How Did Darts Become a Sport?

Although many people see darts as a modern game that's played in bars and pubs, darts has a centuries-long history. This game gradually developed and it wasn't initially played by the laymen, but by English soldiers. Learn more about the fascinating history of darts and how it evolved from a game to an official sport.

Darts history is believed to have started in medieval times. This game was initially a form of entertainment for soldiers who used arrows as weapons. In between battles or training sessions, they used to throw arrows or short spears in slices they cut or got from fallen trees. This was the beginning of darts and up to the present day, the game is basically the same - players use small projectiles they throw at a target. However, back then, just like now, simply hitting the target wasn't enough. To make the game more interesting and challenging, players needed rules. So, it was necessary to develop a system that would force players to hit certain areas of the board. This came quite naturally. As players hit the wooden target, the material started to crack. Moreover, the wood slices also had age rings. All these elements enabled the first darts players to come up with specific rules on what areas of the dartboard needed to be hit.

But how did this soldiers' game end up from being played in the woods to being played in pubs? It was precisely soldiers who took the game there. Darts became quite popular among warriors who relied on it both for entertainment and to improve their throwing skills. Therefore, soldiers also started playing it in pubs to have fun. Naturally, other people who were present there became interested in the game and started playing it. This was the inception of darts' long reputation as a pub/bar game. Darts soon became a game for everyone and carpenters started crafting wood boards for this game and sold them to pub owners. Centuries past and darts' popularity was continuously increasing, especially among pub-goers, until it drew too much attention. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was not allowed to play any type of game in public. What was considered a game of chance was basically prohibited and darts was considered a game of chance. Darts was even banned in Scotland. To 'legalize' the game in England, a pub owner went to court to prove to the judge that darts was not a game of chance. To do this the man called one of the best players he knew to give a live demonstration. The purpose the player managed to accomplish was to demonstrate that darts required skill and aim. Therefore, it could not be considered a game of chance. The judge was convinced after watching other people trying and failing to hit the board as the experienced player did, and darts has been legal ever since.

In the following decades, darts evolved a lot. From a mere pub game, it started to be played in official tournaments by professional players. As the competitions grew in popularity and more and more players were drawn to this game, the British Darts Organization (BDO), the official ruling body for this game was founded. A second organization, which is now the biggest in the world followed - the Professional Darts Corporation.

With official leagues where players all over the world started to subscribe to, plenty of tournaments for different levels, and televised events, darts needed one more thing- recognition. It already had all the elements one can encounter in sports, yet it was still perceived as a mere game.

However, things changed in 2005 when darts was officially recognized as a sport by Sports England. Nowadays, millions of people worldwide enjoy darts. If you're one of them and you need sturdy darts gear, our catalog is filled with everything you might want.