|
Jeff MacIntosh
Captain
Four Horsemen
120 Posts |
 Posted - 02/22/2010 : 12:05:39 AM
|
Lately I have heard about some arguments related to darts not scoring correctly, and what is expected of players and captains when this situation occurs.
I want to start off by saying our rules are written in such a way as to avoid someone manually scoring a dart. If we put it in print that we allowed it, we would have to describe in detail each and every instance when it is ok, and when it is not ok. That is why the rules are written the way they are.
Darts not scoring as a result of stuck segment are addressed in the sticky post at the top of this forum. Please read the following carefully, as this pertains to other reasons why darts don't score properly.
I want to make clear that the majority of these situations are handled between captains without incident. But recently there have been some instances where people are getting into fights over a dart that doesn't score.
Here's my take on the issue...
In a perfect world, every dart would score properly. Since we know that not to be the case, we must understand that this is where good will, and sportsmanship come into play.
Enter the Gentlemen's Agreement.
The way I see it, if the two captains agree, there's no use for me to get involved. They wouldn't be able to protest the results anyway because they would admittedly be violating the league rules.
With that said, here is what I, as a captain of my own team would, or wouldn't do.
On darts thrown before the GREEN light or before the board recognizes it is the shooter's turn...
I have disallowed a dart that would have resulted in a Hat Trick on MY OWN TEAMMATE for throwing before he was supposed to. I WOULD NOT ask another captain to accept the dart to be scored manually. I have never been offered to correct a dart thrown before the green light. In this situation, I DO NOT ask, and I DO NOT expect to get that dart back. In my opinion, it was my own teammate's fault for not paying attention.
In regards to the GAME WINNING DART, it is considered a missed dart and cannot be manually scored. The issue here is not the board, but when the shooter released the dart.
On darts thrown that stick in one segment, but register another...
In regards to the GAME WINNING DART, it is automatically granted as long as both captains confirm the dart is in the correct segment to win the game.
This is either a board problem, or you may have hit a dart already in the board. It is easy enough to determine if you kissed a previous dart. If that is not the case, I see this with 3 options.
1 - Stop the match and call service.
2 - Continue the match, and agree with the opposing captain to manually correct any subsequent errors.
3 - Continue the match, and agree with the opposing captain to NOT manually correct any subsequent errors.
If this was a match of importance, I would most likely declare my intention to either wait for service, replay the match from that point on somewhere else, or on another night. I am trying to solve a problem as quickly and easily as possible. This is not a loophole for someone to just walk up and tap a dart in. Each occurence must be conferred with the opposing captain. The purpose here is to get through the match as best as possible. I might add it would be ideal to let service know that there is a board problem, so they can attempt to fix it.
272-5776 press 2 at the menu - hint hint...
On darts thrown that stick, but don't register at all...
Our league rules specify if the dart in question is the GAME WINNING DART, it is automatically granted. I would recommend both captains view the board and confirm the dart is where it is supposed to be.
There are 2 options here, plain and simple...
1 - Stick to "The Board Is Always Right". If you do, don't expect a different response when it happens to your team.
2 - Use the Gentlemen's Agreement. If you allow their dart, they will allow the same courtesy if it happens to you. The key is communication between captains. Again, it is not a license to correct what is wrong without first letting the other captain know.
If another captain allows you to correct a dart, and you turn around and reneg on the deal when it happens to them, don't be surprised at the reaction you get.
It would be safe to say you will only pull that once, and no one will forget it. Consider yourself lucky that tarring and feathering are no longer acceptable practices.
I can't stress enough the problems that would arise if we put it in writing to allow corrected, or manually scored darts. The key is working with your fellow captains to solve problems that under most circumstances are not the fault of either team. I would also caution to not take this responsibility lightly.
What I have described here are situations I have been in, and how I handled them in the interest of good sportsmanship, and avoiding having to stop a match. In no way should this be considered an addendum to the rule book. |
|
Manually Scoring Darts
