Why Are Dart Boards Numbered That Way?

Pubs throughout the United Kingdom and some bars in North America feature dart boards for patrons to enjoy. Darts is a game played by tossing small pointed sticks, or darts, at a dartboard. The dartboard usually has segments with a red bull's eye circle in the center of the board. Darts uses a unique scoring system that may not be completely obvious at first glance; the numbers are arranged in a seemingly arbitrary fashion. However, dartboards use this numbering system for a specific purpose.

Darts Origins

The exact beginnings of darts is unknown, but according to the website the Online Guide to Traditional Games, some dart authorities believe that darts is connected to the game Puff and Dart. Puff and Dart was first referenced in two journals in 1819 and was described as a game involving blowing a dart through a tube to try and reach a red center. The game is thought to have evolved into a French fairground game in the early 20th century. The segmented dart board was developed there as a way to make it seem easy to win a prize. Others note the existence of a board thought to predate 1900 known as the Grimsby board, featuring a semi-random numbering system pointing toward a game of skill instead of randomized tossing.

Scoring System Creation

The scoring system of the modern standard dartboard, known as the London dartboard, has two possible origins. Pub Quiz Help notes that Brian Gamlin created the numbering sequence in 1896. Gamlin was a Lancaster carpenter according to the Online Guide to Traditional Games. However, dart historians have trouble finding information about Gamlin and his supposed invention. The other potential inventor was Thomas William Buckle. Buckle lived in Yorkshire as a domino maker and is believed to have developed the numbering system in 1913.

Number Arrangement

On a standard dartboard, the numbers for scoring seem to be in a random position. The numbers in clockwise order from the top are: 20, 1, 18, 4, 13, 6, 10, 15, 2, 17, 3, 19, 7, 16, 8, 11, 14, 9, 12 and 5. At first glance, the numbering system looks rather random. However, it is believed that the numbers were arranged in this way to prevent any way of cheating to reach a maximum score. The numbers alternate from high to low to decrease the chance of winning the game out of luck and emphasize the need for skill.

Scoring

In addition to the randomized numbers, standard dartboards also feature two different rings that alter the scoring and focus on dart player skill. The outer ring of the dartboard doubles the points for that section. For example, a dart landing in the outer ring in the 20 section would be worth 40 points. The smaller inner ring triples the score. Games can be played either by trying to achieve the highest score combination with three darts or by starting with a certain score and subtracting points to try and reach zero.

Board Variations

In the United Kingdom, dartboard variations exist that alter the numerical sequence and scoring a bit. One board, known as the Yorkshire or Kent Doubles board, lacks the triple score ring in standard boards. The Lincoln board is similar to the Yorkshire board, but is black and white rather than featuring colors. The Lancashire board matches the Lincoln board, but is smaller and usually made of wood. There are also boards that use only multiples of five as the scoring, known as the London Fives and Wide Fives boards. The London Fives board features thinner double and triple rings, while the Wide Fives board has wider rings.

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