$Darts (pronounced Dollar Darts) is a small league that was started in January 1996 for a small area in the upstate of South Carolina. The area is a circle with an 18-mile radius, which centers on the city of Clemson. The league was started because some locals wanted to participate in league play, but didn't want to have to travel all over the upstate as they would have to do if playing in the only other dart league in the area (that being the South Carolina Upstate Dart League).

$Darts is set up like a bowling league. Each team pays into a pot that is distributed at the end of the season to all the teams. How much you get back is determined by the place you finish. There is also a trophy that is kept at the first place team's home bar during the season following the victory, then it is passed on the victor of the next season and so on. The winning team is the team that has the most points at the end of a season. A match is worth 13 points: four 501 matches at 1 point each, two doubles 301 matches at 2 points each, two doubles Cricket matches at 2 points each, and one team 701 worth 1 point.

We also use a system of handicaps to try to equalize play between throwers. Each player has a rating determined by his most recent seven nights worth of matches. The difference between each player's rating, if any, is used to figure the handicap for a given match to be played. We have a set multiplier used for a given game: 15 pts for 501, 12 pts for doubles 301, 10 pts for doubles Cricket and team 701. Believe it or not, this system actually works for us.

The rating is figured using the player's average points per dart from the 501 game, win/loss ratio, and a figure composed of the player's all-star throws with an adjustment made for the number of wins resulting from these scores. These ratings change each time a player adds a night of match play, so they are updated and published weekly. It is a very time-consuming job.

$Darts usually plays two seasons a year, spring and fall. And, depending upon interest during the summer, there may be a third season. During the first two years of league play, we had three seasons such as this. Our season is only as long as it takes for each team to play the others twice, once at home and once at the other team's home bar. If for any reason there is a tie at the end of the season, there is a playoff consisting of one 301 match, one Cricket match and one team 701 match. So far, I believe that we've only had one tie. And let me tell you, that playoff was something to see.

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