History of Darts
No one knows where the game of darts really came from. One theory states that bored soldiers throwing short spears and arrows at upturned barrels of wine started the game, and that it was originally played outside.
It's also been said that darts came to American from England, possibly on the Mayflower. Regardless, they didn't really get popular until the end of the nineteenth century in the United States, even though the game had been played in English pubs for centuries.
No matter where it originated, the game of darts wasn't much like the one we know today until the end of the nineteenth century. The barrel of the darts at this time was a four inch piece of wood with feather flights and a metal point, though paper flights were patented in 1898 and metal barrels in 1906. This was also when the numbering system for boards became standardized, as well as the throwing system.
This is also when the game started getting a lot more popular in pubs. After all, games of chance were illegal in England, but darts was considered a game of skill (as one court case in Leeds demonstrated). That meant that people could play it in pubs, and betting on the outcome was extremely popular.
As the popularity of the game spread, more and more pub owners put up dartboards to amuse their customers. Leagues and other dart related organizations began to form, with the first known one created in England in 1924.
Local competitions were sponsored by a newspaper. These eventually grew into regional competitions, then national tournaments. At one point, the Scottish government even attempted to ban the game, but this ban never took, due to popular sentiment against ti.
Over the course of the twentieth century, the game of darts continued to grow in popularity. The News of the World newspaper sponsored annual darts tournaments in England between 1947 and 1990.
The game also got more popular in the US during this time, with tournaments even being televised. This type of publicity was instrumental in making darts into a game that was perceived as a serious sport, played by professionals.
More and more people got into playing darts, leading to more competition and more impressive tournament prizes. In addition, more national organizations were created to govern the tournaments, promote the game and attract sponsors.
Founded in 1973, the first of these organizations was the British Darts Organization. It was followed two years later by the American Darts Organization and by the World Dart Federation in 1976. Now, nearly all national darts organization belong to the WDF, which is considered the official governing body for darts games.
The game has come a long way, and it's benefited from technological advances, including electronic dart boards that automatically keep score and know dozens of games. Some even talk. However, plenty of people still play with more old fashioned setups, too.
Darts is a great game on both a competitive level and just for fun. If you're interested in learning to play, check out the supplies available at your local store, or look online to see what's out there.