Dirt Cheap Hobbies: Darts

The Inexpensive Sport and Pastime of Throwing Darts or "Darting"

If you are looking for a cheap way to pass the time, you might try the traditional bar game of darts. The entry costs (at home) are low as all you need to get started is some darts, a dart board, a wall, and about ten to twelve feet of open space. According to a study cited by the American Dart Association, nearly 10 million Americans play darts on a regular basis.

DART EQUIPMENT

There is something very satisfying about having your own set of darts for use in competition at home or in a league. They typically come in a nice leather case with three darts and one or more sets of colorful flights. The flights are the fins that stabilize the dart as it flies towards the dartboard. Dart sets can start for as low as $10. For example, amazon.com was recently selling Fat Cat Copper Steel Tip Darts, 23 Grams at an inexpensive sale price. These entry level darts even come with extra shafts and a carrying case. Some "darters" will pay more for various precision darts. But, as long as your darts are in good shape, the sport is really about developing a repeatable throwing skill. There are two kinds of darts: soft tip and steel tip. The soft-tip darts work with electronic dart boards while the steel-tip darts work with traditional bristle boards.

DART GAMES AND RULES

There are many games that you can play with darts, but two dart games are the most popular 301 and Cricket.

301. In 301, each player starts with 301 points on the board and subtracts each point scored by throwing one to three darts. The first person to reach exactly 0 points wins. If a player's score would bring him or her below 0, then the player has "busted" and reverts back to the score he or she had at the end of prior turn. The same game can be played with electronic darts, but then it is called '501.'
Cricket. In the game of cricket, the object of the game is for a player to hit each number on the dart board three times. A player can get a single, double, or triple for each dart thrown. According to American Dart League rules, " Additional marks on a closed number will score points if the opponent is still open on that number." To win the game, you have to close out all the numbers and the bulls-eye. If both players close out on the same turn, the player with the highest score wins.

Most games are played on a standard English dart board. However, there are alternative dart boards and alternative dart games.

DART LEAGUES

There are three national governing bodies that set rules for darts and govern dart leagues: the American Darts Organization, the National Dart Association, and the American Darters Association. The American Dart League The National Dart League governs soft-tip darts. The American Darts Organization is affiliated with the World Dart Federation. The American Darters Association is a for-profit association that works with businesses to promote darting and dart tournaments. Of course, your journey into organized darting can start with a simple internet search for dart leagues in your area.


Sources:
Amazon.com
American Dart League
American Darters Association
The National Dart Association
American Darts Organization