Darts? more than just a game
My father taught me archery as a kid. Not with a homemade toy bow, but with a serious sports equipment made of fiberglass. It was one of my favorite activities in our large garden and I think I was pretty good at it. I also loved the lush sound that the arrows in the target made of straw. When I moved to Berlin in 1989, it was over with the archery, but not with my enthusiasm for arrows and targets. I then switched to his little brother Darts for lack of suitable places for archery. A sport that captivates me to this day. I hear the outcry from the community Darts is not a sport. Yes, that's it. More for the brain than the body, but after chess is officially considered a sport, the boundary is fluid. Below I would like to give you an overview of this sport, its rules and the equipment needed. So: Game on!
A short history of darts
In all likelihood darts, despite the French name, comes from England. There, at least at the beginning of the 20th century, the first sports competitions took place. As early as 1896, the English carpenter Brian Gamlin fixed the distribution of numbers on the dartboard. After Darts was declared by court order in 1908 to the game of skill, was allowed to be maided in the countless pubs in Britain. Since then darts (unfortunately) the image of the typical? Pub Sports? on.
The darts equipment
For a newcomer in the darts sport, the required equipment is very manageable: a dartboard (dartboard), three arrows (darts) and a suitable wall for hanging the disc. In multi-family houses, it makes sense to attach the board to an internal wall to avoid noise pollution of the neighbors. I refer to all the information only on the so-called "Steeldart", so arrows with real metal tip. The "soft dart" machines for plastic darts found in many pubs (which make counting and make funny noises) are annoying to me personally.
The dartboard
A good dartboard consists of countless, vertical sisal fibers. Compared to cheap slices of rolled-up paper strips, sisal fibers offer the advantage that the hole caused by the dart (arrow) closes again after pulling out the arrow. I have been using one and the same board for over 15 years and it shows no significant damage despite daily use. A competition board has a diameter of about 45 centimeters and is available in stores including wall mounting for about 50 euros. Especially for beginners, a so-called Dartboard Surround is also recommended. It is a ring of thick rubber that is pulled over the dartboard and protects the surrounding wall from arrows thrown next to it.
The darts
A darts set always consists of three arrows, as each player has three throws per round. Each arrow consists essentially of four parts: the tip (the metal tip), the barrel (the actual "body" of the arrow), a screw-off shaft (usually made of aluminum or nylon) and the flight (comparable to the Feathers of an arrow in archery). Darts are available in many different designs and weight classes. Most players prefer darts weighing from 20 to 26 grams. I'm best with 23 gram darts. Good Steeldarts cost from about 15 euros upwards. For darts of a prominent player you have to expect with prices around 80 euros and (significantly) more.
The rules
There are numerous rule variants, but the most widely used game is called? 501 Double Out ?. It's about bringing 501 points to (exactly) zero as fast as possible. To illustrate the image of a dartboard:
Source: Tijmen Stam, Dartboard, CC BY-SA 3.0
Each segment of the dartboard has the value of the number in front of it. If I hit a 20, that means: 501 minus 20 equals 481 points rest. The two narrow rings (double ring and triple ring) are of particular importance: if a number is hit in the outer ring, its value doubles. Accordingly, the value of the number in the inner ring is tripled. The red center of the disc is Bull's eye and scores 50 points. The green field around Bull's Eye is called Bull or Single Bull and scores 25 points. The highest achievable score with an arrow is not the bull's eye in the middle, but the 20's segment in the triple ring (3 x 20 = 60 points).
Each player casts three darts alternately from a distance of 2.37 meters, the points are added and subtracted from 501. The last throw to reach exactly zero must be in the narrow field of the Double Ring, hence the name 501 Double Out. Example: With 32 points remaining, the 16 must be hit in the double ring to get to zero.
object lesson
The easiest way to understand the rules is to watch the pros play. The next good opportunity is coming soon: On December 14, 2017, this year's Darts World Championship will start.Venue is the time-honored Alexandra Palace in London, affectionately loved by darts fans? Ally Pally? called. The sports channel Sport1 transmits the most important games on TV until January 1st 2018 on 15 days, annotated by the congenial duo Elmar Paulke and Shorty? Seyler. A more than worth seeing spectacle and the last opportunity to experience the darts god Phil Taylor. The 16-time world champion retires after the World Cup from the active darts sport. Have fun! Buy now 
WIN.MAX Dart Arrows, 12 Pieces Steel Darts Arrows Set, 24 Gramm Professional Steeldarts with Metal Tip, Darts? 18,99 ?
