Glossary
9-Darter: The 9-Darter is the perfect game, comparable to the “hole in one” in golf. The classic way is 180, 180 and 141, but there are 71 different ways to finish a leg with nine darts.
Associate Member: Any player who is a member of the PDPA and does not hold a PDC Tour Card will be listed as an Associate Member.
Attitude: The “attitude” is the orientation of a player with which he wants to be perceived. The prime example is Peter Wright, who, underlined by the appearance and clothing as a bird of paradise, has set his own personal brand and become the darling of the public. But there are also players like Paul Nicholson who consciously adopt the image of a “bad guy”.
Barrel: The barrel is the throwing body of a dart. Professional darts are made of a nickel/tungsten alloy. The proportion of tungsten is between 80% and 97%. Tungsten has the advantage that narrow darts can be produced, which nevertheless have the required weight of about 20g. Inexpensive entry-level darts are often made of brass and have the disadvantage that they are often bulky at low weight.
Bogey number: 170 is the highest possible finish. 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162 and 159 are lower than 170, but cannot be checked with three darts. They are called “Bogey Numbers”.
Bouncers: Bouncers are all darts that bounce off the board or fall off the board before the player has been able to pull the darts out. Bouncers are not counted.
Bristle Board: The official name of the current dartboards is “Bristle-Board”. This is from the times when pig bristles were used for dartboards. Nowadays sisal fibres are used.
Bulls-Eye: The “Bulls-Eye” is the middle of the dartboard and scores 50 points. The Bulls-Eye, on the other hand, is a widespread opinion among beginners after the triple-20, -19, -18 and -17 only the field with the fifth highest score. But the Bulls-Eye is the highest double field. The area around the Bulls-Eye is called “Single-Bull” and counts 25 points.
Bust: If a player has thrown more than the required number of points or if he would get a total of 1, the throw is over (bust). The player then retains the remaining points he had before the entire throw.
Caller: At every Major and European Tour event there will be a caller on stage who will announce the number of points thrown by the players. The caller is also the referee of the match.
Check-Out: The “Check-Out” is the hit in the double field required to win a put.
Dart: The “dart” is the working tool of the players. It consists of a point, a barrel, a shaft and a flight. The total weight is usually between 18g and 26g.
Day Member: All players who live outside the UK and are not PDPA members will be treated as “Day Members” when participating in PDC events. This includes the qualifying tournaments of PDC Europe. The fee for day membership is already included in the entry fee for the tournament.DoubleThe outer ring in the scoring area and the bulls eye are the “double” fields. A Leg can only be finished by hitting one of the 21 double fields.
DRA: The Darts Regulation Authority is the arbitral tribunal of the PDC. In the event of a violation of the rules, a report is drawn up and the DRA decides on the penalty which is binding on the players. Penalties can be warnings, fines, suspensions or even expulsions. The “DRA Rules Book” regulates all rights and duties of the players.
Finish: The term “finish” refers to all numbers that can be checked out with three darts. The finish area starts at 170 points.
Flight: The “Flight” is put on the shaft and gives the whole dart the necessary stability in flight. The Flight is available in different sizes and materials, which can lead to a change of the flight characteristics.
Full Member: Full Member” means any player who is a member of the PDPA and has a PDC Tour Card. In addition, it is compulsory to be a “Full Member” in order to participate in major events of the PDC.
Game Shot: Once a player has hit the double space needed to win a Legg, the caller calls “Game Shot” to complete the round.
Leg: A pass from 501 to 0 points is called “Leg” in darts. In matchplay mode, a certain number of legs must be won. In “Set Mode”, a certain number of legs must be won to win a set.
Madhouse: Madhouse” is the double-1. It is feared, because you can’t afford a hit into the single 1, without invalidating the throw, if you have 2 left.
Nickname: Pretty much every darts professional has his own special “nickname”. It can be chosen by the player himself or it was awarded to him because of a performance or an event. The nickname is, besides the walk on song, an important distinguishing feature for a player.
No Score: “No Score” is the caller’s call if the remaining points have been awarded or no points have actually been scored.
Oche: The “Oche” is the dropping bar. The player must stand behind the oche during the throw.
PDC Europe: The “Professional Darts Corporation Europe” covers the complete range of continental Europe (thus excluding Great Britain and Ireland). All darts players from this area can participate in the qualification tournaments of the “European Tour”. Scandinavia and Russia are not part of PDC Europe. However, players from these countries may participate in the qualifiers.
PDPA: The “Professional Darts Players Association” represents the interests of all professional darts players at the PDC. Each member of the PDPA has signed a contract in which all his claims and obligations are regulated. One member of the PDPA is present at each PDC event.Q-SchoolThe Qualifying School of the PDC is played at the beginning of a year and is the prelude to a new season. Due to the high demand, the Q-School is divided in two, in England players from Great Britain and Ireland are allowed to participate. In Germany, players from all other European countries are allowed to participate.
Shaft: The “Shaft” is the connecting piece between the barrel and the flight. Depending on length, material or weight, the shaft can influence the flying characteristics of the dart.
Shanghai finish: If a player hits the single, the triple and also the double field of a segment at his finish, this is called “Shanghai-Finish”. The highest possible Shanghai finish is 120 of a Triple-20, a Single-20 and a Double-20.
Spider: The thin wires that define the individual segments are called “spiders”. Over the years, the wires became thinner and thinner to allow more hits in the narrow triple and double fields.
Tops: Tops” is the double-20, which is the highest double field on the dartboard.
Triple: The narrow fields in the inner throwing area are called “triple”. Hits in these fields triple the value of the respective segment. Three hits in the “Triple-20” result in the highest value with 180 points.
Walk-On: At the Major Events and the European Tour the players enter the stage with a “Walk-On”. The fans like to use the walk on to slap their idols.
Walk-On song: The “Walk-On-Song” is the theme song of a player. With the right choice of music the player can underline his orientation. Walk-On-Songs bring the fans into the right mood and can already cause the necessary respect with the opponent.
White-Wash: White-Wash is a defeat in which the opponent could not win a single Leg, the maximum penalty for each darts player.