I remember, as a kid, I used to play on a dartboard that had another game on its other side. Back then, I assumed this to be something completely normal.
Yet I wasn’t sure why the dartboard had a different setup on its back. Since then, I have learned that you can actually find a few different darts games on the back of a dartboard.
What game is on the other side of a dartboard? Professional dartboards do not have anything on their other side. However, on the other side of some dartboards, there will be a different darts game. The most commonly found darts games on the other side of a dartboard are baseball darts and the classic black and white darts game.
For more information on which dartboards you can find these games and what you need to know about them, continue reading below.
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What Games Is on the Other Side of a Dartboard?
Normally you will find one of these two games on the other side of a dartboard.
Baseball Darts Game
On the reverse side of certain dartboards, you will find the classic baseball dartboard setup.
It has different sections (as you can see from the image to the right), and all the different sectors are labeled.
It should not be confused as the standard baseball darts game, which is played on a standard dartboard.
There are also some other very similar variations to this dartboard, which is known as dartball.
Baseball darts lasts nine rounds (or innings).
Usually, the game is played by two players, but it can also be done by two teams. The players have to choose the batting order, after which the game can start.
The innings work the same way they do in baseball. During the first half-inning, one player (or team) is at bat, and the other is in the field, and then they reverse their roles during the second half.
In the middle, you will see the single, the double and the triple and the home run section. Hitting a single moves your runners one base and hitting the double advances your runners two bases and a triple – three bases. A home run clears all runners.
Hitting the foul area will usually be counted as a strike.
Failing to hit the dartboard will grant an out.
Scoring four balls will grant you a walk (you advance one base).
A home run will produce between 1 and 4 runs depending on how many runners are there in the field.
Around the bases, you will find areas that will result in a strike or an out if hit. (three strikes equal one out, and three outs equal one half-inning)
On the other end of the dartboard (where the doubles are usually located), you will find several special zones.
- Sacrifice: A runner that is already located on a base advances one base, and one out is awarded. If there are no runners on a base, the out is still recorded.
- Stolen base: A runner located on a base advances one base. If there are no runners, then nothing happens.
- Double Play: Landing a dart in the double play section leads to two outs.
- A safe hit will result in one base advancement by the runners Or a single hit.
Black and White Darts Game
For some reason, this was my favorite way to play darts when I was a kid. I think the reason for that was mainly as a result of me not knowing how to play games like cricket and 501.
This design can be used to play different darts games like just trying to score as many points as possible or playing a variation of the around the world darts game by going from 1 to 10 and back to 1 again.
As I said, this is probably the most straightforward way to play darts and introduce your kid to darts. There is nothing complicated or confusing just pure darts.
However, and this is where things get very interesting, upon further research, I found that this dartboard design is used frequently in Finland. The game is known as Tikanheitto, which simply means “dart throwing”.
Although this dartboard design is made of simple concentric rings numbered from 1 to 10, the game is not easy at all.
Generally speaking, Tikanheitto is a very easy-going game, but it has been turned into a very competitive sport with strict rules and regulations.
The dartboard in Tikanheitto is hung at 4’11” (150 cm). The throwing distance in Tikanheitto is 16′4.85″ (5 meters) for men and 13’1.48″ (4 meters) for women, girls, and boys under the age of 12.
If someone takes a look at the height of the dartboard, they may say, okay, that must be easy, but the throwing distance is huge, especially compared to the distance most darts players usually throw at.
Tikanheitto is played by throwing five darts per turn (or a predetermined number of darts all in one or two turns). The score is calculated according to the corresponding numbers hit in the black and white rings with the bulls awarding 10 points.
For example, some common ways Tikanheitto is played is by throwing a total of 25 darts, 50 darts, 125, and even 250 darts. The player or team with the highest score wins.
There are also specific regulations as to what kind of darts can be used.
They should be no longer than 5.51″ (14 cm) and no heavier than 25 g. There are also rules about the length of the tip, which should be at least 1.18″ (3 cm).
The dartboard is about 13.42″ (34.1 cm) in diameter, and each circle is 0.66″ (1.7 cm).
Other Darts Games
Certain velcro dartboards and other dartboards for kids may have different darts and target games on their sides. These are generally placed these just for a variety sake to provide kids with something different to play on and not get bored quite as easily.
Do All Dartboards Have Another Game on the Other Side?
The majority of high-quality dartboards usually do not have another game on the other side. What you will find on them is just the backboard to which the bristle fibers have been attached.
On these dartboards, it is not possible to have another game on their back as the back is where the mounting brackets are located.
This also applies to electronic and soft tip dartboards.
The dartboards that usually have another game on their back are mostly geared toward hobby players and kids. So most often, these will be magnetic and paper dartboards and other overall cheaper dartboards.
The reason why you will find many of these dartboards having a second game on the other side is that these sides are not used for anything. Instead of being a waste of space, manufacturers have found a way to provide their customers with something extra.
On the professional dartboards, there is simply no need for a second game as darts players buy their dartboard with a specific purpose in mind, which is to play on a dartboard with a standard design.
Now you may be wondering why don’t these professional-grade dartboards have a second side with the same design. You will essentially get twice the dartboard, right?
Well, technically, you will. However, this way of designing a dartboard poses some difficulties—namely, the sisal fibers which will need to be glued on both sides.
This could potentially be done, but it may ruin the sisal fibers that are facing the wall, and it may also affect the balance of the board.
And let’s not forget that twice the sisal fibers will most likely mean twice the price as well (if not more).