Follow These Guidelines, Then Be of Good Cheer

“Some of these guys have been shooting in their houses by the numbers, and they get really good. Then they come here and don’t know the games, but they can shoot the numbers. I’ll snatch those guys up in a minute because I can teach them the strategies and tricks of the game.” --Wade Pearson, on recruiting a doubles partner The Rules: It may seem complicated at first, but once you have watched or played a “leg” or two, darts is really quite simple.

A darter or shooter throws from behind a line three feet wide and 7-9 1/4 from the face of the board. The board is attached to the wall at a height of 5-8, from the center of the bull’s-eye to the floor.

Though they appear haphazardly placed, the numbers on an English dart board are standardized (meaning 20 is always at the top and 3 always at the bottom) in a circular arrangement.

The value of each dart thrown is determined by where the point sticks in the board in relation to the “spider” of wire on the board’s face. If it sticks in the outer or double ring, a player doubles that corresponding number. A dart in the inner or triple ring counts triple. The outer bull’s-eye is 25 points, the inner 50. All other marks inside the spider count single value.

Each player gets three throws a turn unless fewer throws produce a winner. (There is no “bottom of the ninth” in darts. As soon as a player reaches the desired outcome, the game is over.)

The games: 301, 501 and cricket are most common.

301 and 501 are similar in that each player begins with a score of 301 or 501 and tries to reduce it to exactly zero by subtracting the value of each dart thrown. The catch is that a player must finish with a mark in the double ring (or the center bull’s-eye, which counts as a double). It is called “doubling out.”

In cricket, the only numbers (or wedges) played are 15 through 20 and the bull’s-eye. A winner is determined when a player “closes out” or gets three marks in each area and is not trailing in points. Doubles counts as two marks, triples three. A player scores points with each mark in a wedge he has closed if the other player has not closed it.

A complete list of rules and other information regarding leagues, tournaments and the best places to play can be obtained from: San Diego Greater Darting Assn., 268-3317; South Bay Darting Assn.; 575-3278. North American Professional Dart Players Assn., 486-1018.

Cost: Darts (three to a package) range in price from about $5 to $80, depending mostly on the metal used in the shaft. Custom darts can run around $150. The less expensive darts are made of brass, the more expensive of nickel and tungsten. Boards made of sisal (known as bristle boards) run about $15 to $40. An electronic dart machine is rather expensive, but an electronic home version that attaches to a TV set is around $450. Other accessories can be purchased at local shops.

Final word: Etiquette is of the utmost importance. Rushing or disrupting an opponent in any way, taking too much time or basically being a jerk is frowned upon. Every game begins and ends with a handshake and a remark such as “Good darts.”