News about the world of darts or things in general.
Getting excited to get back to darts? Watch our 90-second video for a sneak peek into what’s new, and what’s coming soon, from DartConnect! Ready to play? Be sure to sign up today to get full, exclusive access to all MyDartConnect features!
VideoConnect gave online players the option of having a unified desktop experience OR the convenience of using separate devices for Video and Scoring, while connecting players effortlessly.
The dramatic increase in online darts challenged our original architecture and compromised the service for some. The team worked overtime this weekend to upgrade the hardware and interface to provide users with a better experience.
More than just a fresh coat of paint! In addition to the updated look and feel, we’ve improved VC’s interface to provide users with better information on their connection status and device compatibility.
The new Match List confirms your match status and helps identify connected opponents.
NOTE:
VideoConnect calls must now be started manually instead of starting automatically. To start a video call, click “Start VC” when it appears:
We’ve expanded browser support to include Firefox and Microsoft Edge, and optimized how VC handles camera and microphone permission settings.
Tired of Safari constantly asking for camera & microphone permissions?
See VC’s built-in help info for turning off these annoying notifications.
We appreciate the support and feedback that members have provided, especially those who reached out and shared their experiences which guided us to the right solutions. We are grateful for your help!
Special thanks to our technical lead, Richard, who led the DartConnect Team through weekend overtime hours to make this update available in record time.
We are committed to providing the most comprehensive darting platform available and look forward to seeing you online!
Have a suggestion? Found a bug?
Take advantage of this year’s Black Friday & Cyber Monday for the best deal on a new tablet for DartConnect. Holiday deal guides are posted below and will be updated over time.
Keep reading for advice on what to look for, what NOT to buy and links to our top recommendations and the hottest deals.
NOTE: Tablets recommended here are intended for use with the DartConnect scorekeeping app and not other services such as video or audio for online matches which require more modern equipment.
DartConnect League Services is an ideal solution for getting an online singles league up and running quickly. Online leagues can effortlessly transition to in-person play or allow both if Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
If this is your first league, you can start with friends, family, team mates, small groups, big groups, whatever works! Whether you’re in it just for the fun, or creating a serious league for intense competition, DartConnect will make it less work for you and more fun for the players.
Have a question? Contact:
leagues@dartconnect.com
1. Define Your League. Create a written plan that includes:
2. Recruit Players
3. Create Divisions & Match Schedule / Fixtures
4. DartConnect League Portal:
5. Organize Players & Start Season
Should you require a webcam?
This decision is extremely important and should be tailored to the type of players and level of competition. DartConnect can easily be used with or without a camera. For more information on how to set up webcams to use with DartConnect, click here.
If the players are serious competitors, are playing for money or prizes, and express concerns about cheating, then requiring a camera is necessary. If players are more casual and friendly, you can get away without requiring it.
Note that you can also make this rule division-specific to accommodate both types of players. Remember that requiring a camera will limit the amount of potential players.
Most online leagues with a camera rule require the video image to clearly show where the darts land, but some may also require a second camera to show the player at the oche. Showing the player should be considered optional for practical reasons.
Regarding Cheating
Cheating is an unfortunate stigma of online darts and there have been some high-profile cases that put a stain on online competition. Even with camera requirements, accusations of dishonest scores can occur. In our experience, it is a rare occurrence in sanctioned competition such as leagues and tournaments, but high profile cases exaggerate how frequently it happens.
The best way to mitigate this issue is to have a clear and written policy with a severe punishment for anyone proven to be cheating. Most perpetrators are easily discovered because of multiple complaints. The majority of players will play honestly and by eliminating the few “bad apples” you can maintain the integrity of the league.
Division Setup
Whether you have one division or multiple divisions, configure your divisions based on the group size, skill levels and type of match schedule you require. Use the following guide as a starting point.
If you have multiple divisions, make sure you consider how you wish to structure your post-season. Playoffs can be optional, but if you want to crown league champions, make sure you’ve thought out who qualifies and if you want a different match format for post-season play.
Use free tools to generate a round robin match schedule such as Devenezia or Teamopolis.
Recommended Match Formats
Singles leagues are known for providing a lot of darts, typically long-format matchplay, but must balance the player’s skill level with the total # of legs to ensure that matches remain a reasonable length.
Matches that are too long or too short risk giving players a negative experience. In general, the ideal length for a singles match is 90-120 minutes. Note that, different from a team format, players will be throwing darts for the entire match and may need periodic breaks.
The following suggested formats can be adjusted to fit a wide variety of environments and player skill levels:
We recommend a single set instead of a multi-set format for the majority of groups, especially beginner and intermediate levels.
General Guidelines:
Play All vs Best Of
The biggest tradeoff is predictability of the time required to complete a match. A “Play All Legs” format has a fixed # of legs and a “Best Of” format can vary considerably. For this reason we recommend “Play All” for online matches. This also ensures that players get a fulfilling amount of games to play.
Top 2 Recommended Match Formats:
Option 1: Single Set 501
Option 2: Multi Set – 501 and Cricket
Option 3: Set Play – 501
This format is best for advanced players, but if necessary can be adapted for lower skill groups.
If you want to include Cricket to provide variety, we advise no more than one set to limit “marathon” legs affecting match length. You may also want to play fewer legs for a cricket set than a 501 set.
While 501 SIDO is the “standard” game played around the world, for beginners you can change this to 301, 401, or other starting score to adjust match lengths to the players’ skill level.
Additional Resources
DartConnect users will notice some changes to the app’s quick keys for scoring 01 games.
Below are the new number layouts for Basic, Advanced and Master Quick Keys. The biggest change is larger buttons for the big scores of 100 and 140, which also allows 2 additional quick keys to replace them in the margins. When the keypad is used, the large keys will disappear and reveal the “+, – and 0” keys.
Quick Key sets can be changed in the user settings by tapping the gear icon.
DartConnect’s quick keys and one tap remainder make it the fastest way to enter scores for 01 games.
Possibly the most misunderstood feature of the DartConnect app is how to properly use the “D” and “T” buttons when scoring a game of cricket. “D” stands for “Doubles” and “T” for Triples.
A lot of people incorrectly assume that these buttons are “shortcuts”, meaning if you hit three singles of the same number, a single tap of the “T” button is all you need, and the same idea for the “D” button. While this has no affect on the main cricket stat, Marks Per Round (MPR), this will not allow for DartConnect’s unique advanced cricket stats: Missed Dart Percentage and Triple Accuracy.
The correct way to score cricket using DartConnect is to tap the buttons that EXACTLY match what your darts hit. For example, when you hit a triple, tap the respective “T” button and when you hit a double, tap the respective “D” button. If you hit a single, then tap the respective number button. Let’s say you hit three singles, the correct input is three taps of the number button. Including “Enter”, this means you will tap the scoreboard a maximum of 4 times to enter your score.
While Marks Per Round is the most common measurement for cricket skill, DartConnect provides advanced statistics made possible by entering scores correctly:
Missed Dart Percentage – quite simply, this measures how often your darts don’t count towards your score. This can be a great way to measure accuracy and improvement over time.
Triple Accuracy – you could loosely consider this the cricket equivalent of “100+ scores” in 01 stats as it indicates the extent to which you are a “heavy scorer” and is a great augment to round out your MPR.
Both of these stats can provide a better understanding of where you excel and where you need improvement. Better yet, data collection is completely automated.
All you have to do is keep score and DartConnect does the rest!
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