Generally, all dart players are good sportsmen. They will shake hands at the beginning of a match and wish each other good luck. Similarly at the end of the game, they will shake hands and thank their opponent(s) for the game.

Much like professional golfers making an important putt, dart players like no distractions whilst throwing. This means:

• Do not speak to the player who is shooting.
  
  
• Don't go "ooh" and "ah" with each dart that is thrown.
  
  
• Wait until all three darts have been thrown before passing a compliment (e.g. "Good darts").
  
  
• Do not make sudden movements in front of the shooter. Scorekeepers should remain still whilst a player is throwing.
  
  
• Spectators should try to keep movement and noise to a minimum whilst a player is shooting.
  
  
• No one but the scorekeeper or a team-mate should tell the shooter what has been hit.
  
  
• What has been hit should only be announced if the shooter asks.
  
  
• No one except a team-mate, not even the scorekeeper, should ever tell the player what to hit next.

This can avoid many arguments. If you write down your score before you pull your darts from the board, you can show your opponent what you threw if there is a discrepancy.

Appreciate what the other player has accomplished. If the other player out-played you, live with it. Remember if you had thrown something really amazing, you'd be happy about it, so be happy for the other player too. Not only will this show that you are a true sportsman, but by keeping your own spirits up, you will remain relaxed and throw you're next darts better than if you had become angry or tense. MANY players lose a game purely because they get angry and their game has suffered because of it.

"Darts is considered a "gentlemanly sport". There are certain things that are expected of players, scorekeepers and spectators. While there are some players that do not follow these guidelines, it is usually because they are rude, ignorant or sore losers. Better players will not like to associate with these kinds of players, and often such activity can lead to the better players giving the offenders a "taste of their own medicine". Stick to these simple rules, and you will have a much more enjoyable game and make a lot more friends than enemies."

Thank you.