Hitting the Bull: The Game of Darts

Many of us have a favorite watering hole where we to go to unwind and have a good time. Some of us may prefer the dive bar, others the neighborhood brewery; some appreciate a younger crowd or the club/bar scene. I personally prefer the cozy pub, and in my town I’ve found one of the best I’ve come across. It’s an Irish pub that generally plays classic rock or doom metal music, it has an easy, neighborhood feel, and the best part? It’s unwavering dedication to one of the greatest pub games of all time: the game of darts. The pub boasts an entire room dedicated to the miniature arrows we so hazardously hurl at their Christmas-colored targets.

But this article is not about my cherished “Poet and the Patriot” pub. It’s about darts. Today we’ll talk about the different dart games that can be played and then next time we’ll provide a primer on dart throwing technique.

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Origins of the Game

According to the dart historian, Patrick Chaplin, the game of darts has its roots in archery. Other early origin possibilities include javelins and crossbow bolts, but seeing as how the early game of darts made use of an archery-like target, and the fact that the game is also widely known as “arrows,” it becomes rather clear that archery then, is its most likely ancestor.

I have to admit–I do not understand how this transition could have happened. Imagine some muscled, bow and arrow-wielding warrior saying to his compatriot: “Dude, imagine how much damage we could do if we made these things like an eighth the size, and then we threw them with our hands!?”

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Just doesn’t seem like a natural progression, does it? Maybe it was something thought up for the kids to do, who knows? At any rate, the game came to life in various disparate forms throughout England in the early 20th century. It was brought to the States towards the end of World War I by U.S. soldiers who played the game while in Europe and then brought the darts back home with them.

The world has never been the same. Happiness levels in bars throughout the world increased by leaps and bounds. Leagues were formed, events were planned, teams and friendships were forged. Despite a few traumatic pitfalls over the years regarding league recognition, the World Darts Council (now called the Professional Darts Corporation, or PDC) took the game to new levels. Currently, there is a world circuit with high profile competitions such as the Grand Prix, World Matchplay, the Las Vegas Desert Classic, and the World Championships.

Quick Note About the Dart Board

The dartboard is set up with three main areas: The single area, the double ring, and the triple ring. The ring on the outermost edge of the board is the double. If you hit a number in that ring, you get two marks, or, double points. The thin, inside ring is the triple. If you hit a number within that ring, you get three marks, or, triple points. The green bull’s-eye area is a single. The red is double. So, from outside to in, the dartboard is arranged as double ring, single area, triple ring, single area, green bull’s-eye, red bull’s-eye.

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December 24, 2010