NDSDA RULES OF PLAY

1. All ADO rules of play will apply unless specifically modified by the following.

2. Regular player membership dues will be $25.00 per player. Each team will be responsible for payment of five (5) full time players and the sponsor fee, which is $50.00. (TEAM CAPTAINS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING TEAM FEES AND SPONSOR FEES, IF DIRECTED BY THE ASSOCIATION) Each team is responsible for finding a “home” sponsor bar and ensuring that a proper throwing area is setup with a dartboard, backboard, and lighting and throw line. The dart association may be able to assist with the actual dartboard and/or lighting, if requested. Contact a league officers if there is a need.

3. League regularly plays on Thursdays with matches beginning at 7:30 PM. Matches may be played at other times and on other days as mutually agreed upon by participating team captains but every effort must be made to hold the match at the host establishment. (IN PARTICULAR, CONSULT RULES 17 AND/OR 18 OF THESE RULES.)

4. Teams will consist of four (4) persons on a particular night of play. Teams may carry as many additional persons on their rosters as they may deem necessary. Teams may consist of any combination of men and women. If a team is short a player, or players, games may still be played if at least two players are present. If a player is late, that player may play the remaining games but may not join a game already in progress once that player’s first turn has passed. When playing short handed, the missing darter’s turn will be skipped in normal game play and the other team member for that game may not throw twice in their place.

5. An individual darter may sub for multiple teams. However, once any darter has thrown three weeks for a single league team, they are no longer eligible to play for any other league team for the rest of that season. This includes league playoffs. If special circumstances exists where a team is not able to field a team for a match, this rule may be set aside if agreed upon by the two competing team captains.

6. Matches will begin no later than five (5) minutes after their scheduled times unless both teams agree to an alternative start time.

7. Each team captain or acting team captain must sign match result reporting sheets. Home team captains must return result sheets to the NDSDA Secretary prior to the Tuesday next following the match. (IF THIS RULE IS NOT OBSERVED, MATCH RESULTS WILL ONLY BE RECORDED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE ASSOCIATION SECRETARY.)

8. The center of the bull’s eye will be five feet eight inches (5’8”) from the floor. The toe line will be seven feet nine and three quarters inches (7’9 3/4”) from the plain of the face of the board extended downward to the floor. The edge of the line nearest to the face of the board will be the toe line.

9. A team will play 13 total games in a league night in the following sequence: 2 – Chase, 2 – Cricket, 2 – 301 Double In/Double Out, 2 – Chase, 2 – 301 Double in/Double Out, 2 – Cricket, 1 – Team Chase. Games will consist of two players from each team, except for the final game in which all team members will participate.

1. For those not familiar with Chase, this is a game similar to Cricket. In the game of Chase, the numbers 20 through 10 are used and no Bulls eye is used. As in Cricket, a team cannot score points on a number until they get 3 marks on a number before the opposing team. A primary difference in Chase is the strategy of using the 15/10 and 14/11 “pies” (numbers next to each other) at a particular point in the game.

2. Diddling will determine the starting order prior to each game of a dart match. A member of the home team will diddle first on the odd games with a member of the visiting team doing so on the even games. The diddle will be complete only after both competitors’ darts have stuck in the board. For the purpose of the ‘diddle’, the board is defined as that portion within the outer wire of the double ring. A dart stuck in the red or center double portion of the bulls eye must be removed prior to the competitor’s diddle. The competitor may request that a dart in the black or single portion of the bulls eye be removed prior to his diddle.

3. Game partners of the players diddling will begin the game based on the order determined by the ‘diddle’.

4. Results of all throws must be announced to, and acknowledged by, the opponents prior to removal of the darts from the board. Failure to follow this rule will negate the player’s results for that turn and the player will not be allowed a re-throw.

5. Touching any dart stuck in the board ends that thrower’s turn regardless of number of darts remaining to be thrown in that player’s turn.

6. Result of each game must be recorded with a “W” or “L” on the match sheet provided. In the cases of a tie score, the team that fills the boxes first wins that game.

7. Match results sheets include a section for recording individual marks. A 6, 7, 8 or 9 mark is recorded for an individual whenever that individual totals one of these mark totals in a single turn of three darts. A mark is considered to be any valid X or scoring mark that is recorded for the numbers eligible for that particular game of Chase or Cricket. For example, a triple 20, triple 19 and single 17 would be an 7 mark. If only two 19s were needed to cancel 19s, then it would only be a 6 mark. A Ton-80 (T80) consists of three darts in the Triple 20 scoring area. A Turkey consists of three bull’s-eyes in one turn during the game of Cricket.

8. Matches are to be played as scheduled and at the scheduled location unless an alternative time and/or location is agreed upon by both teams. NOTE: ALTERNATIVE SITES SHOULD BE UTILIZED ONLY IN EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES. OUR SPONSORS HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE SCHEDULED MATCHES PLAYED IN THEIR ESTABLISHMENTS. SPONSORS SHOULD ALWAYS BE NOTIFIED OF SCHEDULING CHANGES INVOLVING ANY MATCH.

9. If a team must postpone a match, their opponents’ captain must be notified at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled beginning of the match. In the case of notification of a team that must travel to or from another community, notification must take place at least 90 minutes prior to the scheduled beginning of the match. FAILURE TO PROVIDE PROPER NOTIFICATION WILL CAUSE THE TEAM UNABLE TO PLAY THE MATCH TO FORFEIT THE MATCH. IN THE CASE OF THIS RULE ONLY, FORFEITURE WILL MEAN THIRTEEN (13) LOSSES FOR THAT TEAM AND THIRTEEN (13) WINS FOR THEIR OPPONENT.

10. The procedure that must be followed in the case of a postponement, as outlined in Rule 18, will be as follows. Within two days of the time of notification the team receiving the postponement notice must provide their opponents with two (2) alternative reasonable dates and times for the rescheduled match. Their opponents will then have until the following Monday at 7:30 PM to agree to one of the alternatives. If either team fails to follow this procedure, that team will receive thirteen (13) losses and the other team will receive thirteen (13) wins.

11. PAYMENT OF DUES IS NOT OPTIONAL. NDSDA membership dues entitle the payer to participate in league matches as a team member. In order for a member to remain eligible to compete in league matches, dues must be paid prior to the beginning of the fourth (4^th) league match. If a team member’s dues are not paid by that time, that member’s results will not be counted for the individual or the team and will not be added in later even if dues are paid without the approval of the league officers. Teams using members who have not paid dues after the sixth (6^th) league mach will not have any results counted and results occurring during the period that this continues will not be added when the dues are made current without the approval of the league officers.

12. Courtesy, etiquette and sportsmanship are, without question, required of every member of NDSDA. Reports of anyone behaving contrary to the principles will be dealt with as necessary. NDSDA officers reserve the right to disqualify any player for repeated un-sportsmanlike behavior.

13. The interpretation of these rules will be the exclusive prerogative of the NDSDA and league officers.