relaxed, quite typical for those who have seen
him play. He said afterward that it was his intention to keep the crowd
quiet, since, if he played up to them, he would probably lose their
support as most were Bobby George fans.
Afterwards, George was overheard telling Part, "You're terribly
boring you know - always getting the finishes!" There was more truth to
that than Mr. Glitter's good-natured ribbing suggested. In fact, it was
reported the finals were quite tedious to watch. Both players often threw
9 darts each at the doubles and frequently doubles below 10 were required
to close the games. Both even had a go at the mad house - everyone's
favourite double, double one.
John Part is the first non-resident of the United Kingdom to win
the Embassy World Professionals. The only Canadian invited, he fought his
way from an initial field of 32 players which included competitors from
Wales, Scotland, Britain, the Netherlands, Australia, USA, Denmark,
Belgium and Sweden. The "by invitation only" tournament is considered by
many to be the most prestigious title in the world of professional darts.
His name will surely be etched in the record books forever.
[To which, it should be added that, according to the WDC, in 1993
Dennis Priestly was world champion, beating Phil Taylor.]
13. How do you play the x01 games?
By far the most popular darts games are "301," "501," and other,
higher, "x01." In both 301 and 501 the basic principle is subtraction of
your score from the initial score of either 301 or 501, the winner being
the first to reduce his score to exactly zero.
Rules for the 301 Game ----------------------
a. Before any score is counted, the player must begin by hitting a
double. (Any double will do.) That means any dart between the two wires
on the perimeter of the spider. Once a "double" has been thrown, that dart
and all subsequent darts thrown by that player will count toward reducing
the score to zero. (Some variants do not require a double in [DI]; others
provide that once the double is broken, either side can start scoring; yet
others provide that, on teams, only one double on a side is required.)
b. The score is determined by subtracting the score of each dart
from the number 301.
c. The winner must reduce his or her score to _exactly_ zero, with
the last dart being a "double".
d. If the player scores more than the exact score needed, that
particular turn of 3 darts does not count, and the player's score remains
as it was prior to that turn. (Did anybody not know this was called a
"bust"?)
Rules for the 501 Game, 701, Etc.
----------------------
The higher games are played exactly like their companion game,
301, with the exception that a "double" is not usually required to open
the scoring. The score is subtracted from the grand total of 501 points
(etc.), and the rule stipulating a "double" to finish at zero is the same
as in the game of 301.
Wayne Newberry (wa...@zen.cac.stratus.com) has kindly provided us
with an "out chart" showing various finishes:
I have one out-chart which I obtained from a dart supply store in
Detroit, about three or more years ago. There will always be disagreement
from someone about whether a given three-dart out is the best choice, but
this one seems to be reasonable.
Suggested Three-Dart Finishes
-----------------------------
170 T20-T20-D25 128 T18-T14-D16 93 T19-D18
167 T20-T19-D25 127 T20-T17-D8 92 T20-D16
164 T20-T18-D25 126 T19-S19-D25 91 T17-D20
161 T20-T17-D25 125 T18-T13-D16 90 T18-D18
160 T20-T20-D20 124 T20-T16-D8 89 T19-D16
158 T20-T20-D19 123 T19-T10-D18 88 T16-D20
157 T20-T19-D20 122 T18-S18-D25 87 T17-D18
156 T20-T20-D18 121 T20-T15-D8 86 T18-D16
155 T20-T19-D19 120 T20-S20-D20 85 T15-D20
154 T20-T18-D20 119 T19-T10-D16 84 T16-D18
153 T20-T19-D18 118 T20-S18-D20 83 T17-D16
152 T20-T20-D16 117 T20-S17-D20 82 D25-D16
151 T20-T17-D20 116 T20-S16-D20 81 T15-D18
150 T20-T18-D18 115 T20-S15-D20 80 T16-D16
149 T20-T19-D16 114 T20-S14-D20 79 T13-D20
148 T20-T16-D20 113 T20-S13-D20 78 T14-D18
147 T20-T17-D18 112 T20-S20-D16 77 T15-D16
146 T20-T18-D16 111 T20-S19-D16 76 T20-D8
145 T20-T15-D20 110 T20-S18-D16 75 T15-D15
144 T20-T20-D12 109 T20-S17-D16 74 T14-D16
143 T20-T17-D16 108 T20-S16-D16 73 T19-D8
142 T20-T14-D20 107 T20-S15-D16 72 T20-D6
141 T20-T19-D12 106 T18-S20-D16 71 T13-D16
140 T20-T16-D16 105 T19-S16-D16 70 T18-D8
139 T20-T13-D20 104 T20-S12-D16 69 T19-D6
138 T20-T18-D12 103 T17-S20-D16 68 T20-D4
137 T20-T15-D16 102 T20-S10-D16 67 T17-D8
136 T20-T20-D8 101 T20-S9-D16 66 T10-D18
135 D25-T15-D20 100 T20-D20 65 T11-D16
134 T20-T14-D16 99 T19-S10-D16 64 T16-D8
133 T20-T19-D8 98 T20-D19 63 T13-D12
132 T20-T20-D6 97 T19-D20 62 T10-D16
131 T20-T13-D16 96 T20-D18 61 T15-D8
130 T20-T18-D8 95 T19-D19 60 S20-D20
129 T19-T16-D12 94 T18-D20
T = TRIPLE D = DOUBLE S = SINGLE
The usual rule when playing more than one game is that the loser
of the diddle starts first in the second game. If you're playing more
games, rediddle is usually required. Some play "mugs away", which means
loser goes first on the next game.
15. OK. Now I'm ready for a more interesting game.(:-)) How do I
play American Cricket?
The game of Cricket differs from the games just described in that
there is an element of strategy used against the opponent rather than just
individual scoring subtractions. Let's take a closer look at it:
a. The idea of the game is to "close" (or to make unavailable to
one's opponent) the numbers 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, and bull by scoring
three hits (usually called "marks") in each of these designated areas of
the board. These numbers, including the bull, may be closed in any order.
A dart in the triple or double counts as three or two hits respectively.
b. When three hits have been scored in a number, that number is
"closed" and additional hits score points only if the opponent has not yet
scored his three hits in that number.
c. Your opponent cannot receive points on a number you have
"closed," but can prevent you from scoring additional points in that
number as soon as he or she has "closed" it by scoring three "marks."
In more depth (provided by Vicky):
Cricket is a 2 or 4 player (team) game.
The object is to "close out" with the most points. You close a
number by hitting it three times: either three singles, a single and
double, or a triple. Once a player closes a number, if he (or she, but
from now on I'll say "he") hits it again and his opponent has not closed it,
he scores that many points. The numbers involved are 20,19,18,17,16,15
and the cork (bull). Let me try to walk you through a game. This is
really hard without a board to show you on! We shoot for "diddle" or
closest to cork; I win (Hey, my game, I win). The scoreboard is set up
like this:
Vicky Matt
20
19
18
17
16
15
B
There are no requirements for getting "in," like in x01 (i.e., no
double required). I shoot two 20's and one 5. I put two slashes next to
the 20 in my column to mark my two hits. Traditionally, they form an X.
You shoot and hit a triple 20, a single 20, and a 19. You put an X and
then circle it in your column next to the 20 and a / next to the 19. You
have also scored 20 points so you write 20 in the points area in your
column. I shoot a 20, a 19, and double 19. I have now closed out both
the 20 and 19. Now you can't score any more 20s because I have them closed
and I can score on the 19s because you still have them open. You would
try to close them on your next turn. The game is over when one person
closes all their numbers including Bull and has more points. (This
variation allows for ties. It is the general view of a.s.d that ties are
not allowed and the person who closes all numbers first wins if he has the
same or more points than his opponent.) If no points are scored the the
first person to "close out" wins. You might want to start by playing
without points to get the feel for the game.
You can play with many variations: "no slop" which means that you
must close out the numbers in succession, i.e. 20, then 19. etc. and darts
which "waft" into (hit without meaning to) numbers don't count; Reverse
Cricket which is kind of stupid but after a few beers sounded great one
night, instead of hitting the 20s on down, start with the 1s and work your
way up the board to the 20s. WARNING this takes forever but is really
good practice.
Cricket is a really popular league game.
There are many strategies involved so feel free to ask any
questions about the game even if you think they're stupid. Other
variations of Cricket are discussed in Part 2 of the FAQ.
End of Part 1 of FAQ
--
Perry Israel | "I placed a jar in Tennessee,
San Francisco | And round it was, upon a hill."
pis...@crl.com | --Wallace Stevens
Curt Lewis
: i need to know the measurements for setting up a dart board
: from the middle of the cork to the floor
: and from the board to the foul line
I believe it is 5'8" to center bull and 7'9 1/4" from board to foul line.
--
_____________________________________________________________________________
- Graphic Design
Curt Lewis - A/V technician
- Mac Technical Consultant
c...@netcom.com - Sysop Studio 3 BBS (408) 281-8594
_____________________________________________________________________________
Bob Lanctot
In a previous article, y...@somehost.somedomain (ice9) says:
>
> hello all,
>
>
> i need to know the measurements for setting up a dart board
>
> from the middle of the cork to the floor
5'8" (68")
> and from the board to the foul line
It's called a toe line or oche (pronounced 'ockey') and the measurement is
7'9-1/4". Better still, measure from the cork diagonally to the toe line
115-3/8". Much easier and very accurate as long as the cork is 68" from
the floor. Oh yes, make sure the board is flush to the wall, cabinet or
backboard and the wall is 90 degrees to the floor. Happy darting!
--
_________
/ \ | Bob Lanctot |
o===========|======OOOOO))**))**))-------| Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
\_________/ "Have darts, will travel!" | ae...@Freenet.Carleton.CA |