Does Darts Count as a Sport?

If you have just started playing darts, you might be wondering if this activity is considered a sport or not. After all, many people see darts as a classic game in pubs or a pastime rather than a sport. Nevertheless, does darts count as a sport?

The answer is yes, it is. Darts is considered an official sport in the US, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Belgium, and Ireland. However, even though darts can be played for leisure, like other sports, players need to know how to aim well to compete at more advanced levels.

So, regardless of what opinion you have about the sport, it still deserves attention. With that said, continue reading to understand better why many countries consider darts as a sport.

How Is Darts Considered a Sport?

Dictionary.com defines the word sport as an athletic activity that requires physical talent and skills. Moreover, the Oxford Dictionary describes a sport as an activity that needs physical skill and effort. In sports, an individual or a group goes against each other for enjoyment.

Compared to other sports, physical exertion is lesser in playing darts. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that playing it requires physical talent not to miss the target.

Skill and talent need to go hand in hand to compete against another player successfully. Here are some of the points showing that darts is a sport:

Skills

Many people wonder if darts are indeed a sport because of how simple the sport is. In darts, any person can get a dart and throw it towards the dartboard. However, minimal physical effort is needed so that you can frequently hit the target.

Suppose you have played darts several times before. In that case, you understand that hitting your desired target or bullseye is more challenging than it seems.

Since you stand less than 8 feet away from the dartboard, hitting and sticking the darts on the board on the first try is an achievement. This is especially true for beginners because they tend to have an unbalanced and untrained hand.

If you are a beginner, you don’t have to worry because you will have better aim and can hit the board more often as time passes by. Therefore, practice is also needed in darts to grow and develop your skills.

Competitions

If you are a dart enthusiast, you likely know that there are world championships made for this sport. Players from different countries compete at a certain level and travel abroad to go to competitions.

The US, Europe, and other countries hold these competitions. Therefore, you can develop your skills in darts if you want to compete. Then, you can level up to more competitive events than the ones your local pub has.

Organizations

The PDC or Professional Darts Corporation and the BDO or the British Darts Organization are two of the most well-known professional darts associations. On the other hand, the ADO or the American Darts Organization holds amateur events.

This organization and structure that categorizes a player is a trademark of pro sports. Therefore, darts cover the essentials to be considered a real sport.

How It Went from a Pub Game to a Sport

For many years, darts were only considered a pub game that’s very popular among the working class. Later on, it made its way to television programs. Additionally, during the 1990s, it went through a change and gained more attention.

As a result, people, players, and companies started to take the game seriously. After that, significant competitions played by professionals were some of the most popular shows in the UK.

Even though the players are not the typical athletes with athletic bodies, they are talented individuals who compete and work hard to reach the upper ranks.

Physical movement is less than other sports in darts, but patience, precision, and talent are still needed. These are the same traits needed to play tennis, cricket, football, and other well-known sports. Without these traits, they cannot progress through professional leagues.

Simply put, darts is a game that has all the potential to be an official sport. Nowadays, it can be said that it is one.

Who Decides on the Official Rules of Darts?

The basics of the games are the same, although different organizations have different rule books. For example, the DRA or Darts Regulation Authority has issued the official rules of the PDC. The DRA is a non-profit organization in the UK.

The primary purpose of this organization is to give, update, and control the rules of darts. In 2019, the organization assessed and updated the rules to develop the profile and image of darts throughout events.

On the other hand, the BDO has its rule book that is divided into two parts. These are playing rules and competition rules.

Where to Watch Darts on TV?

Similar to other sports, you can watch recent and past darts games on TV and the Internet. In fact, you might have likely watched the PDC World Darts Championship when it was aired on TV.

That is because it is the largest darts organization. Moreover, this is also the event where you can watch the best darts performance.

The TV channels wherein you can watch darts tournaments vary from country to country. For instance, darts events by the BDO can be watched on BBC sports while PDC can be watched on Sky Sports.

In addition, if you are interested in watching a game, PDC.TV is the place to go. It has a list where you see darts on TV in different countries. Another good thing about it is that you can subscribe to the site, so you get to see the live streaming of games from their site.

Another option is to watch previous dart matches online for free through YouTube. You can search for a lot of matches and choose the game you want from the long list. Overall, these are all excellent options to start with if you plan on watching darts tournaments.

Where the Competitions Are Held and The Types of Dart Games

The PDC organizes global darts tournaments. Many of these tournaments happen in Europe. If you live there, it will be easier for you to watch a pro tournament live. Similar to the Olympics, the BDO also organizes world championship events across the globe.

In professional darts, the primary dart game played is strictly straight in 501 darts. As a result, it is rare to see other types of dart games played on TV.

Nevertheless, there are many other ways to play darts. Around the clock, baseball, Shanghai, and cricket are some of the many dart games played on a standard dartboard.

Why Darts Is Not in the Olympics

Darts is considered a sport, so it makes sense that it should be included in the Olympics. In addition, the darts community is continuously increasing. Moreover, many pro-organizations will likely support it if darts is included in the Olympics.

Additionally, darts is played in many large countries across the globe. Now, you might be wondering why it is not in the Olympics. One main reason is the division between the WDF and the PDC. The WDF will be the one in charge of darts and be included in the Olympics since it is the governing body for darts.

However, most of the best dart players are part of the PDC. Therefore, it will be challenging to get them to play for the Olympics because the PDC has to give their approval if they want to participate.

Many fans hope that they will find a solution to this issue. When these two organizations reconcile, it will make the sport more exciting. There will be more competition, and more players can take part.

Conclusion

Finally, you have a better understanding of why darts is considered a sport. Aside from the information provided, it is recognized in many countries as an official sport. After all, how darts is played encompasses the definition of the word sports.

If you are just starting to take an interest in darts, this is the ideal time to develop this interest and enjoy everything the sport has to offer.