Official League Rules

1. Team & Player Registrations

· Annual Subscription: £20.00 per team (includes £10.00 towards the Finals Night raffle). Must be paid before the league starts.

· Eligibility & Age: Only registered players may play. No player under the age of 14 years may register.

· Team Transfers: Players cannot sign for more than one team per season except by official transfer (maximum once per season).

· On-the-Night Signings: New players can sign on match night. Details must be shown on the result sheet. The registration fee must be sent to the Secretary within 1 week or left with the match card for collection.

· Ineligible Player Penalty: Teams playing an ineligible player will have two points deducted from their score FOR EACH OFFENCE.

2. League Fixtures

· Match Night & Time: All matches are played on Monday nights. Matches start no later than 8:30 p.m. unless both Captains agree otherwise.

· Minimum Lineup: Teams must field a minimum of FIVE players or forfeit the match 5-0. Failing to turn up for an away match is an automatic 5-0 forfeit.

· Short Lineups (5 Players): Teams turning up with exactly 5 players automatically forfeit 1 'singles' game and 1 'doubles' game.

· Rescheduling: Fixtures can only be rearranged under exceptional circumstances if both Captains and the Committee agree.

· Season Deadline: No matches may be played after the scheduled date of the final league match of the season.

3. Playing Area & Setup

· Dimensions: The board must be 5'8" from the bull's eye to the floor, and 7'9¼" from the oche to a point on the floor level with the board face.

· Board & Lighting Quality: The board and lighting must be acceptable to both Captains. Disputed setups require a Chairman/Secretary inspection.

· Oche & Scoreboard: The Oche must be permanently shown with unlimited length. The scoreboard must be on the same wall as the dartboard, no more than 2 feet away, and clearly visible to players.

4. The League Structure

· Committee Decision: The league structure is determined by the League Committee based on entries and available Mondays for the Winter / Summer seasons.

5. Match Format & Gameplay

· Match Structure: Consists of 6 'singles' games followed by 3 'doubles' games. Captains draw for the order of play.

· The Draw Process: A individual 'blind' draw is conducted first from the nominated singles players, followed by the draw for the doubles.

· Throwing Order: Players throw alternately. The visiting player throws first in the 1st leg.

· Game Format (Winter & Summer): Best of 3 legs of 501, 'straight in' and 'double out'. 50 counts as double 25. If tied 1-1, a 'nearest the bullseye' single-dart throw determines who throws first in the deciding leg.

· Scoring & Darts: Scoring is by subtraction, shown prominently. Darts must not be moved until the chalker finishes adding up the score.

· Assistance: The chalker or Captain/Vice-Captain may inform a player of the required double if asked. Bystanders must not call out required scores.

· Result Reporting: Match cards must show all scores, be signed by both Captains, and reach the Match Secretary by Wednesday p.m. following the match. A photo must be posted to the 'Team Captains' Hitchin Darts League WhatsApp group.

· League Points: Two points are awarded to the winning team of the overall match.

6. Player-of-the-Year (PoY)

· Singles Points: Awarded based on singles leg results: 2-0 win = 3 pts; 2-1 win = 2 pts; 1-2 loss = 1 pt; 0-2 loss = 0 pts.

· Exclusions & Cancellations: Doubles games do not count. PoY points are awarded to a selected player if the opposing team cancels or lacks sufficient players to field an opponent.

7. End-of-Season Tiebreakers

· Champion Hierarchy: If tied on league points, the order is: 1) Most games won, 2) Most legs won, 3) Head-to-head match results between tied teams, 4) Play-off match on a neutral board under normal match rules.

8. Cups & Trophies

· Prizes: Awarded to winners/runners-up in competitions and PoY. Prizes WILL NOT be given to individual team players.

· Team Awards: Consist of (i) a cup/trophy returned to the League at season end, and (ii) a cup/trophy retained permanently by the pub/club.

· Liability: Winners hold trophies for one season and are responsible for safekeeping. Teams are fully liable for repair/replacement costs if a trophy is returned in unacceptable condition.

9. Complaints, Gambling & AGM

· Complaints: Captains should resolve disputes on the night. Unresolved complaints must be sent in writing to the Secretary within 3 days.

· Gambling: Gambling on league games or matches is strictly prohibited.

· AGM Attendance: All teams must be present at the AGM or have registered their proxy vote with the League Secretary beforehand.

Issued by the Hitchin Darts League (HDL) Committee

· Last Updated: August 2026

· League Secretary Contact: Secretary@hitchindartsleague.co.uk

Name and purpose

The League shall be called the Hitchin Darts League and shall organize a League competition between the dart teams of Hitchin and the surrounding area.

Membership

Membership shall be open to all dart teams in the catchment area.

The procedure for applying for membership is as follows:

· An application must be made to the League Secretary before or at the A.G.M.

· The Affiliation fee as defined in the League rules must be sent with the application.

· The Committee and/or A.G.M. will consider the application.

Applications made after the A.G.M. may be accepted at the Committee’s discretion.

New clubs shall start in the lowest division.

Membership Fees

Membership fees will be set annually and agreed at the A.G.M. Fees will be paid at the start of each season.

Current Fees are below:

Team Registration (Per Season) £10.00

Team Raffle Donation (Per Season) £10.00

Player Registration (Per Player) £3.00

Player Transfer (Per Player) £3.00

Competition Entry’s (Per Player) £2.00

General Meetings

An Annual General Meeting shall be held soon after the end of the season – usually in July.

Extraordinary General Meetings may also be called at any time by the Committee or at the request of three or more clubs.

Notice of the A.G.M. shall be sent in writing to all member clubs at least three weeks in advance.

Member clubs will be asked to submit any proposals that are to be discussed at the A.G.M. These proposals shall be sent to the League Secretary to arrive at least 24 hours before the start of the A.G.M.

An Agenda setting out any such proposals shall be sent in writing to each member club as soon as possible after the above deadline.

Items not on the Agenda may be taken at the discretion of the Chairman but may not include any proposals for altering the Constitution or Rules.

Each member club shall have one spokesman and one vote only at an A.G.M. Clubs not able to send a representative may submit their views and votes in writing in advance of the A.G.M. to the League Secretary so as to reach him/her no later than 24 hours before the A.G.M. is due to begin.

Teams shall not have a vote at the A.G.M. until they have played at least one season in the League immediately prior to the A.G.M.

Committee

The Officers of the Committee shall be elected at the A.G.M. They shall consist of a Chairman, Secretary, Match Secretary and Competitions Secretary. Captains from each team will be elected automatically as the Sub-Committee In the event of a vacancy occurring during the course of a season the Committee shall have the power to co-opt.

Seven members shall constitute a quorum and the Chairman shall have the casting vote.

Rules and Administration

The Rules of the League shall be decided by a General Meeting.

Administration and interpretation of the Constitution and Rules shall be by Committee.

The Committee shall have the power to decide on all matters that are not specifically provided for in the League Rules.

Finance
All League monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the League. The League Secretary will be responsible for the overall finances of the League. The Officers of the Committee will collect all fees required by the League and pass them to the League Secretary to be paid into the account. The financial year of the club will end on the 1st April or the last fixture in the Winter League which ever happens first.

An annual Statement of Accounts will be presented by the League Secretary at the AGM.

Any cheques / cash drawn against League funds should hold the signatures of 2 of the nominated signatories for the League.

Discipline and Appeals
Any concerns, allegations or reports of poor practice/abuse will be responded to swiftly
and appropriately by the League Committee. All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be presented and submitted to a member of the League Committee.

The League Committee will hear complaints at the next scheduled meeting or sooner if deemed necessary.

The League Committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action, including the termination of membership. The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who made the complaint and to the member against whom the complaint was made.

There will be a right of appeal to the League Committee following any disciplinary action being announced.

Dissolution
A resolution to dissolve the League can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership.
In the event of dissolution, any remaining assets will become the property of a local charity to be agreed by the members.

Declaration
The League hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.

Wayne McGrory

Chairman

Darren McGrory

Secretary / Treasurer

Issued by the Hitchin Darts League (HDL) Committee

· Last Updated: August 2026

· League Secretary Contact: Secretary@hitchindartsleague.co.uk

Committee & League Enquiries

Use this form for scorecard submissions, fixture rescheduling requests, rule clarifications, or to register a new team for the upcoming season. We aim to respond within 24 hours.