If Darts Checkouts were Football Goals
Hello, welcome back to the Content Corner, yes as the title suggests, this is one of our more outlandish posts, but it’s Sunday so let’s have a bit of fun shall we…
In this article, we’ll look at darts checkouts and what the football equivalent may be.
For those who do not follow the darts, a checkout is a double (or bullseye) which a darts player which a player hits to finish a leg and win a game.
Let us know in the comments if you agree!
32 (D16) - Tap in
First up, the double 16. Located on the left hand side of the board it is a preferred finish for most darts players, miss inside and you’re left with D8 just next door. In the 2018 World Championship, it was hit with a 46% success rate, making it the easiest checkout that year.
Due to this, I have to say that D16 is the equivalent of a tap in, you can’t miss in football terms and would expect to see the chance converted on a regular basis.
155 (T20, T19, D19) - Goalkeeper Goal
155 is the rarest checkout in darts statically and requires players to utilise both hemispheres of the board as they hit t20 as well as t19 before finishing on the d19.
Given the rarity of this checkout being successfully hit, I think it is comparable to a goalkeeper scoring a goal, you see it every now and then but every time you know it’ll be a while before you see it again.
2 (D1) - Goalmouth Scramble
Ahhh madhouse as it’s known in the darts world. Double 1. The place where no darts player wants to be, yet I spend the majority of my time there finishing my 60 darts legs. If a leg has gone to D1, this will never be the players intention and it often results in a nervy and scrappy leg of darts.
Given this, the only football goal comparison I can think of is a proper goalmouth scramble, just pure chaos and panic in the penalty area which finally results in the ball ending up in the back of the net.
132 (Bull, Bull, D16) - Clean Volley
132, known as the showboat shot in darts, especially if done via two bullseyes and a double 16. There is something so aesthetically pleasing seeing this shot executed and I can only liken it to when a player catches a volley so sweetly and it flies into the back of the net.
170 (T20, T20, Bull) - Individual Dribble
The big fish in darts, the 170 is the highest possible checkout which a darts player can finish on. Anticipation builds when the first two t20s are hit leaving the chance of the bullseye. It is a moment of individual greatness when achieved and therefore to me it mirrors a solo goal in football, when a player takes it upon themselves to create a chance from seemingly nowhere and finish accordingly.
141 (T20, T19, D12) for a 9 dart finish - last min winner
We end this highly insightful list with the 9 dart finish. I have used the 141 example as it is the most common type of 9 dart checkout but to be honest, you can apply this to any 9 darter.
I think this comparison is more driven by the reaction it warrants from the crowd, euphoria. A 9 darter or a last minute winner can lead to absolute bedlam in the arena or stadium.
We hope you enjoyed this silly little article, feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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