So you've never been in a league before, and now you're here...now what?

Maybe you saw the flyer. Maybe you got the slip of paper with your change at your local watering hole. Perhaps a friend told you about playing in a league. Nonetheless, here you are, wondering what is the next step. Hopefully this will help answer some of the questions you may encounter.

Once you decide what league you are interested in, and you have you team together, you need to find a location to shoot out of. You can check out the location list, which can be found by going to LEAGUE INFO > PARTICIPATING LOCATIONS using the menu above.

While you are at it, check to see if a league meeting has been scheduled so you can meet the other Captains, drop off your signup sheet, ask questions, and turn in any necessary fees.

Usual start up time is about two weeks after the league meeting. Sometimes we get an uneven amount of teams that sign up, which may add an additional week or two to find a team to round out the field. Remember...BYEs are bad!

The schedule is always posted online prior to league start. Captains get an e-mail or phone call from the league to let them know where their first week pairing will be. To avoid any surprises, it is recommended that you make sure your team will be ready to act on 24-48 hour notice for the first match. Keep their numbers handy so you can contact them. Let your players know that the league can start any week after the meeting, and to make arrangements to be ready to play. There is no bigger headache at the beginning of the season then to have people give the excuse they can't play because they made other plans because they didn't know when they were starting. Tell your team members to keep their schedules open to be ready to play on league night once we are ready to go.

Your first league night has arrived. You know where you need to be, and when...now what? If you are home the first week, go get your Captain's Pack from the bartender. When the league distributes the Captain's Packs to the bars, we always ask to keep it behind the bar so you can easily get it. Your team's name will be on the front, along with a list of what is in the pack. Pull your copy of the Captain's List out. You will need that if you ever need to get a hold of another Captain in the event of a postponement, or to arrange a reschedule. The league rules will be in there, as well as dues envelopes with instructions on how to fill them out. Remember...NEVER sign the dues envelope until after the match, and you are satisfied with the score. Once you sign the envelope, you waive your right to any protests. If you are the away team the first week, the other Captain will be responsible for handling the dues envelope. Log in instructions for league play will be in the pack as well.

Format - Formats can vary depending on the league. Open means all players play with no handicaps (scratch). Hcap means all players play with a handicap derived from their average. New players will play scratch the first week, and their handicap will kick in the week after. Players already in the ESD database will start with their historical average to start.

League Time - All leagues start at 7:30 pm unless otherwise noted.

Reg Fee/Dues - Registration fees, and dues are the responsibility of the team member, and team captain. The registration fee is paid either at the league meeting time noted above, or during the first week of league play. Dues are paid each week by the players rostered as regular players. Dues are owed regardless of attendance, or use of a sub by the regular rostered players.

Sponsor Fee - The Sponsor Fee is the responsibility of the bar hosting your team. Sponsor fees help pay for your league banquet, and trophies. Locations that refuse to pay the sponsor fee cannot enter a team in the league.

League Length - League length is based on the number of teams, and the number of rotations played. For example, 8 teams require 7 weeks to play one rotation.

There is more information available here on our website in the Tutorials/FAQ section...

How to log in to league play on your dartboard
How to read standings, and what they mean.
How ranking is calculated.
How to manually update your dartboard.
What is expected of Captains, and Players.

COMING SOON...A GUIDE TO THROWING TECHNIQUE, AND DART BUYING GUIDE.