SCOTTISH DARTS ASSOCIATION

SCOTTISH DARTS ASSOCIATION

PLAYING RULES

1. All dartboards shall be of the ‘Bristle’ type, and shall be of the 1-20 clock pattern, the outer narrow band shall score ‘Double’

the segment number and the inner narrow band shall score ‘Treble’ the segment number. The outer circle ring shall score ’25’

and the inner circle ring shall score ‘50’ and shall be called the ‘Bull’.

2. The dartboard shall be fixed such that the perpendicular height from the floor to the center of the ‘Bull’, at

the same level as the Oche, shall measure 1.73 metres ( 5 ft 8 ins ).

3. A raised Oche 38 mms high and 610 mms long ( 1.5 ins & 24 ins ) must be placed in position at the minimum throwing distance and shall measure from the back of the raised Oche 2.37 metres ( 7 ft 9.25 ins ) along the floor to a plumb line at the face of the board.

4. Players shall have the right to request a check on the height of the dartboard and the throwing distance from the throwing line

( Oche ).

5. (a) All darts must be thrown by, and from the players hand.

(b) A throw shall consist of three darts, unless a leg, set, or match, is finished in less than three darts.

5. (a) In all darts events each leg shall be played with a straight start, and the finish must be on a double,

unless otherwise stated in the playing format of a particular event.

(b) The ‘Bull’ shall count ‘50’ and if ‘50’ is required to complete a leg, set, or match, then the ‘Bull’ shall

count as double ‘25’.

not count, and the player shall revert back to the score the player required prior to the opponents last

throw.

(d) A ‘Game Shot’ called by the referee, or caller, is valid only if the darts thrown achieve the required

finish and remain in the dartboard until retrieved by the thrower at the time that ‘Game Shot’ is called.

(e) Any dart mistakenly thrown by a player after scoring the required ‘double’ shall not be counted, as

the respective leg, set, or match, is concluded by the dart scoring the required ‘double’.

6. (a) 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.

(b) 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.

(c) The darts shall be retrieved from the dartboard by the thrower, except only in those circumstances when a physical disability, or physical injury requires a player to have assistance,but only after the score has been called by the referee, or caller, and recorded by the scorer, or marker.

(d) A protest about the score attained, or called, after the retrieval of the dart, or darts, may not be upheld.

(e) All requests to check the scores recorded, or subtractions, must be made, where practicable, before the

player’s or team’s next throw.

(f) The actual score required by a player, or team, must be shown on the score sheet, or scoreboard, clearly

visible, at eye level, in front of the players, and the referee, or caller.

(g) A player is not bound to go for the double required, but may obtain the number in his own way, provided the player obtains

the exact number to finish the game. A player may be told the number scored, or the number required but not how to

obtain it ( i.e. the caller may call 32 left, but not double 16 ).

(h) The first player, or team, to reduce the score required to exactly zero, by obtaining the required ‘double’ out, is the winner of that leg, set, or match, whichever is applicable.

(i) If an official challenges a player for overstepping the minimum throwline, and the player persists in

same, his score will not count for that throw i.e. the total score for his three darts will be zero.

(j) The referee, or caller, shall act as an umpire in all matters pertaining to the Association playing rules

when conducting a darts match, and shall, if necessary, consult with scorers and other officials before

announcing any decisions during the course of a leg, set, or match.

9. The Association reserves the right to seed players, or teams, in certain events when deemed necessary.

10. (a) There will be only one draw for opponents, which shall be conducted prior to the darts event, the

bracket system being adopted.

(b) The Association appointed organisers shall arrange preliminary matches so as to eliminate all ‘Byes’

from the first round of the darts event, all ‘Byes’ to be drawn first.

11. (a) The order of play shall be determined by a draw, or by the toss of a coin prior to the commencement of

the match.

(b) The winner of the draw, or toss, shall throw first in the first leg/set. and all odd alternate legs/sets

thereafter, in that respective match.

even legs/sets thereafter, in that respective match.

12.(a) Any player may enter competitions from any league where they are a registered player. However, they

may only enter for one specific competition from any one league at any one time.

(b) The previous year’s winners of the Scottish Singles, Scottish Pairs and Scottish Mixed Pairs be granted

automatic entry into the Grand Finals of the following year’s tournaments. Players will be invited to

enter the competitions and will have to accept the invitation before the closing date of entry. In the pairs

competitions Players would have to be the original pair

13. (a) Completion of an entry form by a player, or team, for an Association darts event, and the acceptance of

that entry form by the Association, shall be deemed as an acceptance by that player, or team, of the

Association playing rules covering that darts event.

(b) The Association appointed organisers reserve the right to refuse, or cancel any entrant at any stage

during a darts event, and their decision shall be final in all matches relating to that darts event.

14. (a) All players are expected to be dressed in a manner suitable for the Finals. Players are not permitted to

wear jeans, neither shall they wear trousers or skirts made of denim or corduroy material, which may

be fashioned in a ‘jeans style’. This restriction shall also apply to any form of ‘track-suit’ attire.

14. (b) No headgear shall be worn without the prior permission of the organisers. e.g. Religious

or medical conditions would qualify for such permission.

15. All darts players, or teams, shall play under the supervision of Association appointed organisers

and officials, in all darts events run under the jurisdiction of the Association.

16. Unless otherwise stated, all Association Tournaments and Championships shall be run on a

‘Knock-out’ basis.

17. The Association, or its appointed organisers, reserve the right to cancel, or change, all dates,

venues, and scheduled darts events, without giving prior notice.

18. Decisions on all matters pertaining to the Association playing rules, in any Association tournament

or championship , shall be made by the appointed organisers, whose decision shall be final and binding.

19. All tournament players, or teams, shall play within the Association playing rules, and where

necessary, any supplementary rules laid down in any darts event entry form, or programme,

relating to that particular tournament.

20. No player, or team, having once been knocked out of a ‘Knock-out’ Tournament shall play again in

that tournament, either as a substitute player, or team, or in their own right, excepting in

those circumstances when a breach of the Association playing rules has occurred, which materially

affected the losing player, or team, such breach not having been occasioned by the losing player, or

team. The Association appointed organisers may, at their discretion, reinstate the player, or team, in

the tournament either in substitution for, or in addition to the winning player, or team.

21. If a player, or team representative, is not present at the official presentation ceremony to receive

trophies, prizes, or prize monies, without the Association appointed organisers, or promoters

prior permission, then that player, or team representative shall forfeit the right to receive such

trophies, prizes, or prize monies that may be due.

22. Any player, or team, not fulfilling their playing commitments of the tournament, by failing

to complete all scheduled matches, including Grand Finals, shall forfeit the right to receive

trophies, prizes, or prize monies that may be due in relation to the tournament.

23. (a) Entry forms accepted for Association tournaments and events may not, after acceptance,

be altered or added to for any reason. Where provision is made for inclusion of reserve

players for team events, and a team fails to include named participants for any or all of

the reserve places, then that team shall forfeit the right to have reserve players for any of

the positions not filled in on the official entry form.

(b) Any team which participates in any Association tournament, must have the required

number of players present, as nominated on the official entry form, to complete all stages

of any match in which they are involved. Any team which cannot fulfill the required total

commitment for any match at any stage throughout the tournament, will automatically

be eliminated at that stage of the tournament.

24. All names of Teams/Players qualifying for Scottish Finals must be in the hands of the organizers

14 days before the scheduled date of the Finals. Failure to do so will incur a fine of £ 50.00.

25. Any matter not expressly covered by the Association playing rules shall be determined by

the Association Board of Directors, whose decisions on all matters shall be final and binding.

Len Mutch 14^th June 2006