BAHAMAS DARTS FEDERATION
ABACO | GRAND BAHAMA | NASSAU
P L A Y I N G R U L E S
of the
S P O R T OF D A R T S
REVISED EDITION, March, 1999
Malcolm Spicer, President.
INDEX
Glossary of Terms 2
PLAYING RULES
1. General Rules 3
2. Throw 4
3. Starting and Finishing 4
4. Scoring 5
5. Dartboards 6
6. Oches(Lines) 7
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
The following terms shall have the meanings set beside them:-
PLAYING RULES - All the rules covering the Sport of Darts as applied to all darts events under the jurisdiction of the BDF.(including member Associations league play). They shall be the playing rules of each member Association and are consistent with the Playing Rules set forward by the World Darts Federation.
MEMBER ASSOCIATION RULES - The rules of each member Association in regard to :-
i) The format of their league. Points systems, statistics, divisions, play-offs, closed internal tournaments and events.
ii) Match format. How the matches between teams in the league are played. Singles, doubles, triples, team games etc. Double in or straight in.
iii) Any other rules and regulations that an Association may wish to apply to its members, providing that they do not conflict with the playing rules of the BDF.
TOURNAMENT RULES - Those rules applicable to a tournament under the jurisdiction of the BDF.
REFEREE - The person appointed to conduct a darts match between two players or two teams in a darts event. He may also be referred to as "Umpire', "Caller", or "Checker". He might also be the scorer.
SCORER - The person appointed to make up the score sheets or scoreboards, and make subtractions, adjacent to the matchboard he may be referred to as the "Marker" or "Chalker". He might also be the referee.
LEG - The start and finish of a single game.
SET - An odd number of legs forming part of a darts match. "The best of 5 legs"...3-2 or 3-1 or 3-0.
MATCH - The total number of legs and sets being competed for between the teams involved.
1. GENERAL RULES
1.01 Any matter not expressl covered by the Playing Rules shall be determined by the BDF Executive Body whose decision shall be final and binding.
1.02 The Playing Rules of the BDF are those of the WDF except in the cases where no specific rule exists, to the knowledge of the Executive, and the Executive has made a ruling. if the specific rule is, in the future, clarified by the WDF it shall be so changed into the rulings of the BDF.
1.03 All players or teams shall play within the Playing Rules of the BDF and, where necessary any supplementary rules laid down by any Association in their own league or events, or by the BDF in its own tournaments and events.
1.04 Players shall have their own darts.
1.05 Darts shall not exceed 12ins (30.5cm) in length nor weigh more than 50 grams.
1.06 "Hammerhead" type darts and darts with spring loaded tips and points will be allowed.
1.07 A throw shall consist of three darts and shall begin when the player sets up at the oche and shall end when he retrieves the darts from the dartboard.
1.08 A player may change his darts at any time during a leg, set or match, but not during his throw unless the referee is satisfied that one or more of the darts is broken beyond repair within three (3) minutes.
1.09 A player shall be given three (3) minutes in which to throw his three darts. this includes time needed to repair or change flights, shafts or points.
1.10 Players shall have the right to request a check on the height of the dartboard, the distance from the oche, or the diagonal distance from the board to the oche, at any time.
1.11 A player shall be called for three (3) times for his game with a two (2) minute wait between calls. Failure to show two (2) minutes after the third call will result in that leg, set or match, whichever is applicable, being forfeited.
1.12 During the throw only the player throwing may communicate with the scorer as to score thrown, or remaining.
1.13 The scorer may only indicate what is left and not how to finish (32 left, NOT double-16).
1.14 No prompting shall be allowed by any person while the player is at the oche. A first offense will be covered by a warning. Any subsequent offense by the same player will result in the forfeiture of that leg.
1.15 A player may step back from the oche at any time and confer with anybody.
1.16 In all line-ups the order of play shall be the same order as is written down.
1.17 If a player throws out of turn in a team game(doubles, triples etc.) then that player's throw that should have thrown will be forfeited and the score of the player that threw out of turn will not count providing it is pointed out before that team's next throw.
1.18 A player will be allowed six (6) practice darts from the time the referee or scorer calls for the game.
2. THE THROW
2.01 A throw shall consist of three (3) darts unless a leg, set or match is finished in less than three darts.
2.02 All darts are to be thrown by, and from, the hand.
2.03 Any dart bouncing off, or falling out of the dartboard shall not be rethrown, unless it is the dart thrown to decide on who throws first at the start of an leg, set or match. Such a dart may be rethrown.
3. STARTING AND FINISHING
3.01 Every leg must be started by two players throwing for the bull unless tournament or event rules state otherwise.
3.02 In matches other than singles any listed player may be the one to throw for the bull.
3.03 In matches other than singles, the first player listed will be the one to throw first in the game.
3.04 When throwing for the bull, closest to the bull goes first. If the first dart thrown hits a single bull or a double bull it shall be removed before the opponent's dart is thrown. If both players hit double bull or both players hit single bull, then the darts shall be rethrown, the second player's team now throwing first (i.e. the same person need not rethrow).
3.05 Hitting double bull when deciding on who throws first in a game does not constitute the start of a game and does not score.
3.06 A game shot called by the referee is valid only if the darts thrown achieve the required finish as stated by the scorer/referee, and remain in the dartboard until retrieved by the thrower after "Game" is called.
3.07 Any dart mistakenly thrown by a player, after scoring the required double shall not count, as the respective leg, set or match is concluded by the dart scoring the required double.
3.08 Centre Bull (or Double Bull) shall count as 50, or double-25 and may end a game as a double.
3.09 The "Bust Rule" shall apply in all games of *-01. That is, if a player scores more than the score required to end a leg then the score reverts back to what it was at the beginning of the throw.
4. SCORING
4.01 A dart shall only score if the point remains in, or touches, the face of the dartboard within the outer double wire, and having been called, shall be retrieved from the dartboard by the thrower. if the dart falls out before being retrieved it shall not count, even if the scorer has called it, and the score is amended as necessary.
4.02 Darts shall be retrieved from the dartboard, by the thrower, but only after the score has been called by the scorer or referee.
4.03 A protest about the score attained after the retrieval of the darts may not be upheld.
4.04 If a dart is supported by other darts it shall only score if the point of the dart is touching the dartboard in the part described above, in 4.01.
4.05 The score is counted from the side of the segment wire in which the point of the dart enters, and remains in, or touches, the face of the dartboard.
4.06 All requests to check the scores recorded, or substitutions made, must be made before the player or team's next throw.
4.07 The first player or team to reduce their scores required to exactly zero by obtaining the required double (in games of -01) shall be the winner of that leg, set or match, whichever is applicable.
4.08 Any dart travelling over four (4) feet from the throwing line will be counted as thrown.
4.09 If a scorer or referee communicates the wrong number required to finish, then that number should be the score left, even if it is wrong, unless an objection is made before the dart is thrown. In such a case the opposing player (team) may make the objection.
4.10 The actual score required must be shown on the score sheet, or score board, clearly visible, in front of the players and the referee.
5. DARTBOARDS
5.01 All dartboards shall be of the "Bristle" type.
5.02 All dartboards shall be of the 1-20 clock pattern.
5.03 The inner narrow band shall score treble the segment no.
5.04 The outer narrow band shall score double the segment no.
5.05 The outer centre ring shall score 25.
5.06 The inner centre ring shall score 50 (or double-25) and shall be called "the bull".
5.07 The dartboard shall be fixed such that the perpendicular height from the centre of the bull to the floor, at the same level as the oche (line) shall measure 5ft. 8ins. (1.73m).
5.08 The four colours of the dartboard shall be:- Black, Red, Green and off-White (yellow).
5.09 The dartboard shall be fixed such that the "20" segment is coloured Black and shall be at the top of the dartboard.
6. OCHES (LINES)
6.01 Where possible, a raised oche should be used in all darts games. A raised oche shall be used in all BDF events and tournaments.
6.02 A raised oche at least 1 1/2ins. high and 2ft. long (38mm high and 610mm long), must be placed in position at the minimum throwing distance and shall measure from the back of the raised oche 7ft. 9 1/4ins. (2.37m) along the floor to a plumb line at the face of the dartboard.
6.03 The diagonal distance from the centre of the bull to the back of the raised oche at floor level shall measure 9ft. 7 1/2ins. (2.93m).
6.04 During matchplay no player shall tread on any part of the raised oche, nor shall the player deliver any dart with his feet in any position other than behind the toe edge of the raised oche.
6.05 A player wishing to throw a dart, or darts, from a point either side of the raised oche must keep his feet behind an imaginary straight line extending from either side of the raised oche.
6.06 Any player in breach of rule 6.04 or 6.05 shall first be warned by the referee. Any dart thrown subsequently, in breach of these rules, shall not score and shall not be rethrown. In regular season play, the word "line" may be substituted for "raised oche" in this section.
Centre Bull Height......................... 5ft.8ins. (1.73m)
Minimum Throwing Distance.....….. 7ft.9 1/4ins. (2.37m)
Diagonal - Bull to back of Oche...... 9ft.7 1/2ins. (2.93m)
Height of raised Oche...................... 1 1/2ins. (38mm)
Width of raised oche.................…... 2ft. (61cm)
