ost of the information presented here is specific to the St. Charles Dart League. For much more information about darts in general, the Usenet newsgroup alt.sport.darts maintains a FAQ at
http://www.capitalnet.com/~ottadart/faq_20/index.html. This FAQ was compiled by Scott Martin, so he deserves the blame if you disagree with any answers here!

Contents

Please select a section:
• General Questions (Fees, the League, etc.)
• Match Play Procedures
• Rules Technicalities
• Glossary of Dart Terms

General Questions

• How high do I hang the dartboard? How far away do I stand?

  Check this Dartboard Diagram - it should answer your questions.

• How do I join this league?

  First off, members must be 21 or over. If you have enough friends who throw darts to form a team (at least four and up to eight for team leagues and two to four for doubles leagues), then check out our Sponsors Page and find a bar that you like and simply ask the bar's owner if they would sponsor your team. Remember: even a beginner team buys beer, so chances are they will be happy to sign you up (especially near time for a new season - check the Calendar Page)!

  If you've just moved into the area or just don't know anyone else who plays darts, it's a little more difficult but not impossible. First, send an email to the League Sorekeeper (scorekeeper@scdl.org) to let him or her know that you are looking for a team. Also, visit one or more of our sponsors as above and let them know - they may have teams looking for players. Finally, get involved outside of league play by playing in one of the regular local tournaments in the area (see the Tournaments Page) and get to know some of the people at these events.

• Are there any up-front fees or dues required to join this league?

  No. Our sponsors pay an up-front fee to sponsor a team but league members pay their dues each night that they play - $2.00 per night.

• I own a bar in St. Charles County and would like to get darts started and sponsor some teams in the league. How do I get the ball rolling?

  If you already have dartboards up and have clientele playing that could form a team, it's simply a matter of contacting our League Scorekeeper to let us know.

  If you don't yet have dartboards up, we can help with advice, if nothing else. Step one is to get one or more good-quality bristle boards on the wall (with lights and scoreboards) and buy a few inexpensive "bar darts" for people to use. "Bar darts" should still be better quality darts than the cheap plastic ones that come with a toy store set. Expect to spend about $35-$40 for a dartboard and $10-$15 for a set of "bar darts". (Call the St. Louis Dart Shop at 314-351-2557 for assistance. Your beer distributor may also offer backboards, scoreboards and even lights.) Once your "regulars" are interested, you can begin recruiting them to form a beginner team. Contact our Scorekeeper.

• A team in my division forfeited out twice this season and was suspended. The second forfeit was against my team. According to Rule 6(c), we lost the forfeit points for our match, but the earlier forfeit stood. This just doesn't seem fair. Why is the rule worded that way?

  First of all, understand that the old rule said that the forfieting team had to be backed out of the ENTIRE SEASON so that ALL of their matches became byes. This was unfair to all the other teams because it affected standings, averages, ratings, and MVP's. No one liked it the way it was, so the new rule was proposed.

  The wording of Rule 6(c) was a pure compromise. The fact is, there is simply no fair way of handling this situation. Remember: the unfairness was caused by the team that forfeited out. When this rule was proposed, one side wanted to rescind ALL of the forfeit points, while the other side wanted to AWARD all of them. The wording in the rule just split the difference. Remember that a team's standing is based on their win/loss AVERAGE -- not the number of games played.

• If my opponent is a no-show and the match is a forfeit (or if they're shorthanded), does each member of my team still have to pay the $2.00?

  No. You should still enter your full roster for each game opposite the forfeit(s) so that your players get credit toward qualifications such as MVP, Playoffs, etc., but only players who actually play a game are required to pay. In the case of a complete Match Forfeit (no-show), the team captain places $2.00 in the envelope to make the match official, but no other money is required.

• I gave a match scoresheet to the visiting team captain to drop off and they didn't get it in on time and my team lost their points for the match. Shouldn't the other captain have been punished too?

  It is the home team captain's responsibility to get the scoresheet turned in on time. Just because you gave it to someone else doesn't mean you are no longer responsible for it. As the home team captain, you must make sure it is turned in -- maybe it would be better if you just took care of it yourself.

• I am a team captain and I was unable to attend a match. My teammate who was acting captain failed to get the scoresheet turned in on time and my team lost their points for the match. Can't the league make an exception in this case?

  It is the home team captain's responsibility to get the scoresheet turned in on time. Period. This applies to acting captains, too. It's a good idea for every captain to cover these procedures with their team just in case. There are too many people who are able to do it right to start making exceptions. The rules would end up as thick as a phonebook!

• If a league member is "banned" from a bar, doesn't that bar still have to allow them in to play a league match?

  Nope. Your relationship with a particular bar is between you and the bar. Besides, the rules require you to behave yourself. In the past, the League has tried to convince the bar to allow them in on a "water only" basis, but we can't force a bar to do anything in these cases.

• If a team wins the Traveling Trophy, why don't we force them to "move up" to the next higher division?

  This sounds like a good idea, but there are some technical problems with it. Try to define what you mean by "team" in exact words. If they move to a different bar or change captains, is it the same team? What if a new player joins the team? Suppose the team splits up -- how many of the original players would constitute the same team? Is it fair if some of them can stay in the same division but not others? Also, how would this fit in with the Rating System if the team qualifies to stay in the same division otherwise?

• Why can't I pay my dues in one lump at the beginning of a season instead of $2.00 per week?

  Before this fee structure was put in place, the Members Dues ($5.00 per season) were collected up front. Over the years, the $5.00 dues became so ridiculously low and competition between sponsors for teams became so strong that the sponsors almost unanimously paid the member's dues for their teams in addition to their sponsor fees. The proposed dues increase to $15.00 per season resulted in numerous objections from the sponsors, who said, "Even if I don't pay it, my competitor will and I will eventually have to pay it too, just to keep my teams."

  The $2.00 per week system was put in place for two reasons: to make it as difficult as possible for the sponsor to pay it while making it as easy as possible for the members. There is also the side-benefit that you don't have to pay when you don't play.

• I think the rules are screwed up! How do they get changed?

  As a member of the SDCL, you have the right to propose a rule change at any time. First, you have to submit your proposal, in writing, to the Board of Directors. Then the Board of Directors must vote to submit the change to the entire membership for a vote. If the members pass it at a General Member's meeting, it becomes a rule.

  Hints: The more exact the wording is, the more likely the Board is to take it seriously. It also helps to have a Board Member sponsor your change in advance so that someone on the Board is pushing it for you. Some Board Members will vote to submit a change to the members even if they disagree with it. Be flexible. Politics can be fun, sometimes.

• I don't like the fact that the Board has to approve every rule change first. How do we change that?

  You have to work within the system in order to change the system. Submit a proposal to change it. Or run for office. Or start your own league.

Glossary of Dart Terms

(Want more? Check out Dart Terms/Definitions at Crow's Dart Page!)

Copyright © 2000 - 2008 by SCDL, Inc. All rights reserved.
Please notify webmaster@scdl.org of any errors on this page.