ORLEANS DART CLUB RULES  (revised 5/5/25) 

I.                  TEAM FORMAT   1-5
 (team membership, adding players, approved players, team duties)

II.               FORMAT OF MATCH PLAY   1-9 
 (start time, match agenda, lineups, substitutions, corking, Playoffs)

III.           FORFEITS   1-6
 (too few players, alternative lineups, loss of membership rights, points)

IV.             RULES OF PLAY   1-9
 (technical aspects, coaching, foot over the line, distance to board)

V.                AWARDS & PRIZES  1-5
(1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd place awards, Mystery Outs, High Out, 180, Round of 9, etc.)

     VI.              SCORING   1-6 
                 (scorer responsibilities and limitations, scoring mistakes, corking, tie-breaking,  
                  Allstar chart,  Scorecards, Reporting Your Scores, Penalties & Standings/News)

    VII.               EQUIPMENT   1-4
                 (Lighting, Flooring, Dartboards & Setup, Darts)  

                                           I.  TEAM FORMAT 

1.       A team shall consist of no less than four and no more than ten players.
2.       A member may only play for one team at a time.  

3.       Approved Players may be added to a roster prior to the sixth week of a ten-week season or the eighth week of a fourteen-week season.  After this deadline, no new players may be added.  An Approved Player is someone who has paid their dues and received approval from a board member.  The added player's name must be written in the "Drop/Add" section at the bottom of the scorecard for their first appearance in club play.  If a player has not paid or been approved and plays any games, those games are automatically forfeit.  In the top division, however, you do not need to get players approved although you do still need to pay for them before they play.

4.       Any member who has played in any of a team’s matches and has been dropped from the team for any reason will be ineligible to play on that team or any other for the rest of the season, pending board review. 

5.       Teams are responsible for filling out their scorecard and either email a picture of it or send the match & indiv. stats info) to: orleansdartclub@cox.net by 12:00 am (Sat. midnight) on the Sunday following their match.  Failure to do so will result in a 2 point team penalty.  If the individual stats section is not completed, there will be a 1 point team penalty.  Prior to the last week of the season, you have a one week grace period in the “Warning Box” on the website before -2 penalties are applied.  You may also write your team’s individual stats in the “drop/add” section of your opponent's card and as long as they send in their card including your stats, you will not be assessed any penalties. 

 II.  FORMAT OF MATCH PLAY 

1.       Starting time for the first game of all matches is 7:30 p.m. each Tuesday.  Tardy teams should notify their opponents of their situation ASAP.  The match is subject to forfeit after 8:00 p.m. unless both team captains agree to a delay or postponement.   

2.        Each match will consist of five “events.”  The first event is 4 singles games of either 301 (double in/double out) or 501 (easy in/double out) player's choice. You may play 301 vs. 501 in a single game, per player's choice.  The second event is 4 games of singles American (killer) cricket.  The third event is 2 games of doubles 501 (easy in/double out).    The fourth event is 2 games of doubles American (killer) cricket.  The fifth event is a triples game of either 801 or Super Cricket (14, 13 & 12) decided by the losing team in regular season or the winning team in Playoffs. The deciding team may declare their choice of game any time they wish before the cork. If the match is tied 8-8 or 7-7, AFTER the filled out cards have been exchanged, THEN teams cork. The winner of the cork then decides which game shall be played AND ALSO gets to throw first.  Singles are worth one point, doubles are worth two points and the triples are worth three points.  The total of points available in any match is 19. 

3.       On the scorecards, the lineup for each event must be filled out with an eligible player’s name before lineups are exchanged.  Filled out cards are to be exchanged BEFORE the cork.  If fewer than 4 players are present for singles, you may leave positions blank and fill them in with a player’s name if they arrive before the end of that event.  If 4 players are present, however, these 4 must play.  No “waiting for better players” is allowed.

4.       If a posted player is tardy, absent or otherwise unable to play for any reason, another team member not already playing in that event may be substituted in their place.  Once substituted, the original player is ineligible to play in any subsequent games in that evening’s match.  Should they do so, those games would be forfeit.  Only one substitution will be allowed per team, per match.  No player may play more than once in each event. (Note: a good rule of thumb is to leave the singles slots blank if you don’t have a player for them. That way, you can write them in if they show up w/o having to substitute someone and hence, eliminate them from later games.  Doubles, however, should be filled out with a player’s name if they are expected to arrive.  That way, if they do show up, they can jump right into a game in progress.  By that time, the odds are slim that anyone else will be coming, and if they do, a substitution is less likely to affect your team adversely.) 

5.       Late-arriving players whose names are posted in the lineup may jump right into any doubles or triples game, even if it is currently in progress. (Typically, this will happen when a team is short-handed and playing a 2 vs. 1.  Note that the game is NOT restarted, the new player just joins in at the appropriate time between opponents’ shots.) 

6.       The home team shall select the dartboard upon which the match games will be played.  This board shall be cleared of non-club play no less than thirty minutes before the match.  In Playoffs, the higher seed is the “home team”.

7.       The home team shall provide a scorer for the first and third singles games, the first doubles games and the final triples game as they are written on the scorecard.  The visiting team shall provide a scorer for the second and fourth singles games and the second doubles games as they are written on the scorecard.   When short-handed, a scorer may play (or a player may score, if you prefer).

8.       The player whose team is not scoring has the option of corking first or second. 

9.       Playoff matches will be held in neutral bars, when possible.  The first team to score 10 or more points wins the match and advances to the next round.  If the score is tied at 7-7 and both teams agree, you may skip the second double cricket game and proceed directly to the final and determining triples game.  In this case, teams exchange rosters then cork ONCE to decide the game AND who goes first.  If the 2nd double cricket game is played, the team w/ more points gets to choose what the triples game will be.  Single and double Allstars do not count in the Playoffs, but Triple & Quadruple Allstars and Outs 61 and higher will be counted towards prize rewards & the Mystery Out and High Out prize eligibility.  The higher seeded team shall be designated as the “home team” and scores first.  Players usually need 15 regular season games to become eligible for Playoffs*. (*exceptions for forfeited games & divisions with BYEs, etc.)  The Playoffs schedule is posted on the website after the last week of the regular season.  If a team cannot field enough players on the scheduled day of the Finals, they may request a postponement to the next Tuesday.  If the opponent agrees, the match will be held at the opponent’s bar. 

             III.  FORFEITS 

1.        Within each event, games may be played in any order, (for example, the second and third games, then the first and fourth games) whenever a player posted to play in that event is tardy or missing, but expected to show up.  At the end of that ‘event’ however, any un-played games will be considered forfeit to the team who has a player present.  This rule is only to keep players from repeatedly being tardy.  It is strongly urged that bypassed games be played once the missing players arrive, either at the end of the event currently being played or at any time the team captains deem appropriate.  This is especially true during the regular season as we all come out to play darts and not simply to amass points by hiding behind the rules. There are 5 ‘events’ in a match: singles 301, singles cricket, doubles 501, doubles cricket & triples (801 or cricket). 

 2.        A team fielding less than four players will forfeit the points for each game not played.  Because these games are not actually played, points won or lost due to a forfeit do not count toward any player’s average, but should be counted as won or lost by “bye” in the stats section* of the scorecard. *See VI.7-Bye Games/IndivStats

3.        When both teams are short of players, there may be some games that do not have a player listed on either team’s side of the scorecard.  In the event of this “double forfeit” no points are awarded to either team and the sum total of points for the match will be less than the usual nineteen. 

4.       A team only needs a minimum of two players present to play a match and avoid a team forfeit. 

5.       Any team that forfeits twice during a season or once during the last two weeks of the season shall be dropped from the club and forfeit all team members’ rights to membership in the ODC for the following season and furthermore shall forfeit all team members’ rights to any and all awards and/or prizes they may have forthcoming, pending board review.  Any team voluntarily dropping out at any point during the season shall incur the same fate.

6.       A team winning a forfeit will initially receive ten points. Points awarded are subject to change under two situations:

a)      If the forfeiting team only forfeits one match prior to the last two matches of the season, the winning team shall either receive an average of their points per match (computed at season’s end) or ten points, whichever is greater.

b)      If the forfeiting team is dropped from the club, all points won against this team shall be deleted and the entire division’s point totals recalculated.                

 7.   Any and all make-up matches must be completed before the final week of the regular season.

                                                IV.  RULES OF PLAY 

1.         Darts is an indoor, civilized, non-contact sport, no matter what you may have seen on TV.  Unsportsmanlike conduct including, but not limited to, fighting, verbal threats, use of weapons, throwing darts in anger, temper tantrums, intentional distractions and acts of destruction will not be tolerated by the Orleans Dart Club. 
The result of these actions may be immediate suspension and/or expulsion from the club, pending board review.   

2.        In the spirit of good sportsmanship and fun, agreements between team captains shall take precedence over these rules of play. 

3.         A maximum of nine practice darts on the game board is allowed per player per game.  During a game, a player may not throw practice darts on the game board or any other board.  During ’01 games, once a player has “busted”, they must stop throwing and retrieve their one or two darts from the board.  Players may not “practice” with the dart(s) remaining in their hand or hurl them in anger.  Two warnings are sufficient per player before invoking the penalty for this offense, which is loss of their next turn. 

4.         Opposing players and all spectators must stay at least two feet behind players shooting at the oche if at all possible.  They may not remain within the visual range of a shooter facing the board if the shooter finds their presence to be distracting.  Any requests to move out of a player's field of vision must be honored.  No player or spectator may intentionally distract any shooter for any reason.  Do not shoot until you feel you have a distraction-free zone. 

5.         All darts must be deliberately thrown, one at a time, by and from the hand from a standing position (excepting special-needs/disabled players).  Any dart released from the hand during a forward motion is considered a valid dart and shall not be re-thrown. Darts that accidentally fall from a player’s hand without a forward motion do not count as a throw, may be retrieved and then thrown. 

6.         Any dart bouncing off or falling out of the dartboard shall not be re-thrown.  To count, a dart must remain in the board long enough for the player to complete his throw (all three darts, if necessary), approach the dartboard and touch the dart while it is still stuck in its scoring position. (not removing it and not catching it in the air and re-sticking it!)  The scorer will determine whether these conditions are met, and hence, if the dart scored is
a valid one.  The point must be touching the bristles of the scoring area to count.  The wires will determine in which scoring position the dart is to be scored.  Even when a dart point has gone beneath a wire and is lodged in another color of bristle, it shall be scored within the position designated by the wires. 

7.         Players whose feet or shoes are over the oche when throwing their darts should first be given a warning by the opposing captain.  Any subsequent violation should be brought to the attention of the violator’s team captain for verification while it is occurring and will result in a loss of darts scored during that turn.  Players, please toe the line. Captains, please report only gross violations.  Minor fudging is often accidental and unnoticed. 

8.         Any player shooting out of turn during a doubles or triples game shall receive a zero for their score as their turn shall be forfeit.  The player who should have thrown will shoot next (after the opponent) and that team will continue in the original order.  This rule may only be enforced if no player has shot after the offense.   (Example: the order is Bob, Abe, Ted.  Ted accidentally shoots instead of Bob.  Ted gets zero, then the opponent shoots, then Bob shoots, then opponent shoots, then Abe shoots, then opponent shoots, then Ted shoots.)  Partners may shoot in any order they choose the first round but must maintain that order for the rest of the game.  Written lineups on the score sheet have no bearing on actual shooting order.  Scorekeepers should write down the players’ initials in shooting order (Example: B-A-T) in Triples games because it’s the end of the night and the extra players make confusion most likely to occur then. 

9.   Regarding coaching, a player must step back off the oche and request it.  In singles games, spectators, teammates,  
      etc. may not call out suggestions to players.  However, doubles and triples partners are allowed to call out
      suggestions to their partner who is at the oche.   Scorekeepers cannot coach.

       V.    AWARDS & PRIZES 

1.          First, second and third place teams will receive a beautiful wall plaque in honor of their historic Achievement.  First place teams will also receive their choice of 1) a single customized dartboard or chalkboard, or 2) individual customized engraved glass mugs, plaques or t-shirts.  Mugs are the default prize.

2.          The winner of the playoff series final match will receive the Orleans Dart Club City Grail trophy, which they may keep at their home bar until the next City Grail finals, after which a replacement cup will then be awarded to keep forever. The winners also receive individual large mugs while the runners-up get individual small mugs.   

3.          Players scoring 180’s & 9 marks get shot glasses or patches.  6 bulls gets a color-changing mug.

4.          The High Allstar Leader and “MVP” from each division will receive a customized large mug except for High Allstar totals under 10 which get a small mug.

5.          There will be three randomly selected $20 Mystery Out (61 or higher) prizes and one $40 High Out prize awarded each season. 

VI. SCORING

1.        The scorer may not distract the shooter in any way.  This includes head & body movement, pointing, talking, calling out scores unsolicited, or staring at the shooter, etc.  The scorer shall face the board at all times during the game.  The scorer may not move or bend or even touch any dart in order to determine whether it is closer. If a scorekeeper exhibits distracting behavior or makes three or more scoring errors, the opposing team may demand a replacement, even from their own team or a bystander if no one else is available.  The home team supplies the scorekeeper for the first game and teams then alternate the rest of the night. 

2.        Corking:  Before each game begins, one player from each team throws one dart at the bullseye.  Player with the closest dart gets to throw first to start the game.  The scorer shall judge the winner of the cork, or if tied, call for a re-cork.  If a re-cork, the player who threw second now throws first, and so on, until a winner is declared.
    A)  If both players score single bullseyes or both score double bullseyes, the result is a tie.  In the case of a tie, the player who threw first shall now throw second, after removing both darts.  During re-corks, leaving the first two darts in their original positions is allowed if both players agree on it.
    B)   If the first player throws either a single or double bull, the second player may request that the scorer pull it from its position to allow room for his throw. 
    C)   If the 2^nd corker’s dart dislodges his opponent’s, both players must re-cork, the 1^st corker now throwing second.  

3.        Darts must be left in the board until the scorer has acknowledged them.   Darts removed before the scorer has seen and acknowledged them will not count nor be re-thrown!   Make sure the scorer has your correct score before you pull your darts. 

4.    Upon any shooter’s (at the oche) request, the scorekeeper shall verbally inform them of their current numerical score. 
Scorekeepers may not suggest out-combinations, doubles or anything else besides verifying dart positions and scores.

5.      Score-Keeping Errors--  If a player’s score is incorrectly calculated by the scorer:
     A)    During an ’01 game, a request for correction must be made prior to that player’s (in singles) or his
             partner’s (in doubles or triples) next score being tallied. 
     B)   During a cricket game, the request must be made before the start of the opposing player’s  
            throw, due to the nature of the game.  After this deadline, the score shall stand as recorded.  
           Teams are urged to correct scoring mistakes whenever possible if agreeable to all involved, for the sake
           of fair play.  Requests for corrections must be made before or after, but not while any player is shooting.
If a scorer interrupts a shooter in the act of shooting to make a correction, the shooter may re-throw that dart.

6.    Tie-breakers:   If any teams tie for a division spot (i.e. 2^nd place) the winner will be determined by the most points
       in games vs. each other.  If still tied, by the most allstars on each team.  If still tied, by highest out (over 60) by a team
       member.  If it is still tied, by coin flip.  If both teams agree, the coin flip can be replaced by a 4-player game of 1001. 
       This game would have to be played at least 4 days before the start of Playoffs, otherwise the coin flip will decide.

7.    Bye Games & Individual Stats: 
       If you "win" a singles point by forfeit, do not include this game in your Win total in the Individual Stats section
       If you and your partner win a doubles game against a single opponent, you each only get 1/2 of a win each. 
       If you win a doubles game by yourself vs. two opponents, you get 2 wins (losing it only gets you one loss, though).
                                                                        ODC ALLSTAR CHART

8.    Regarding Allstars, the darts must count toward a score.  For example, 6 bulls only counts as 5 bulls if you only    
       need 3 to close and 26 points to win. In cricket, no stars will count on points scored once you have exceeded your
       opponent’s score by 100 points.  If at the beginning of your throw, you are less than 100 points in the lead, any
       allstar combo which surpasses this 100 point difference will be counted as an allstar.  For allstars to be tallied, they
       must be listed on both scorecards and initialed by both captains.  Triple and higher scoring allstars must be initialed by
       all players involved in the game it was scored. 

* In any ’01 game, (not Cricket) if you go out on the Double Bullseye, add an extra allstar (i.e. 64 out via ‘single 14, DB’ = 2 Allstars), thusly 170 out is now a QUADRUPLE ALLSTAR!
   So, if you have 50 and shoot the DB, that is a single Allstar.
^ (For example: Triple 15, Single Bull, Double Bull is Double Allstar)

                                         REPORTING YOUR SCORES

   Here are some examples of how to record your Allstars: In cricket, 6 marks = "6M", 3 bullseyes = "3B".  In '01 games, make sure to put "OUT" next to any allstar-caliber outs.  If not an out, simply write the number as "116" or "1T6". 
Circle any triple or quad allstars and have all players in the game it was thrown initial them.  

     When filling out your scorecard, please print clearly and legibly, and use picture sizes between 1 and 8megs. 
 If you run out of room for your allstars on your side of the scorecard, record any additional allstars on your opponent’s side at the   
 bottom, working your way up.  If you still need more room, (wow!) record them in the Comments section.  If you accidentally mark a box for a win when you have in fact lost, draw a little empty box next to it instead of making a big scratch out.  ONLY SEND CAMERA PICTURES TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS.  DO NOT TEXT THEM TO 344-0257. E-mail a phone camera picture of your completed scorecard including your match scores, individual stats and Allstars to: ORLEANSDARTCLUB@COX.NET

We need the individual stats in order to provide you with current information and to keep the precise data that allows us to place teams

accurately, according to their skill level.  If we’re missing your stats, we can’t credit your players with the correct Allstar totals, Mystery

Out or MVP awards.

                           PENALTIES  
 Deadline to report match scores is 12 am Sunday following your match.

        1.  IF YOU DO NOT REPORT YOUR MATCH SCORES & INDIVIDUAL STATS VIA EMAIL BY THE DEADLINE, NOT ONLY WILL
      YOU LOSE 2 TEAM POINTS BUT YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT FOR ALLSTARS OR MYSTERY OUT AWARDS 

2.  FAILURE TO REPORT YOUR TEAM’S INDIVIDUAL STATS WILL COST YOU 1 TEAM POINT

3.  IF YOU GET 5 OR MORE -2 PENALTIES, ANY SUBSEQUENT PENALTIES FOR NON-REPORTING INCREASE TO -5

4.  DURING REG. SEASON, THERE IS A 1 WEEK GRACE PERIOD TO REPORT SCORES.  GRACE PERIOD ENDS AFTER WEEK 9.

5. IF A TEAM HAS NOT PAID THEIR DUES PAST THE WEEK 5 DEADLINE, THEY WILL INCUR A -10 PENALTY EACH WEEK.

      We urge you to get in the habit of sending in your scorecard promptly.  If we do not receive it by midnight on the Saturday following your match, a penalty will be assessed to your team.  They add up.  Unfortunately if we didn’t have penalties, we’d get very few scorecards and this would prevent us from providing you with up-to-date standings, stats, averages & allstars. 

The ODC does not mail newsletters.  Updates, news, special announcements, player averages, Mystery Out lists, Allstar totals, Playoff schedules and team standings can all be accessed via the Internet at:  http://orleansdartclub.com/index.html   The webpage is usually updated on Sundays, sometimes Mondays.  E-mail ORLEANSDARTCLUB@COX.NET to get on the mailing list. See more content in our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/710055029149030.

VII.    EQUIPMENT 

1.       LIGHTING:  All venues are expected to provide lighting of sufficient brightness so as to provide a well-illuminated dartboard with no prominent shadows.  Usually, two separate light sources are necessary to achieve this.  The light sources must be mounted such a way so as to prevent any direct light from being visible from the oche, shining into players’ eyes.  
2.     FLOORING:  Venues with hard flooring such as brick, concrete or hard tile must provide a mat or carpet no less than 2.5’ x 5’ to protect falling darts from damage.  Venues with carpet, wood or soft tile floors are exempt from this rule.

3.     DARTBOARDS:  The dartboard used will be the standard English 18” bristle board.  Acceptable brands are NODOR,

HAMMERHEAD, HARROW”S, WINMAU, & ACCUDART, just to name a few.  The only types of boards that are specifically banned are shiny CHROME-WIRED boards.  NO SHINY-WIRED BOARDS MAY BE USED FOR MATCH PLAY. They may be used for practice boards only.  Boards are to be mounted with the center bullseye 5’ 8” from the floor.  The distance from where the face of the board meets the floor and the oche (throwing line) is 7’ 9¼“.  The distance from the bullseye diagonally to the oche is 9’, 7 3/8”. 
4.    DARTS:  Darts used in match play may not exceed 12” in length nor 50 grams per dart.  A dart shall be defined as having a recognizable point, barrel, shaft and flight.

                                        WELCOME TO THE ORLEANS DART CLUB!

FOR MORE INFO, CONTACT:
      TOM “DARTSAR” GIROIR : 504-344-0257       Email: orleansdartclub@cox.net 
      If you need player approval you must get it prior to your Tues. match.