Thought Id try and find a few opinions on baracking, what crosses the line in some peoples opinions, and what is acceptable.
For example if we construe that anything we deliberately do to affect an opponents game is baracking then trying to slow/ speed a player up could fall in that bracket, deliberately walking back from collecting your darts whilst blocking your opponent way, coughing deliberately etc

We all know it goes on and I guess we all have a different moral compass on what is and is not baracking.

Though ive not played myself for 12 years due to a serious accident, my own personal opinion is that I would rather win with the skills of my own game,
and if I'm consciously thinking of how to disrupt my opponent's game, then i'm not giving full focus to my own game.

I'm interested to see maybe what some of our members may have come across whilst playing or even what they may have tried to upset an opponent with themselves.

the good old drop a dart during opp's mid throw

One of the most common is the jangling of their darts in their hands dropping them from one hand to the other or keys/change in their pockets. I stop my throw and ask them to stop, most say it's nerves and they didn't know they were doing it and I accept that but I do tell them anyway. Another thing that I hate is the shouter rubber necking to see what my score is on my second dart, I do not like any movement in front of the oche whilst I'm throwing from the caller or the scorer with their pen twiddling or tapping, again I just stop and ask them to stand still or put the pen down.
I always just play my game as I throw quite slowly anyway I never try dirty tricks as for me darts is more about what I do rather than what my opponent does. If something upsets me i always say as it happens or you let it build up and have a massive row at the end which is no good for anyone, but generally I let my darts do the talking.

More dirty tricks

. Extra firm handshake to hurt their fingers
. Dropping darts
. Coughing
.Speeding up/slowing down
. walking back down the opposite side of the oche 3 on the left then come back down the right.
. Juke box comes on mid game (our landlord used to do this when their best player was on my reason for leaving that team)
. Standing to close to me when I'm throwing
. Caller calling wrong score or taking to long to add it up once is understandable but 2 or 3 and you have to question why.
. Opponent talking to me when I am about to throw like on a big shot out you just get set and they say go on take this out so I just take a step back and re set myself.
. Getting their mate to text them during a game on my throw or getting a phone call from other team member when you are just about to throw.
. Getting threatened to be glassed if I didn't lose my game on purpose whilst taking a pee.

When these all happened to me the first time they did wind me up but over my many years of playing you just have to take it as a compliment that others need to resort to this to beat you. Not much phases me now to be honest, but I hate blatant cheating, the majority of players just stop what they were doing if you ask as they are not always aware they were doing it but you will always have the few who think it's funny oh those jealous few so I beat them and then when they have to buy you a drink I order a wine and give it to my wife as that really winds them up as its more expensive than a half of beer or lager.

kicking them in the ass when they throw

I think that if someone feels like that have to try and distract me while I throw just to win the game then it is a direct reflection on the confidence they have in their own abilities, and people like that just usually end up getting beat even quicker because all that does is rile me up and make me more focussed. 9 out of 10 times when I step up to the line I dont even hear whats going on behind me. Like you though Big what happens in front of me distracts me big time, I was called a few choice names one time when for 2 games the guy chalking for us kept leaning in after every shot i threw I asked him to stop and he didnt so when we started the next game I asked if anyone else would please score this deciding leg. Well the guy I was playing was narked because the one doing the leaning in was his buddy, with the new scorer for the deciding leg in there I ended up crushing him. Thats the first and only time I've ever had to ask someone else to score like that cause I'm am definetly not "that guy" that critisizes score keepers cause its hard enough just to find someone willing to do it. But I would have rather kept my own that game.

Hat

Is it gamemanship, poor sportmanship or just plain stupid but its all out there. They do to me I do to them simples.

Funny, I've never had anything like that happen. Closest I've seen is one guy crying about the music on the jukebox during the match, then after coming over and saying, "Whoever picked that awful music won that match for you!".

It certainly wasn't the double 16 I hit while he was sitting on 220. Nooooo. It was the music. lol.

I never intentionally do any of that mess, except possibly one little thing that might be taken as gamesmanship: if an opponent throws good darts (and in my league anything a ton and over is a good throw) I'll tell them so sincerely; I LIKE playing a good player and appreciate it when somebody tests me.

Otherwise, I don't pay any attention to my opponent if I can help it.

I have enough trouble controlling my own darts; I don't have the strength to try to control his too.

Not sure how I'll react when somebody finally does this type of thing. I'll probably just laugh and throw a 140.

I learn new words here all the time.

Winmau wrote:

I learn new words here all the time.

Did you get that term from Obama?? I guess that is how he beat Romney.

shixon wrote:

Winmau wrote:

I learn new words here all the time.

Did you get that term from Obama?? I guess that is how he beat Romney.

Thats where I got my new phone! lol

I live in Cleveland, I never got Obamaphone

I have played many many games where the opponent have tried gamesmanship against me.
At first I got bothered with it. But now a days I doesnt even care what they do

There is one thing that could be called gamesmanship that I do, but I do it for my own game. And thats changing my pace of throw, sometimes I need to speed up and sometimes I have to play a bit slower, but that's whats works for my game and are not intended to put other players off.


Cheers!

Winmau wrote:

I learn new words here all the time.

Yeah Winmau and im going to teach you........wheelbarrow tomorrow

Venigoor wrote:

I have played many many games where the opponent have tried gamesmanship against me.
At first I got bothered with it. But now a days I doesnt even care what they do

There is one thing that could be called gamesmanship that I do, but I do it for my own game. And thats changing my pace of throw, sometimes I need to speed up and sometimes I have to play a bit slower, but that's whats works for my game and are not intended to put other players off.


Cheers!

I do this sometimes aswell but again its for me rather than to affect an opponent. I find sometimes a change in pace can help me find my rhythm if i'm not on my A game. Other than that I just play my own game and let my darts do the talking.

As for people doing it to me I don't really notice it, suppose its a good thing that I'm focused enough to get on with my own game.

Big Gun wrote:

One of the most common is the jangling of their darts in their hands dropping them from one hand to the other or keys/change in their pockets. I stop my throw and ask them to stop, most say it's nerves and they didn't know they were doing it and I accept that but I do tell them anyway. Another thing that I hate is the shouter rubber necking to see what my score is on my second dart, I do not like any movement in front of the oche whilst I'm throwing from the caller or the scorer with their pen twiddling or tapping, again I just stop and ask them to stand still or put the pen down.
I always just play my game as I throw quite slowly anyway I never try dirty tricks as for me darts is more about what I do rather than what my opponent does. If something upsets me i always say as it happens or you let it build up and have a massive row at the end which is no good for anyone, but generally I let my darts do the talking.

More dirty tricks

. Extra firm handshake to hurt their fingers
. Dropping darts
. Coughing
.Speeding up/slowing down
. walking back down the opposite side of the oche 3 on the left then come back down the right.
. Juke box comes on mid game (our landlord used to do this when their best player was on my reason for leaving that team)
. Standing to close to me when I'm throwing
. Caller calling wrong score or taking to long to add it up once is understandable but 2 or 3 and you have to question why.
. Opponent talking to me when I am about to throw like on a big shot out you just get set and they say go on take this out so I just take a step back and re set myself.
. Getting their mate to text them during a game on my throw or getting a phone call from other team member when you are just about to throw.
. Getting threatened to be glassed if I didn't lose my game on purpose whilst taking a pee.

When these all happened to me the first time they did wind me up but over my many years of playing you just have to take it as a compliment that others need to resort to this to beat you. Not much phases me now to be honest, but I hate blatant cheating, the majority of players just stop what they were doing if you ask as they are not always aware they were doing it but you will always have the few who think it's funny oh those jealous few so I beat them and then when they have to buy you a drink I order a wine and give it to my wife as that really winds them up as its more expensive than a half of beer or lager.

Those all get under my skin too. I also really hate when the opponent walks to the board to check your darts. They have no business doing that and it bothers me. Also, a lot of places you have to cross the person's peripheral vision to get to the bar. I hate when people don't wait for you to finish throwing.

That is brilliant ordering the wine. One of those go scratch end results.

I agree about feeling complimented though. Clearly you threaten them and they are too childish to approach the game with any type of sportsmanship.

Chalk Is Cheap wrote:

Funny, I've never had anything like that happen. Closest I've seen is one guy crying about the music on the jukebox during the match, then after coming over and saying, "Whoever picked that awful music won that match for you!".

It certainly wasn't the double 16 I hit while he was sitting on 220. Nooooo. It was the music. lol.

I never intentionally do any of that mess, except possibly one little thing that might be taken as gamesmanship: if an opponent throws good darts (and in my league anything a ton and over is a good throw) I'll tell them so sincerely; I LIKE playing a good player and appreciate it when somebody tests me.

Otherwise, I don't pay any attention to my opponent if I can help it.

I have enough trouble controlling my own darts; I don't have the strength to try to control his too.

Not sure how I'll react when somebody finally does this type of thing. I'll probably just laugh and throw a 140.

I do the same and it always makes me feel good when my opponent says so to me. I think that's why I continue to say something. I view that as good sportsmanship

One that I discovered by accident... take your dart with spinning cosmo flight.. now a gentle blow... whhhhiiiirrrrrrr !!!

I tend to zone out from everything around me when I play, so not much bothers me.

Im a slow player so I dont intentionally slow down for a fast thrower.

I played a guy that likes to shake people's hands extra firmly to mess up their grip. But guess what...I'M LEFT HANDED!!!! Sucker

DerekJones wrote:

I played a guy that likes to shake people's hands extra firmly to mess up their grip. But guess what...I'M LEFT HANDED!!!! Sucker

I prefer the fist bump before the game.

Winmau wrote:

DerekJones wrote:

I played a guy that likes to shake people's hands extra firmly to mess up their grip. But guess what...I'M LEFT HANDED!!!! Sucker

I prefer the fist bump before the game.

That's why I always offer my left hand for the bump. I'm a righty.

Thanks for the reply's guys, on reading them its unbelievable just how low some people are willing to go to try and ensure a win, I remember in a league I played in some years ago a guy accused his opponent of farting on the oche and then leaving him to have to stand in the smell to take his throw, but that was quite comical.

shafted wrote:

Thanks for the reply's guys, on reading them its unbelievable just how low some people are willing to go to try and ensure a win, I remember in a league I played in some years ago a guy accused his opponent of farting on the oche and then leaving him to have to stand in the smell to take his throw, but that was quite comical.

Didnt Lewis do that against James Wade? :O Hahahahaha

Farting burping sneezing coughing iv'e had them all but that's the downside when you play in an old people's home I suppose Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Sometimes I crack myself up I've never had anyone physically crap themselves on the oche yet to put me off but there's always next week I suppose!!!!! It's a good job we love this game so much eh.

Joking aside a mate of mine in his 50's did have a stroke whilst on the oche and the other team accused him of cheating but did apologise when the ambulance turned up!

Oh and I don't play in an old peoples home that was just my sense of humour.

Big Gun wrote:

Farting burping sneezing coughing iv'e had them all but that's the downside when you play in an old people's home I suppose Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Sometimes I crack myself up I've never had anyone physically crap themselves on the oche yet to put me off but there's always next week I suppose!!!!! It's a good job we love this game so much eh.

Joking aside a mate of mine in his 50's did have a stroke whilst on the oche and the other team accused him of cheating but did apologise when the ambulance turned up!

Oh and I don't play in an old peoples home that was just my sense of humour.

I would've lost a lot of respect for that team. Seeing that their first assumption was that he was cheating instead of the fact that there was something wrong with him

If I was Colin LLoyd I would accuse peter Wright of baracking coming out looking like that.He looked a right t*t

agree, it is stupid with a capital STUPID!

Les180 wrote:

We have a lady dart player in our team who is also a county player. She got drawn out first and the home team tried everything they could to put her off. Her opponent did everything, standing right behind her, coughing, rattling his darts and change in his pocket, talking to team mates etc. He even fell over on his way back from retrieving his darts!! The marker had a pint on the shelf behind him and kept turning round to take a sip every time she was throwing. He was also slow writing the scores up when she was throwing but like lightning when the home lad was throwing. I as captain was about to say something but she gesticulated to me to leave it. She just played her usual game and hammered him out of sight. They were as good as gold after that and we had a good night with them and took all the points on offer. Never ever seen it that bad in the past, but we have a laugh about it now. Luckily most teams in our league love their darts and know how to behave.

That's ridiculous. Good for your teammate for rising above it. Just shows how insecure the other team was about losing.