# Dart rules question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dart-rules-question/49159>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 9, 2001, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dart-rules-question/49159 "2001-01-09T15:29:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dart-rules-question/49159/1 "2001-01-09T15:29:26Z")

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I got a dartboard for Christmas and have a rule book but this one doesn’t seem to be explained:

I was throwing last night and grouped two darts so that they were one on top of the other. The top dart was thrown second and instead of actually being fully in the board it was resting on top of the bottom one. Does this dart count if I was actually scoring? I know that if a dart doesn’t stay before you finish throwing it doesn’t count but this one did. It didn’t matter last night as I was just playing around, but if I’m playing a game I don’t wanna cheat, too much anyway! 😉

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**Author:** ![Nen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Nen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nen)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dart-rules-question/49159/2 "2001-01-09T15:34:19Z")

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If it actually penetrated the board, the dart counts regardless of the additional support. If the tip is not in the board, the dart is essentially hanging in midair and is useless.

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**Author:** ![soulsling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@soulsling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulsling)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dart-rules-question/49159/3 "2001-01-09T15:40:16Z")

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sorry **Ed** , but unless there’s penetration… you got nothing. 😛

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**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dart-rules-question/49159/4 "2001-01-09T15:45:50Z")

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To quote the Uniform Code of Military Justice:

“Penetration, however slight, is sufficient”

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**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dart-rules-question/49159/5 "2001-01-09T16:50:15Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by waterj2 \*  
> \*\*To quote the Uniform Code of Military Justice:
> 
> “Penetration, however slight, is sufficient” \*\*

And:

“In trench warfare, any hole is fair game.”

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**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dart-rules-question/49159/6 "2001-01-09T18:47:39Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by soulsling \*  
> \*\*sorry **Ed** , but unless there’s penetration… you got nothing. 😛 \*\*

Yeah but I’m not the one who was thinking about getting a part time job as a stripper! 😉

In this case there would have had to have been a recount I guess since the tip was barely in the board.