League Rules

The main darts league will consist of four separate leagues as follows:-

1) Eights League

2) Fours League

3) Pairs League

4) Combined League

Each match played will consist of three games of eight players (1005), two games of four players (805) and four games of pairs (505).

All teams must provide a suitable narrow fives darts board (the doubles and trebles being a 1/4 of an inch wide) for all home games throughout the entire season. The board should be in good a condition. Any venue that holds a final must also provide a practice board.

The dartboard should be set up as follows:-

Five feet six inches (5' 6") from the centre of the bulls-eye downward to the floor.

Nine feet (9') from the face of the board along the floor to the rear of the oche.

This is ten feet six and a half inches from the centre of the board to the rear of the oche.

A raised oche should be used where possible.

Players must throw their darts from behind the oche.

Both team secretaries must measure all ocheys and dartboard settings before the start of the first home game of the season at each venue. Any minor discrepancies should be corrected before the match begins. Any other discrepancies should be reported to the league secretary as soon as possible. (Any discrepancy to affect the throw)

Team Captains are entitled to check the board set up at any time during the season if requested by a registered player. Any discrepancies corrected or reported as stated in rule 1.5.

All games are a straight start and double finish (the bull will count as a double). The game is over when the required double is scored. Any other darts thrown after the winning double has been hit do not count.

During league matches the away team are to throw first in games 1,3,5,7 and 9.

Teams may sign up to 16 players (men or women). Only one player under the age of 16 will be allowed to sign for each team.

All players must sign a League Registration Sheet before they can play in any league game.

Copies of the league registration sheets must be handed to the league secretary before any player can play any league or competition game.

The league secretary should be notified of any new signings required.

Should the signing of additional players to the team exceed the maximum number of 16, existing signed players must be deleted from the sheet. The league secretary should be notified of any such changes.

The league secretary shall sign and date the last name on the Team Registration Sheets. NO PLAYERS BELOW THIS NAME WILL BE ALLOWED TO PLAY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES

Registration sheets MUST be carried by each team to all league fixtures. These sheets MUST match copies held by the league secretary.

Before any games commence a Results Sheet should be signed by all players of both teams. The names on this sheet must match the names on the Team Registration Sheet.

Before any games commence the player’s names shall be put up in order of play. These names should tie up with the names recorded on the Match Results Sheets.

It is the sole responsibility of both team captains to check that all the players playing at the venue are bona fide registered players.

If a player is suspected of being unregistered they should be checked against the Team Registration Sheet and if necessary they will be asked to sign a piece of paper in front of the two team captains to validate their signature.

It is the responsibility of the team captains to resolve any issues with unregistered players on the night; before the start of any game.

Any issues regarding unregistered players not discussed before the start of a game will become void and no further action will be taken.

All issues regarding the fielding of unregistered players MUST be reported to the league secretary verbally the following day, and in writing by the Monday following the game otherwise they will become void and no further action shall be taken.

All teams must notify the league secretary of any change of their team secretary or captain.

If the player is transferring from another team they will incur a £5 fee which will go into the leagues charity fund. The league secretary must be notified and their names submitted for league approval.

Should a team disband during the season, the players from that team may at the discretion of the committee sign to play for another team in the league.

The first game of eights should start at 9pm (the correct time to be confirmed and agreed by both team captains). The match may commence before this time if agreed by both teams.

Any teams with less than six (6) players by 9.15pm will forfeit all three of the eights.

Players arriving after the start of the match will be allowed to play in any other game providing their name was put up as a sub before the match has started.

Any amount of players may be changed after each game has finished. The order of the players may be changed as well if wished.

Teams with less than eight players will miss the last throw(s) in each round of the Eights.

In the fours and pairs any registered player can play provided he was at the venue before the fours had commenced.

Teams fielding only six players in the fours can choose to play either 2 teams of three players or 1 team of four and 1 team of two. The order of play shall be decided by the drawing of cards ONLY if it is decided to play a 4 and a 2.

Teams fielding only six players will forfeit one of the pairs. Teams fielding seven players will be allowed to play a single player in one of the pairs. This player will therefore miss a throw in each round.

The order of play in the pairs shall be determined by the drawing of cards.

Any games not played due to players not being available the offending team lose the points.

If any games are not completed for any reason the final result shall be decided by the committee.

No league fixtures are too be postponed other than for very special reasons ie bad weather preventing travel or personal tragedy within a team. Shortage of players is not an acceptable reason.

The league secretary should be notified of any intention to postpone a match by 12 noon on the day.

A date for when postponed games will be played will be decided by the committee.

Teams should contact the committee immediately should they disagree with any proposed rescheduling of games.

The committee has the right to postpone all matches due to bad weather or other extreme circumstances.

The committee’s decision on whether a match can be postponed or not is final.

All result sheets must be completed in full and signed by all the team players present before the relevant game starts.

On the completion of all games that evening, the home secretary and both team captains will check the results and if correct sign the sheet result. Should a captain or secretary not be available to sign a delegate from that team must sign and print their name in their place.

Results will not stand if the result sheet is not signed correctly as stated in rules 5.1 and 5.2

Any player scoring 180, or getting over 100 shot out must also be signed by both teams (otherwise they will not count).

The completed results sheet should be photographed and posted onto the leagues WhatsApp group so the website can be updated.

The single and pairs competitions will be held during the break between league matches. Only registered league players will be allowed to compete.

The draw will be made by the committee and players will be designated a venue. The actual playing order will be determined at the venue on the night.

If a player has a valid reason, they may request to play at a specific venue. This must be stated on the signing on sheet. The final decision will be made by the committee.

There will be an entry fee of £1 for each entrant per competition.

All players must be at their respective venue before the draw to sign in.

The draw will start at 9pm.

Players arriving at the venue once the draw has started will not be eligible to play.

In the finals of the pairs: if any one of the pair fails to arrive for whatever reason renders that pairing void. There will not be any substitutions allowed.

Each singles match will be the best of three games (405).

Each pairs match will be the best of three games (505).

The Final of both the pairs and the singles competitions shall be the best of five games.

In all competitions the playing order will be decided by just one toss of a coin. The winner of the toss will throw first in games one and three.

No games in the competitions are to start after 11.00pm unless all parties and the venue are in agreement to do so.

The delegate’s cup competition is open to all league secretaries and captains listed on the registration forms as of the 31st December. All of the league officers qualify by right. Captains and secretaries must attend at least 2 of the quarterly meetings to qualify them entry to the delegates competition.

Volunteers will be required to chalk and call the first games on each board. In the pairs; the losing pair who has just played will be required to chalk and call the next game on the board. In the singles the pair who has just finished playing will be required to chalk and call the next game on that board.

Players who fail to chalk or call when required too will be baned from playing in the following seasons competition (only the competition in which they were playing in at the time). They may however nominate another person to take their place should there be reason to do so.

If a venue fails to provide a board or boards that are deemed to be in a satisfactory condition by the majority of players at that venue, the venue will not be considered for any further competitions for the rest of the season and they can prove that they have decent quality boards. The venue shall also incur a £15 fine.

The Fours competition shall be a knockout comp consisting of the best of 5 games of 805. A fee of £5 per team shall be paid to enter this competition. A team shall consist of no more than six players including 2 subs.

The Eightscompetition shall be a knockout comp consisting of the best of 7 games of 1005.

Should there be time, the Summer Cup shall be played in Four Leagues and the winners of each league shall go on to the knockout games to decide the winners.

The format of the Summer Cup will be as follows:-

1) Two games of three players - 605

2) Three games of two players - 505

3) Six game of singles (the order of play being decided by drawing cards) - 405

4) One game of six players - 805

All games are worth one point except the game of six players which is worth two points. Total points available is therefore 13.

The leagues for the Summer Cup will be played on a Home and Away basis. The Away team will throw first in games 1,3,5,7,9 and 11 and the Home team will throw first in games 2,4,6,8,10 and 12.

Should there be a tie in points for 1st place in either leagues after all the matches have been played, the team who has won the most of the games of six will go through to the semi-finals. Should there still be a tie, the team who won the match between the two teams in the heats will go through.

In the semi-finals the winners of League 1 will play the winners of league 2 and the winners of league 3 will play the winners of league 4

The minimum number of players required to play a match in the Summer Cup is 5.

No acts of violence, racial, threatening or verbal abuse will be tolerated by the league. Any such behaviour by a registered player on a league darts night or function when the players of more than one team are present, shall be suspended for a period of time decided by the committee. A second offence will entail a years ban.

At all venues the home team must supply food for both teams.

Any home team failing to supply food will pay the visiting team £15.

Any team failing to attend an away fixture will pay £15 towards the home team’s food

At venues holding cup games food is optional. Any venue holding a finals night must supply sandwiches.

The committee will consist of three voluntary members. The Secretary, the chairman and the treasurer. These members will be elected at the A.G.M.

League meetings will be held quarterly on the first Tuesdays in Nov, Feb, May and Aug.

A maximum of two delegates from each team should attend each of these meetings. Should the team captain or secretary not be able to attend, the league secretary should be notified by 5pm at the latest of the delegates who will be attending in their place.

Teams not represented at quarterly meetings will have a point deducted from each of the eights, fours and pairs league tables for each nonattendance.

Teams that are not represented at three (3) consecutive meetings will lose all monies due to them at the end of the season.

All teams will pay league fees of £150 per season.

League fees will be paid at the monthly meetings during the season.

In the event of any team leaving the league during the season all points gained by opponents will be deleted.

Any play off’s needed to determine league positions will be held on the Thursday following the final league match on a neutral ground. If not needed this becomes a free night.

Annual payouts will be made for the winners and runners up of all four leagues in each division. All other teams will receive a payout relative to their final position in the Eights league.

In situations where the committee are required to make a judgement to sort out any disputes or issues arising during the season the committee’s decision will be final.

Annual payouts will also be made for the winners and runners up of any league competition held throughout the season.

Any unpaid fines or fees will be deducted from the offending team’s league payouts at the end of the season.

A 180 scored in any combination of treble twenties during any league match or arranged completion will warrant a trophy.

A trophy will also be given to the player(s) scoring the highest game shot during any league match only.

All trophies (except individual player’s trophies) collected at the A.G.M will be signed for. The team or person will be held responsible for any loss or damage of the trophy and will compensate the league for the repair or replacement necessary.

Any complaints must be notified to the league secretary in writing by the Monday of the following week.

Changes to these rules can only be made at an A.G.M.

Changes will be made only if agreed by a simple majority vote of delegates attending the meeting.

Proposals for rule changes should be made in writing to the league secretary before the A.G.M.