About the Dartboard Numbering System...

Editor's Note:

Patrick Chaplin, AKA Dr. Darts, has written on his website how the numbers on the dartboard came to be, and how they came to be located on the board in the way that they are...20s at top, 19s at the bottom, and so on. Chaplin's theory is that the dartboard originated at some sort of traveling carnival with the numbers randomly placed to that carnival-goers and drunks, would not be able to hit big numbers by grouping all their darts together. Here is another opinion:

Sherilyn, Mr. Chaplin uses his web site to collect books than for giving any useful information about dart history. None of the stories about Brian Gamlin have any verifiable history. It is just a story that keeps getting passed down. It is so weak Mr. Chaplin forgot what he wrote on his own website about it's origin. Don't you think a board with a bull and double ring would be a bit much for a fair game?

The numbering arrangement is simply a point counting based from the 20 or 19. It isn't rocket science or mystic. Count the 20,18 and 13 = 51. The 20,12, and 14 equal 46. Same with 19,17 and 15 = 51. The 19,16 and 11 also equal 46. Low numbers were placed in much the same way. There is a little more to it.

Mr. Chaplin also believes that low numbers are next to high numbers to penalize poor shots, "Pure and simple". If that were so then the 17 and 18 must have been the most used numbers? If you ask Mr. Chaplin about this or why the 7 is next to the 19 and the 2 next to the 17, he has no answer.

I have to believe that if someone really wanted to know dart history and were to spend real effort there are plenty of people living today who's fathers played darts in the early 1900's. Also I would get a shovel and dig up half of England's oldest garbage sites, not simply look up court records that do not exist or chase stories that fit some romantic fantasy.

My guess is the board was originally used to play darts in the old style of rotation. However one team shot the top of the board and the other team shot the bottom, then they switched. That is why the sequence 5,20,1,18,4 = 48 is the same as the 7,19,3,17 and 2. They may have alternated from the bull to a number then back to the bull again. It wasn't just luck that the Yorkshire was created. The 20 on top was either a creative invention to play new types of point games or the result of trying to play simpler point games that were too difficult on boards such as the Manchester. The mining population growth in England and World War I are the main factors that spread the Yorkshire, not the cottage industry of making dart boards for free drinks.

I'm not trying to be negative, but I too have spent a lot of time researching dart history. I'm pretty tired of people who claim they are dart historians yet can not answer the simplest questions. So many articles are just a repeat of other articles. What if the original story is wrong? I am trying to contact some people in England who have nothing to do with darts, but knew early pub life and their games. I think this is the way to find real history. You can not go directly to dart players especially in England. They can be quite snobbish. This is probably why so much early dart history is missing. No one would have anything to do with anyone outside of their circle.

I read your article in Bull's Eye Magazine and look forward to it. I love darts too!

~From Don Baxley
E-mail: dartsrfun@yahoo.com

Note from the Editor: You've made some valid points, thank you. And keep your comments coming... As always, shoot well and I'll see you at the line.