What is a dart league?

A league is a collection of teams who are organized to compete against each other at a set location.

What is a team?

A team has (2) or (4) players who play once weekly in an organized league.

How is a team organized?

One person, designated as the captain, recruits and organized teams.

When are league seasons?

There are three seasons lasting approximately (12) to (14) weeks:

  • Fall: September – December
  • Winter: January – April
  • Spring: May – August

How long do the matches last?

League matches typically begin 7:00 or 7:30 pm and end at 9:00 or 9:30 pm.

What type of dart leagues are available?

Traveling Leagues: Play at your home bar half the time and travel within a 30-mile radius to another location the other weeks.
In-House Leagues: Play at your bar of choice every week.

What night do leagues play?

Organized leagues are played five nights weekly on Sundays through Thursdays.

  • Traveling Leagues: There are set nights of play to make it easier to schedule with other locations in the immediate area.
  • In-House Leagues: Any type of darts can be played on any night (bar will decide the format).

What type of dart games do leagues play?

The most popular dart games today are Cricket and 01. Dean Vending Dart Leagues offer:

  • 1 Person Singles 501 DIDO/Cricket
  • 2 Person Cricket (Open, Womens, and Mixed)
  • 2 Person Cricket/01 (Open, Women, and Mixed)
  • 4 Person Cricket (Open, Women, and Mixed)
  • 4 Person 01 (Open, Women, and Mixed)
  • 4 Person Combo Cricket/01 (Open, Women, and Mixed)

How do players determine what to play?

The player can choose between Cricket and 01 depending on their game preference and in which tournament they wish to qualify. The player may also choose to play in Open, Women’s or Mixed competition. The type of league play chosen by the location where you wish to play may also determine which game you play.

How is the skill level of a player determined?

Teams are assigned to a skill level bracket based upon known ability. Players can base ability by previous league play or by stating their skill level. Skill bracket classifications are: A, B, C, D (“A” being the most skilled and “D” being the beginner).

What is Cricket?

Object: Player must get three marks on each number before opponent (seven numbers on the dart board are used: 20,19,18,17,16,15, and Bullseye). If a player marks more than three of each number before opponent hits three of each number, a player will score the points of that number. To win, a player must hit all seven numbers three times and be ahead in points if points are scored.

What is 01?

Each player starts with 301 or 501 points and races backwards to zero. The player who reaches zero first wins the game but must have an exact countdown of 301 or 501 points. Scores will remain frozen until the exact score is achieved to win.

Standings?

All players who have email will receive standings each week. Standings can also be viewed on deanvending.com and then go to Promos/Leagues.

What does it cost?

Each player pays weekly dues of $3.00 or $4.00 (determined by each league) towards the Player Prize Fund and puts quarters in the dart machine for game play as follows:

2 Person Cricket $6.00 in quarters per person per night
2 Person Cricket/01 $7.50 in quarters per person per night
4 Person Cricket $3.00 in quarters per person per night
4 Person 01 $3.00 in quarters per person per night

What is the Player Prize Fund?

The Player Prize Fund is paid on the basis of the number of wins for each team. The players receive 100% back (75% in cash prizes and the remaining 25% is applied towards a banquet and tournament expenses).

What is Sanctioning?

Sanctioning runs from September 1st to August 31st of the following year. There are two sources of Sanctioning:

Stat Sanctioning allows players to participate in organized state competition. State Sanctioning annual fee: $6.00 each player. There are three tournaments yearly in the State of Minnesota:

MOMA Dart
MTA Dart
7-State Invitational Dart

 January
March/April
November/December

N.D.A. (National Dart Association) allows players to participate in organized national tournaments. Each player receives a bi-monthly issue of “Throw Lines” magazine. N.D.A. sanctioning annual fee: $7.00 each player.

What advantages are there to playing Dean Vending Dart Leagues?

  • You will be able to qualify for more tournaments by playing in Dean Vending Dart Leagues.
  • Your league will receive 100% back of your weekly dues – the prize money is paid on the basis of the number of wins for each team.
  • Standings are emailed to all dart players each week in addition to being available at deanvending.com
  • Dean Vending does not charge dart players for administrative fees.
  • Dean Vending provides players with the most up-to-date communication on all tournament events.

What are the General Rules of Play?

  1. Players stand at the “throw” line, 96 inches horizontally from the face of the dart board. It is legal to lean over the line. They may step on, but not across, the line.
  2. Players may use their own darts if they meet the following specifications:
    • They must be plastic-tip darts.
    • Flights may be any length as long as they do not exceed 8″ in total length.
    • Flights may be no wider than 3/4″, as measured from shaft to flight edge, and may not have more than four wings.
    • Complete darts may not exceed 18 grams in weight.
    • Darts may not have broken or cut off tips.
    • Darts will be inspected upon request.
  3. Each player throws a maximum of three darts per turn. Darts must be thrown only when the machine instructs to “Throw Darts” and the proper player’s number is lit. A player will always be allowed to throw all three of their darts.
  4. It is not required for a player to throw all three darts on every turn. A player may pass or throw fewer than three darts.
  5. Any dart thrown counts as a throw, whether or not it is registered on the machine. A throw counts if it misses the board and bounces out, or if it misses the board completely. A player may not throw any darts over again. Dropped darts may be thrown again.
  6. Darts on the board may not be touched until the turn is over, the “Player Change” is activated, and the machine recognizes the end of the turn. Exception: When a dart is in the board and machine reads “Stuck Segment”, that dart must be removed by opposing team captain before other darts are thrown.
  7. A round is defined as the period of time from the end of a player’s turn to the start of their next turn. In a game that is played with two players sharing a score, a round is defined as the period of time from the end of a players turn to the start of their partner’s turn.

What is the Skill Rating Procedure?

Points Per Dart (PPD) and Marks Per Round (MPR) are the official means of classifying and ranking players.

  • PPD: Points Per Dart is used for all ’01 games, (301, 501, etc.). To obtain a PPD, divide the total points by the number of actual darts thrown. Example: Player #1 wins the game with his 12th dart. He has achieved a total of 301 points. His PPD is 25.08 (301 / 12 = 25.08). The winner of the game will use the total points of the game, (301, 501, etc.) all other players will use the actual points scored as reported by the machine.
  • MPR: Marks Per Round is used for all Cricket games. To obtain a MPR, divide the total number of marks scored by the actual number of darts thrown then multiply by three (3). Example: Player #1 wins the game with their 46th dart. They have achieved a total of 59 marks. Their MPR is 3.85 (59 / 46 x 3 = 3.85). Handicap rounds do not count for the players without darts in that round. When two (2) players are partners on the same number, they record their results individually.

A player must compete in a minimum of 24 league games in a league season that meet the following criteria to establish a Skill Rating:

  • 301 (501, 701, etc.): Any ’01 league game played open in/open out with a 50 point Bull’s Eye on a 15.5 inch target.
  • Cricket: Standard scoring Cricket games with a split (25/50) Bull’s E Eye on a 15.5 inch target.

What are Player Achievements?

The NDA recognizes the following player achievements:.

301 Feats:

  • 6, 7, 8 or 9 Dart Outs (Abbreviated 6DO, 7DO, etc.)
    A perfect game is accomplished with 6 darts. A 7 Dart Out occurs when you win the game while only throwing 7 darts. The same is true for 8 and 9 Dart Outs.
  • 4th Round Out (Abbreviated 4RO)
    Winning the game on either your 10th, 11th or 12th dart
  • Low Ton (Abbreviated LT)
    A score of 100 to 150 points in one turn. ( A Hat Trick is not counted as a Low Ton.)
  • High Ton (Abbreviated HT)
    A score of 151 to 180 points in one turn.
  • Ton Over Same as High Ton.
  • Hat Trick (Abbreviated HAT)
    All three darts registering in either the inner or outer portion of the Bull’s Eye on one turn.
  • Assist (Abbreviated A)
    When a player receives credit for his/her partner winning the game.
  • Win (Abbreviated W)
    What a player receives when he/she throws the winning dart.

501 Feats:

  • 9, 10, 11 or 12 Dart Outs (Abbreviated 9DO, 10DO, etc.)
    A perfect game is accomplished with 9 darts. A 10 Dart Out means that you won the game while only throwing 10 darts. The same is true for 11 and 12 Dart Outs.
  • 5th Round Out (Abbreviated 5RO)
    Winning the game on either your 13th, 14th or 15th dart.
  • Low Ton – same as in 301
  • High Ton – same as in 301
  • Ton Over – same as in 301
  • Hat Trick – same as in 301
  • Assist – same as in 301
  • Win – same as in 301

Cricket:

  • 8 Dart Out and 9 Dart Out (Abbreviated 8DO and 9DO)
    8 Dart Out is a perfect game when there is a Double Bull’s Eye. 9 Dart Out is a perfect game if there is not a Double Bull’s Eye.
  • White Horse (Abbreviated WH)
    3 darts registering 3 different Cricket triples in 1 turn that have not previously been marked or scored upon by your team. (While there are 9 marks in a White Horse it is not scored as a 9 Mark. See: 9 Mark)
  • 9 Mark (Abbreviated 9M)
    Registering 3 Cricket triples in one turn. This could be three different triples that have previously been scored upon by your team, 2 triples that are same and a different triple or the same 3 triples.
  • 8 Mark (Abbreviated 8M)
    Registering 2 triples and 1 double (could be a double Bull’s Eye) in one turn.
  • 7 Mark (Abbreviated 7M)
    Registering 2 triples and 1 single. 1 triple and 2 doubles (could be two double Bull’s Eye) in one turn.
  • 6 Mark (Abbreviated 6M)
    Registering 2 triples, 1 triple and 1 double (could be a double Bull’s Eye) and 1 single, or 3 doubles in one turn.
  • 5 Mark (Abbreviated 5M)
    Registering 1 triple and 1 double (could be a double Bull’s Eye), 1 triple and 2 singles, or 2 doubles (could be two double Bull’s Eye) and 1 single in one turn.
  • 4 Mark (Abbreviated 4M)
    Registering 1 triple and 1 single, 2 doubles (could be two double Bull’s Eye), or 1 double (could be a double Bull’s Eye) and 2 singles in one turn.
  • Crick Hat (Abbreviated CHT)
    All three darts registering in either the inner or outer circle of the Bull’s Eye in one turn. A Hat Trick in Cricket will register anywhere from 3 marks up to 6 marks depending on whether they land in the Bull’s Eye’s inner or outer circle.
  • Assist – same as in 301
  • Win – same as in 301

What are Common Dart Terms?

Here are some common terms that you will be hearing as a sanctioned dart player:

  • Actual Darts Thrown: Counting the actual darts that are used, not passed, in a match. Only approved means of tracking feats for the NDA’s Team Dart Tournament.
  • Blocked: A player is BLOCKED when his or her partner’s score is higher than the combined score of their opponents. The player may still throw to get his or her points lower but cannot go out without losing the game because of his or her partner’s high score. The following will result in a loss: When a player reaches 0 but his or her partner’s score is not equal to or lower than their opponents combined score. Remember you can go out on a tie.
  • Classified League: Any league which consists of teams with similar or closely matched team averages.
  • Closed: When a team has scored 3 Marks on the same number or Bull’s Eye in Cricket.
  • Feats: Various darting accomplishments. (See: 301, 501 & Cricket Feats)
  • Frozen: A player is FROZEN when his or her score is at 1 point (2 points in “Double Out”) and his or her partner’s score is higher than the combined score of their opponents. The player may not get his score any lower without losing the game (See: BLOCKED)
  • Games: The individual components of a dart match.
  • Geographic League: Any league which consists of teams from the same area or location of town.
  • Ladies: Teams consisting of only females.
  • League: All teams that compete directly against each other in a season.
  • League Division: Teams in a specified combination or skill level.
  • League System: All of the Charter Holder’s Leagues.
  • MPR: Marks Per Round – The system for averaging the “marks” that a player throws each turn in a game of Cricket. The higher the MPR, the better the player.
  • Mark: Any throw that registers on a number either to help close the number or score points. The Single segment portion of the Cricket number scores “1” mark. The Doubles segment scores 2 marks while the Triple segment scores 3 marks. The outer portion of the Bull’s Eye scores 1 mark and the inner section scores 2 marks.
  • Match: The sum total of games played per league night.
  • Mixed Doubles: Teams made up of a equal number of males and females. In each game a female and male throw together.
  • Open: Teams made up of any combination of males and/or females.
  • PPD: Points Per Dart – The system for averaging the points that a player throws each dart in an ’01 game. The higher the PPD the better the player.
  • Passed Darts: Darts not thrown during a round or game for one reason or another.
  • Round: This is defined as a player/team’s turn during a game. Each player has the option of throwing 0, 1, 2 or 3 darts each round.
  • Spot Darts: A way of handicapping players, teams and leagues. The better the player the fewer darts he/she would be permitted to throw at the beginning of the game.
  • Spot Round(s): The first or opening rounds of a spot handicapped game.
  • Turn: A player is entitled to a maximum of 3 darts per turn. A player may opt to throw 0, 1, 2 or 3 darts.
  • Unclosed: When a team has 2 or less Marks on a number or Bull’s Eye.