​League Rules

General Rules of Conduct

• Good Sportsmanship will be the prevailing attitude throughout ALL MoCo Darts events, league play or gatherings.
  
• All players must abide by league rules/guidelines and must be members up to date on shooters and member fees with an assigned membership ID number. In addition, players must abide by the host bar’s rules, including dress code.
  
• Members not abiding by the first two regulations listed above are subject to a verbal warning on the first offense, written warning, from the President, for the second offense and suspension from league play for a length of time as determined by either the president or vice president.Verbal warnings should be initiated by team captains with reporting made to the secretary, vice president and president.
  
• In the event of a physical altercation or behavior considered to be disruptive by either sponsor management or both captains/team representatives present, the offending party should be asked to leave immediately with the situation immediately reported to the secretary, vice president and president.
  
• In the event in which a player is asked to leave due to either a physical altercation or behavior considered disruptive, all remaining games assigned are to be recorded as a forfeit.This includes being requested to leave by the hosting bar due to breaking the host bar’s rules or causing a disturbance in the venue.
  
• Game play shall commence at 7:30pm without delay.If for any reason a team must delay the beginning of the first match by 7:30pm both captains must be in agreement. Game play shall begin at the scheduled/agreed upon time granted 4 players from each team are present and ready to play and should begin with both rounds of doubles. If at minimum 2 players from each team are present, the first round of doubles should commence without delay. In the instance that only one player is present from either side of the team, that person acting as team representative shall come to agreement with the opposing team captain as to which singles match should commence. If a team doesn’t contact the other captain by 7:30, the other captain should contact the President, Vice President or Secretary of a forfeit only if there is no member of that team at the host bar. A match will be considered a forfeit if the other player can’t reach the rest of the team or the rest of the team has not shown up by 8:00 pm. Please be considerate of all players, if you know you are going to be late, please contact the other captain, or make sure someone on your team knows and is at the host venue by 7:30 pm.
  
• Be courteous during play.  When your match is done, take that time to go to the bar, to the restroom, for a smoke break.  Please do not wait around until you are called to a board for the next match to run your "errands."  If you do step away between matches, let someone know where you are heading so there's no long delay while looking for you.  This also counts for the start of the evening.  Don't run out to have a smoke break at 7:30 as the other team captain is calling out matches.  This causes the night to run long.
  

 
 Forfeits and Postponements

• Forfeits for individual games are to be recorded as a 2-0 win for the opposing party.
  
• Postponed matches and schedule changes must be agreed upon by both team captains and reported in writing to montgomerycountydarts@gmail.com by the team requesting the change.  All notifications of a postponed match should be sent by Thursday, just like your score sheet.  If you don’t submit a score sheet or a notification of a postponement, it will be treated as a forfeit.  
  
• All league night play will be postponed if Montgomery County is under Emergency Conditions (i.e. we have severe weather in the area the night of play).
  
• If a host bar is closed on the night of play due to an emergency or by law (i.e. no power, no water, building caught fire), the teams have two options – postpone the match or, if possible and the teams play at different bars, change the schedule to play that week at the visiting team’s host bar and the following match at the closed location. Please notify the President, Vice President or Secretary so we know what is happening.
  
• Team forfeits will be recorded as a 28-0 win for the opposing team, no individual stats will be considered for either team. A match will be considered a forfeit if one team doesn’t show up or contact the opposing team prior to start of a match. We ask that everyone be reasonable about this.For example, if an opposing captain is called at least 12 hours prior to the start of a match, we ask that you allow the postponement. If the opposing captain calls after 5:00 pm on a match night, it is up to the other team to accept the postponement – for example, if team A calls team B at 7:00 on the night of play, it is unreasonable to expect team A, who’s players are already at the venue or on their way, to postpone a match. In that case, team B can request a postponement, but if team A says no, then team B has three options: play with a ghost, play with a substitute, or be a forfeit. Remember, substitutes are allowed during regular league night play.
  
• If a team has any concerns regarding another team’s postponement request, please contact the President, Vice President or Secretary. For example, if there are only two make up weeks, and you know the other team has already postponed three matches, or your team has already postponed two matches, please notify one of the officers.
  

 Make-Up Matches

• All make up matches will automatically be played at the location the match was to be played at. For example, if the match was scheduled for Papa Nicks, the make-up will be played at Papa Nicks.The only time this rule will not come into play is if both captains agree AND the host bar is unavailable on the scheduled make-up date. For example, two teams have to schedule a make-up match on a different night from their league play; the sponsor bar doesn’t have a free night prior to the end of the season, then the two teams can decide to play at another sponsor location.You must notify the President or Vice President of this change.
  
• Teams can make up a match on another night, assuming both captains and the host bar can agree to a date. If there is a dispute about a make-up date, the President can step in and set a date of the President’s choosing. Most likely, this will go against the postponing captain, since it was at their request the match wasn’t played
  

Playoffs, Championships and Top Gun Event

• The playoff schedule will be based on the number of teams per night. To qualify as a player on a team, you must have a total of 40 points per night for the season, including doubles.For example, if you play on one team on Tuesday and one team on Wednesday, you must earn 40 points with the Tuesday team and 40 points with the Wednesday team.If you get a total of 90 points, but 60 were on Tuesday and 30 on Wednesday, you only qualify to play on Tuesday. A point is one game, so if you play three rounds, and the first round you lost 2 to 1, you gained 3 points; the second round you won 2-0, then you get an extra 2 points, for a total of 5; the last round you lost 0-2, then you get two points, so your total points for the night is 7.
  
• A sheet will be played until it is mathematically impossible for the other team to win or tie the match.  For example, if one team has 20 points and the other team is at 13, but you still have one 301 and all cork calls games to play, then it is possible for the losing team to sweep the sheet and win 23 to 20.  However, if the winning team sweeps the next two matches (one 301 and 0ne cork calls), it would be 24 to 13 with only 6 points possible.  Therefore, the other team is unable to win enough points to tie or win and is mathematically eliminated. If there is a tie, the tie breaker will be one 701 team game.
  
• During regular league play it doesn't matter if you skip around the sheet.  However, for playoffs and championships, you can only play four games ahead.  For example, your doubles cricket is finished, but doubles 501 is still playing.  By the way the sheet was set up, you only have one match that can play 501 singles.  You can then advance to the cricket singles, but no further.  Please note, points will only count in line. So, if you are playing 301, and one match jumps ahead to cork calls, you can't count those points for mathematical elimination until the other matches before are played.  By jumping ahead at the end, you run the risk of your points not counting.
  
• No Substitutes are allowed during playoffs or championships.Only players who have paid to be on the team and qualified for that night are permitted.
  
• The Top Gun event is the top 16 players.In order to qualify, you must have 60 points for the season.Only singles matches count. You can combine the two nights, so if you play on Tuesday and Wednesday and earn 90 points for the season, then you qualify for the Top Gun event.
  
• Seeding for the Top Gun is based off the player’s win percentage, so anyone who has 60 points gets a win percentage (calculated every week by the stats committee, so you will know the standing throughout the season).The player is ranked by win percentage and the top 16 players qualify.
  
• For Championships, the first dart must be thrown within 15 minutes of the start time. For example, if the first match is to begin at 10:00 am, by 10:15 the captains must have exchanged the first part of their line ups, and the first dart of a game must be thrown.
  
• For Top Gun, all players must check in upon arrival, and the first dart must be thrown within 15 minutes of the start time. So if the first round of 16 starts at 10:00 am, all matches must be started by 10:15. If only one player is available at 10:00 am, then at 10:15 they will win the first leg. If the other player has not shown up by 10:30, then the player will get a second leg. If the player has not shown up by 10:45, then the player who is there automatically wins, and will move on to the next round. No exceptions. We ran into this problem at the last Top Gun, and it wasn’t fair to everyone else who had to wait. So, if you show up at 10:10 am, you have five minutes to throw your warm up darts, get a drink and start.
  
• For each subsequent round of the Top Gun (Top 8 to Finals), players have 15 minutes after their match is called to throw the first dart.Forfeits will work the same way as in the first round, at 15 minute intervals.
  

 Score Sheets and reporting scores

• All score sheets must be completely filled in including first and last name for all present playing members for BOTH teams, week of play, date of play, both team names and signatures of both captains. Any highlights for either team should be recorded on the score sheet and is the team captain’s responsibility to check this. For example, if the visiting captain doesn’t check to make sure a highlight for their team was added to the signed sheet, then the highlight will not be recorded by the stats committee.
  
• Score sheets and postponement notifications are due in by midnight on the immediate Thursday following a played match and should be emailed to montgomerycountydarts@gmail.com.  If you have a problem submitting your score sheet (family emergency, no power, etc.), please contact the secretary prior to Thursday to notify of the delay.
  
• If you do not submit a score sheet or notify the league of a postponement, your match will be listed as a 28-0 loss.  The only exception will be if you have a dated email showing that you submitted your score sheet by Thursday.
  
• If only one team submits their score sheet, only that team will be awarded points.For example, Team A is the home team and Team B is the visiting team.If only Team B sends in their score sheet, then only Team B will have points scored for team and individual stats.So if Team A won 20 to 19, they will not receive any wins and 28 losses.You can ask the other team captain to send your sheet, but it is up to you as the captain to ensure your sheet was submitted. Please check the box at the bottom of the score sheet if you are submitting for both teams or notify us in your email message.
  
• When completing your score sheet, please write sub by the name of any subs and tally the wins/losses for both teams, not just yours.  This is important if you are submitting for both teams.
  
• It is not the responsibility of the Board members to accept your score sheet.By emailing your score sheet to montgomerycountydarts@gmail.com, there is a record in case there is ever a discrepancy between what you recorded and what was posted.  If the team captain does not have a copy of the score sheet, and one was never emailed in (for example you handed off your score sheet to a board member, and now we can’t find it), your score will remain as posted.
  

Rules of Play

• Score sheets should be filled out completely at the prior to game play commencing, however and exception can be made to fill out the sheet to the half way point prior to game play if agreed upon by both competing captains.
  
• Home Team will have the option to throw 1st or 2nd at the bull ring.The player closest to the bull will have option to throw 1st or 2nd in the first leg.The loser of the game has the option to throw for bull first in the second and third legs. A dart landing in the Double bull ring is considered a win over a dart landing in the single bull ring.
  
• The second thrower may acknowledge the first dart as a single or double bull and ask for that dart to be pulled prior to his throw. Should the dart be removed without the request of the second thrower a re-throw will occur; with the second thrower now having the option of throwing first. The dart must remain in the board to count and be in the scoring area. Additional throws may be made until the players dart remains in the board. Should the second throwers dart dislodge the first, a re-throw will occur with the second thrower now throwing first.Re-throws shall be called if the chalker or (only in the instance of no present chalker) if both throwers cannot agree on the dart closest to the bull ring, if both darts land in the single bull ring or if both darts land in the double bull ring.The decision of the chalker, if present, is final.
  
• Opponents and chalkers only are allowed inside the playing area, which consists of the space 2 foot behind the tow line, 2 feet to either side of the toe line, extending to the dart board.
  
• Should a player have any portion of his feet or shoes extending past the toe line during a turn, all darts so thrown shall be counted as part of his turn, however any score made by said darts will be considered invalid and not counted.
  
• A player wishing to throw a dart, or darts, from a point either side of the toe line must keep his feet behind an imaginary straight line extending from both sides of the toe line. Please be considerate of the players on the board next to yours.  If they are in the middle of a throw, wait until the player has completed their turn, then notify the players on the other before moving closer.
  
• All darts must be thrown by, and from, the hand. The player is allowed a total of three minutes to complete their turn as timed by the chalker, if present, or by the opposing player if not present. No darts are allowed to be thrown after three minutes.
  
• Should a player’s darts become damaged in any way, or to be lost during the course of a turn, that player will be allowed 5 minutes maximum to repair and or replace said dart.
  
• A maximum time limit of 5 minutes under exceptional circumstances, subject to the notification of the player and the chalker, will be allowed in the instance of a player requesting to leave the playing area during the course of the match play.
  
• Should a player touch any dart that is in the board during a turn, that turn will be deemed as having been completed.
  
• A turn is consists of three darts, unless a leg/match is completed is a lesser amount.
  
• A dart bounding off or falling out of the dart board will not be re-thrown.
  
• For the purpose of starting or finishing a leg/match, the double (or inner) bull shall be considered double 25 (for a score of 50).
  
• It is permissible for a team during a doubles match to compete with fewer than the required players, provided that the team forfeits a turn in each rotation equal to the number of missing players.
  
• No substitutions shall be allowed during any match after the start of play.
  
• Any substitute used must either be a member or become a member that night by completing a membership form and paying the membership fee. The captain using the substitute is responsible for making sure a sub is a member and collecting the fee. If the sub is not a member, or the form and fee submitted, then all points earned by the sub will be forfeited.