AACDARTS is a long established, soft-tip darts league promoting sportsmanship, camaraderie and inclusion through competition.
Our league roots go back at least thirty years into the 90s in the Lakeview East and surrounding neighborhoods on Chicago’s north side. Previously associated with the Windy City Athletic Association (WCAA Dart League), the league moved to the Athletic Association of Chicago and has flourished within the SPORTSAAC family. We rebranded to AACDARTS shortly after that transition and continue to provide a welcoming space for inclusive sport in Chicago.
Athletic Alliance of Chicago is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization. AACDARTS puts all money collected through league membership fees, team support fees and merchandise sales directly back into the league for promoting and growing our mission to provide inclusive sports. All league directors and team captains are volunteers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are dart matches played?
Our league is a travel league which means each team has a “home” bar where they play roughly half their matches. Teams travel to other bars on their away weeks. Most locations are in the Lakeview East, Northalsted and Andersonville neighborhoods on Chicago’s north side and convenient to public transportation.
How often are dart matches scheduled?
Our league has weekly matches Thursday nights during our two main seasons; Summer and Winter.
When does each season typically occur?
Summer season typically starts in May and runs through August.
Winter season begins in October and runs through March.
We like to have four-to-six weeks between our seasons based on participation.
Do I need to have a team or are there teams available to join?
Most teams are groups of friends, family or coworkers who come into the league together but we also work to place solo players together to form new teams or to fill vacancies on existing teams.
League directors will work with you to help find an accommodating placement. Inclusion is one of our leagues pillars so finding a home is rarely an issue with enough time.
Does the league provide a venue each week or does each team need to find a host bar?
Teams usually have a favorite bar where they throw darts. If not, we can work with your team to find a home with one of our established team supporters. The league will need to verify any new locations to ensure that the dartboards have the games required for league play.
How many players are on a team?
Each team has a minimum of six (6) rostered players and can have a maximum of ten (10) rostered players. All players are required to be current members of the Athletic Alliance of Chicago. Each team will have six (6) players per match playing as three (3) pairs.
What games are played each match?
301, 501, Cricket and 701 are played each match. Each team plays three (3) pairs in piggy back for each of the 301, 501 and Cricket games. The 701 game is played last as a “family” game with all six (6) players playing piggy back.
There are ten (10) total games each match; nine pairs and one family.
Do I need to have my own darts?
No!
With any sport, having your own equipment can make a big difference in your ability to enjoy and progress in the sport. Most bars have bar darts available or one of your teammates may have a set you can use.
What if I don’t know how to play darts?
We didn’t either until we started playing. Our league is purely recreational with fun competition focused on sportsmanship, camaraderie and inclusion. If you like having a good time, being with people you love and doing something you like then darts may be your next passion.