FIVE'S (5's) DARTBOARD
London (Narrow) & Ipswich (Wide) 5's - Regional Dartboards
Also known as Narrow & Wide 5's Dartboards
The London & Ipswich 5's Dartboard Differences and Main Game
The London Narrow 5's, or as some still call it, the London East End 5's Dartboard, is a rare site these days. The 5's Dartboard is made up of twelve segments, each with a double and treble plus an inner and outer Bull. The main game is 505 instead of 501.
The Dartboard isn't a prominent fixture in pubs and bars, but as of 2023, the London 5's league is still going strong. The London 5's Dartboard differs slightly from its counterpart, the Ipswich 5's. The London 5's have a narrower double and treble scoring segment than the Ipswich Fives. Hence, the alternative local name for the London 5's is 'Narrow Fives. The Ipswich 5's are sometimes referred to as the 'Wide Fives'.
If you have played upon a standard dartboard, and what is sometimes referred to as a Champions Choice practise dartboard where the doubles and trebles are narrower than the standard, then this is what you see here half-size doubles and trebles.
The Fives board would have been a regular fixture in the East End of London. However, few still use it. The so-called standard Dartboard is also called the London board and, in some cases, referred to as a clock board; or could this be a reference to the London 5's?
The Clock / London Clock Dartboard?
I am from South London, and the East End is renowned for 'Cockney Rhyming Slag'. In addition, the East End would refer to objects in their own terms. The 5's Dartboard has twelve set scoring areas, hence to say the same as twelve numbers on a clock face, but the reference to a clock Dartboard In the Guinness Books of Darts by Derek Brown refers to the 'Clock' / 'London' Dartboard the board we refer to as the Standard Dartboard of today. I believe this reference may be wrong, and the Clock Dartboards may have been associated with the London 5's and not the standard twenty-segment dartboard.
As with all research, this is plausible, and I believe it is a better fit for the reference to a Clock Dartboard rather than the Standard Dartboard. I will leave you all to t draw your own conclusions!
Ipswich (Wide) 5's
The Ipswich 5's, as detailed above, is the easier of the two to play upon. However, how widely it is now used is unknown. Winmau still makes both 5's Dartboards today. So, for those looking for a quick game of 505, then the 5's Dartboard might be the Dartboard for you.
London Narrow 5's Dartboard
Ipswich Wide 5's Dartboard
London 5's Dartboard Set-up and Rules:
Details supplied by the East London Darts League show the following Dartboard set-up details:
The Dartboard should hang securely from a wall so that the height of the centre bull is 5ft 6ins from the floor.
The throwing distance is 9ft from the face of the board measured horizontally. This equates to 10ft 6ins when measuring from the Centre Bullseye to the rear of the oche.
The toe-line or oche shall be clearly marked and at least 18 inches long. The toe line can be just a painted line on the ground or a securely raised Oche line indicator such as a piece of wood or metal. The latter is preferable as the thrower has a firm edge to rest their foot against.
I believe the Ipswich 5's Dartboard set-up is the same as the London 5's
| A: Height to Centre Bull | B: Centre Bull to Oche | C: Throw Distance |
| 5ft 6ins / 1.676m | 10ft 6ins / 3.20m | 9ft / 2.743m |
Rules / Games 305, 505, 705, 805, 0r 1,005
The order of play is either determined by a toss of a coin or by each player throwing for the centre bull, the nearest being the player that throws first. The rules here can vary depending on the league you may be playing in, the local rules should always be observed.
The game is played as per the standard 501 games, except the starting number ends in a 05, not 01.
Scoring
Generally, each player's score must start and finish a game with a double (The narrow outer ring of the board). Competition games, however, are usually played with a straight start (no compulsory double) but with a compulsory double to finish.
The first throw is deducted from the player's start number, e.g. 505 and then from the reduced total. The scorer should show both the score obtained for the throw and the reduced total remaining.
For fast games, play 305. For competition, 505 and for pairs, usually 705. Any agreed starting number can be used, but usually, the number should end 05.
If you are playing in a league, always refer to the league rules, as these can differ by area and league.
