The sport of darts began as training in the martial arts, (well, the martial art of archery). Darts began in Medieval England. Historians surmise, because they don't know for certain, that those teaching archery shortened some arrows and had their students throw them at the bottom of an empty wine barrel.
Like much of American History, the roots of darts in America can be traced to the Pilgrims. These hardy colonizers were reputed to have played the game on the Mayflower as it made its ocean crossing. Like the game of horseshoes, it was then played avidly in America whenever leisure time was available.
However, darts remained largely an Anglo-American sport until the Victorian age when it was spread world-wide by the great expansion of the British Empire. It seems that the "sun never set on the British Empire". At the same time, there was never a time when a dart was not in the air. Many native populations were exposed to the game and found enjoyment in it.
Around 1900 the rules and darts began to settle into what they are today. Yet according to Christopher G. Carey, author of American Darts Organization Book of Darts, "The international throwing line of 7 ft. 9 1/4 inches was established in the 1970s to make it standard for international competitions; depending on the country (or at times, even the venue), the throwing line was anywhere from 7 ft 6 in. to 8 ft. Also, throughout the early part of the 20th century, there were many different types of dartboards until the 'clock' board became the standard...It really wasn't until after WWII that many of the rules of darts became standardized." Now people all around the world can enjoy the sport of darts in international competitions, in leagues, or in private parties and all be on an equal footing.
So the next time you put your toe to the line and raise a dart to the board, remember that there is a rich history behind this engrossing sport.
Dart Board Set-up
The board should be set up with the bulls eye exactly 5 feet 8 inches from the floor. It is wise to place some type of board behind (and around) the dart board, just to save your drywall or panelling in case of complete misses.
The board itself is 18 inches in diameter and divided into 20 sections. The section marked 20 is always centered at the top.
The toe line (also known as the oche - named for a brewers case - Hockey - that was originally used to establish the distance between the board and the toe line) should be exactly 7 feet 9 1/4 inches from the face of the board. The line on the floor may also be a raised bar, 1 1/2 inches in height and two feet long.
