What the colours mean on a dart board as people finally realise | Other | Sport
Darts has seen a huge surge in popularity recently, largely driven by the historic rise of teen sensation Luke Littler. While longtime fans have been watching the World Championships for decades, many newcomers are just now discovering the sport— and they might be surprised to learn that the colors on the board aren’t just for decoration.
It’s likely that some fans may even be confused by some of the rules and, specifically, what the different colours on a dart board mean. A standard dartboard features four distinct shades: black, white, red and green. While the layout seems logical for scoring, there is actually significant historical reasoning behind these specific colour choices.
Assorted double and treble sections are green and red, with the bullseye red, and the outer bull green, and the single-number sections are split between white and black. But why these colours?
It is thought that the red and green colours were chosen to symbolise parts of British culture and history. The striking red shade is also said to be associated with the Tudor rose while green is for the House of Lancaster.
The World Darts Championship began in 1994 and has since been held annually. The popular Tournament starts in December and ends in January, with winners receiving the Sid Waddell Trophy, named in honour of the darts commentator Sid Waddell, who sadly died in 2012.
Reigning champion Littler will face Gian van Veen in the PDC World Championship final on Saturday night. ‘The Nuke’ powered his way to back-to-back finals having dispatched Ryan Searle 6-1 in one-sided semi-final.
Few would now bet against him securing the Sid Waddell Trophy for a second time. The feat would make him the first player to secure back-to-back titles since Gary Anderson did a decade ago.
Littler’s dominance echoes Phil Taylor’s two-decade reign and Michael van Gerwen’s mid-2010s era. The 18-year-old now believes that clinching the trophy will elevate him to the ranks of such legends.
“Obviously in their primes, they were just absolutely unbelievable. I was watching it as a kid,” Littler said after beating Searle on Friday night. “With what I’ve done, I can near enough say I’m playing just as well, with the titles, the averages, the amount of nine-darters on TV.
“Maybe if I get tomorrow, then I might be on my same level. I’ve got every right to think I can, but I never, ever say I’m going to win it. Never, ever. I never say I’m going to win this and that. We’ll just see how the darts go, because one day it’s different.”
