PDC Darts Blog
Guides to the PDC ranking system, qualifying routes, and professional darts explained.
European Open Darts 2027: PDC Adds a 12th Major
A 12th PDC major lands in Salzburg on 18 June 2027 with £750,000 and every Tour Card holder entered, and the European Championship grows to 48 players.
Michael Smith Qualifies for Maastricht as Gurney Misses Out
Ten players came through the last European Tour qualifier of 2026 in Den Bosch. Michael Smith was one of them, Daryl Gurney was not, and Dortmund is why.
Premier League Darts 2027 Schedule: All 17 Nights Confirmed
Glasgow opens on 4 February and Finals Night returns to The O2 on 27 May. The 2027 Premier League visits the same 17 cities as 2026, with four pairs swapped.
Luke Littler Netherlands Boycott Leaves Two Minehead Chances
He pulled out of three Dutch events in two days. With Players Championships 31 and 32 also in Den Bosch, Littler has just two left to reach Minehead.
Sedlacek Wins Players Championship 30 for First Czech Title
Karel Sedlacek missed seven match darts before beating Scott Williams 8-7 in Den Bosch to become the first Czech player to win a PDC ranking title.
UK Open Darts Format Explained: Random Draw, 160 Players
Nobody is seeded at the UK Open and every round from the third is drawn at random. Here is how the 160-player field, staggered entry and leg formats work.
Menzies Beats Van Veen 8-4 to Win Players Championship 29
Cameron Menzies won the first five legs and beat Gian van Veen 8-4 in Den Bosch on Tuesday for a fourth PDC ranking title and his second of 2026.
Munyua Qualifies as Africa Gets Two World Championship Places
David Munyua beat Evans Njuguna 8-7 in a last-leg decider to win the first Northern Africa Qualifier, one of two Ally Pally places Africa now holds.
Gerwyn Price Career Stats: Seven Majors, Three 2026 Finals
The Iceman has seven PDC majors and ten European Tour titles, more than anyone bar Van Gerwen. In 2026 he has reached three televised finals and lost all three.
Ross Smith Beats Price 11-5 to Win World Series Finals
Ross Smith averaged 103.89 and took six legs in a row from 5-5 to beat Gerwyn Price 11-5 in Amsterdam, ending a four-year wait for a second televised title.
Clayton Beats Littler 10-4 to End the 2026 Clean Sweep
Jonny Clayton beat Luke Littler 10-4 in Amsterdam, ending his bid to win every televised major in 2026. Littler hit just 19 per cent of his doubles.
Littler Beats Aspinall 10-9 to Reach World Series Last Eight
Luke Littler trailed 9-8 before a 12-darter against the throw saw off Nathan Aspinall 10-9. Amsterdam has its quarter-finals, and a curious final guaranteed.
Van Duijvenbode Stuns Humphries 10-9 at World Series Finals
Dirk van Duijvenbode was 6-3 down to Luke Humphries and only in the Amsterdam field as a reserve. He won 10-9, averaged 101.14 and set up a Dutch derby.
Luke Littler Beats Noppert 6-4 to Reach World Series Last 16
Littler averaged 98.2 but missed 14 darts at double to edge Danny Noppert 6-4 in a hostile Amsterdam, closing round one and sending the last 16 to best of 19 legs.
World Darts Championship Format: Sets, Seeds and Prize Money
Every Ally Pally match is set play: best of five legs a set, best of five sets in round one, best of 13 in the final. How the 128-player format works.
Daryl Gurney Stuns Van Gerwen 6-5 at World Series Finals
Daryl Gurney only made the Amsterdam field as a reserve, then knocked out six-time champion Michael van Gerwen 6-5 on night one with a 170 in a 3-0 start.
Winmau World Masters: Format, Prize Money and Qualification
Thirty-two players, best-of-three-leg sets and a £500,000 prize fund at Arena MK. How the Winmau World Masters format, qualification and prelims work.
European Championship 2026: Who Qualifies for Dortmund
Ross Smith leads the European Tour Order of Merit on £148,000 and the cut for Dortmund sits at £33,000, with only Basel and Maastricht left to change it.
Grand Slam of Darts 2026: New 48-Player Format Explained
The Grand Slam expands to 48 players, 16 groups of three and a £1m prize fund for its 20th staging in Wolverhampton. How the new format and qualifying work.
World Grand Prix 2026 Draw: Littler Faces Woodhouse
Luke Littler opens his World Grand Prix defence against Luke Woodhouse at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena from 28 September, with the prize fund up to £750,000 and all 16 first-round ties confirmed.
PDC Asian Tour 2026: The Seven World Championship Qualifiers
Paolo Nebrida won the PDC Asian Championship in Hainan and Macau’s Kam Weng Cheng qualified for a first World Championship, completing Asia’s seven-strong field for Alexandra Palace.
James Wade Ends 10-Year Wait for European Tour Title, Beats Ross Smith 8-4 in Flanders
James Wade beat Ross Smith 8-4 in the final to win the 2026 Flanders Darts Trophy in Antwerp — his first European Tour title since 2016, averaging 95.50 with five 180s at the age of 43, weeks after his maiden World Series title in Australia.
Flanders Darts Trophy 2026: Littler, Humphries, Clayton and Anderson Withdraw as Greaves Draws Heta
Four top-16 seeds — defending champion Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Jonny Clayton and Gary Anderson — have withdrawn from the £230,000 Flanders Darts Trophy in Antwerp, with Beau Greaves drawn against Australian No.1 Damon Heta and Michael van Gerwen awaiting the winner in round two.
World Darts Championship 2026/27: General Ticket Ballot Now Open
The general public ballot for 2026/27 World Darts Championship tickets opened at 12:00 BST on Tuesday 8 September and closes Monday 14 September — the first time Ally Pally tickets have been allocated by ballot, for a record 180,000-ticket run in the Great Hall.
World Series of Darts Finals 2026: Draw Confirmed, Van Duijvenbode Replaces Leung
The 2026 World Series of Darts Finals draw is confirmed, with defending champion Michael van Gerwen facing Lourence Ilagan and Luke Littler taking on Danny Noppert in Amsterdam — and Dirk van Duijvenbode has stepped into the £450,000 field after Man Lok Leung withdrew through illness.
Luke Littler Beats Luke Humphries 8-6 to Win 2026 Czech Darts Open
Luke Littler beat Luke Humphries 8-6 in the final to win the 2026 Czech Darts Open in Prague — his 30th PDC title and sixth European Tour title, averaging 95.25 to edge Humphries and end his bid for a third straight Czech Open crown.
Beau Greaves Wins First European Tour Match, Beating Daryl Gurney 6-4 in Prague
Beau Greaves became the first woman to win a match on the PDC European Tour, coming from 3-1 down to beat Daryl Gurney 6-4 at the Czech Darts Open, before losing 6-2 to Luke Humphries in round two.
Ross Smith Beats Gary Anderson 8-2 to Win 2026 Hungarian Darts Trophy
Ross Smith beat Gary Anderson 8-2 in the final to win the Hungarian Darts Trophy at the MVM Dome, Budapest — his second European Tour title of 2026, sealed in front of a record European Tour crowd of over 6,000.
Beau Greaves Makes European Tour History, Falls 6-5 to Rob Cross in Budapest
Beau Greaves became the first woman in PDC history to play a European Tour match, taking 2018 World Champion Rob Cross the full distance before losing 6-5 in round one of the Hungarian Darts Trophy at the MVM Dome, Budapest.
Luke Humphries Beats Brendan Dolan 8-6 to Win Players Championship 28, Reclaims World No.2
Luke Humphries beat Brendan Dolan 8-6 in the final to win Players Championship 28 at the Mattioli Arena, Leicester — his third PDC ProTour title of 2026 — a day after Dolan knocked out world number one Luke Littler 7-4 in the semi-final, returning Humphries to world No.2 in the PDC Order of Merit.
Jermaine Wattimena Beats Kevin Doets 8-6 to Win Players Championship 27 — After Stunning Luke Littler
Jermaine Wattimena beat Kevin Doets 8-6 in an all-Dutch final to win Players Championship 27 in Leicester, having beaten world number one Luke Littler 6-5 in the quarter-final with a 115 checkout on tops in the deciding leg.
World Series of Darts Finals 2026: Van Gerwen Tops Order of Merit as Amsterdam Field Is Completed
Michael van Gerwen finishes No.1 on the final World Series of Darts Order of Merit with 32 points, and Rob Cross, Kevin Doets, Karel Sedlacek and Callan Rydz claim the last four Amsterdam spots at a Tour Card Holder Qualifier in Leicester, completing the 32-player field.
Beau Greaves Sweeps Sunday Double-Header in Leicester — But a PDC Rule Could End Her Women's Series Run
Beau Greaves beat Lisa Ashton 5-3 and Aileen de Graaf 5-0 to win Events 19 and 20 of the PDC Women's Series in Leicester, a weekend that also saw Lisa Ashton and Fallon Sherrock share Saturday's titles — but a PDC ranking rule could soon rule Greaves out of the circuit she has dominated.
James Wade Beats Brody Klinge 8-5 to Win 2026 Australian Darts Masters
James Wade beat home qualifier Brody Klinge 8-5 in the final at the WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong, to claim his maiden PDC World Series of Darts title — his first televised title since the 2021 UK Open.
World Grand Prix Darts Format Explained: The Only Double-Start Event on Tour
Why the World Grand Prix is unlike anything else on the PDC calendar — the double-start, double-finish rule, the 32-player field, the set-play structure, and how Luke Littler beat Luke Humphries 6-1 to win his first title in 2025.
Why Is a Dartboard Numbered That Way? The 1-20 Layout Explained
Why the numbers 1 to 20 run around a dartboard in a seemingly random order, the disputed "Brian Gamlin" origin story, and the real reason the layout punishes inaccuracy.
Darts Practice Games: Round the Clock, Shanghai, Bob’s 27 and More
Six proven darts practice games and drills — Round the Clock, Shanghai, Cricket, Bob’s 27, Killer and Halve It — with rules, scoring and what each one actually trains.
PDC vs WDF: Darts’ Two Governing Bodies Explained
Why professional darts has two governing bodies rather than one — the 1993 split from the BDO, the 1997 settlement, and what happened to each organisation after the BDO folded in 2020.
Archie Self, 16, Wins Maiden Title in a Decider as Klose Bounces Back to Take Event 20
Archie Self beat Daniel Klose 5-4 in a deciding leg to win Challenge Tour Event 18, Dylan Slevin beat Tommy Morris 5-1 for a maiden title in Event 19, and Klose beat Derek Coulson 5-1 in Event 20 as the Milton Keynes Challenge Tour weekend wrapped up.
Premier League Darts Format Explained: Points, Nights and Finals Night
How Premier League Darts actually works — the 8 contracted players, the 5-3-2-0 nightly points system, best-of-11 quarter-finals, and how the top 4 reach Finals Night at The O2.
World Series of Darts Order of Merit: Clayton and Price Climb Before Amsterdam
Jonny Clayton's New Zealand Darts Masters win lifts him from 8 to 20 points and Gerwyn Price's runner-up run takes him to 24 on the World Series of Darts Order of Merit — both now above Gian van Veen, with only the Australian Darts Masters left before the Amsterdam Finals field locks in.
Steel-Tip vs Soft-Tip Darts: What Is the Difference?
The real differences between steel-tip and soft-tip darts — board material, dart weight and tip, scoring, throwing distance, and why the PDC plays steel-tip only.
Welsh Double at Challenge Tour Milton Keynes: Coulson's Comeback, Davies' Cruise
Derek Coulson fought back from 4-1 down to beat Stef Kosters 5-4, and David Davies beat Dan Hands 5-1, as Welsh players won both PDC Challenge Tour finals at the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes.
Jonny Clayton Beats Gerwyn Price 8-4 to Win 2026 New Zealand Darts Masters
Jonny Clayton beat fellow Welshman Gerwyn Price 8-4 in an all-Welsh final to win the 2026 New Zealand Darts Masters in Auckland, reversing the result of their 2022 final.
The Nine-Dart Finish Explained: History, Route and Records
What a nine-dart finish is, the classic 180-180-141 route that makes it possible, John Lowe’s historic first in 1984, and how Michael van Gerwen became the all-time record holder.
Darts Terminology Glossary: Slang and Scoring Terms Explained
A complete glossary of darts terms and slang — ton, shanghai, oche, madhouse, checkout and more — what they mean and where they come from.
Darts 3-Dart Average Explained: How It Works and What Counts as Good
What a three-dart average is, the exact formula used to calculate it, and what separates a pub-level average from a PDC tour card level average.
Dart Barrel Weight and Grip: How to Choose the Right Darts
A guide to dart barrel weight, shape and grip texture — how grams, length, centre of gravity and knurling change your throw, and how to find the right combination for your game.
Dart Weight and Barrel Shape: How to Choose the Right Darts
A complete guide to dart weight and barrel shape — what the printed weight actually measures, PDC and WDF weight limits, common barrel profiles and grip textures, and how each affects your throw.
How Darts Scoring Works: Legs, Sets and Match Formats Explained
A complete guide to darts scoring — how a leg of 501 works, the difference between legs and sets, double out, and why floor events and TV majors use different match formats.
Dart Weight Guide: How to Choose the Right Weight
A guide to dart weight — how barrel weight changes your throw, typical ranges for steel-tip and soft-tip players, and how to test your way to the right weight.
Dart Flights and Shafts: Shapes, Materials and How to Choose
A complete guide to dart flight shapes and shaft materials — standard, kite, pear and slim flights, plus nylon, aluminium, carbon fibre and titanium shafts, and how each affects your throw.
How to Clean Your Darts: A Complete Maintenance Guide
How to clean tungsten barrels, care for points, shafts and flights, and how often to do it — keeping your grip and flight consistent throw after throw.
DRA Publishes First Case List Since 2022 — Suspended Bans for Van Barneveld and Menzies
The Darts Regulation Authority's first case list since 2022 covers hearings from January 2023 to June 2026, including a suspended ban and £3,000 fine for Raymond van Barneveld, a suspended ban and £2,500 fine for Cameron Menzies, and a fine for Gary Anderson.
How to Clean Your Darts: A Complete Maintenance Guide
How to clean dart barrels, points and flights properly, how often to do it, and the maintenance habits that stop grip, grouping and accuracy fading over time.
Beau Greaves Becomes First Woman to Qualify for a PDC European Tour Event — Twice in One Day
Beau Greaves beat Tom Bissell 6-4 and Lukas Wenig 6-5 at a Leicester qualifier to become the first woman in PDC history to reach a European Tour event — booking spots at both the Hungarian Darts Trophy and the Czech Darts Open.
Luke Littler Risks Missing the Players Championship Finals — Despite a Historic 2026
Luke Littler has played none of the 34 Players Championship events in 2026 and sits on £0 in that Order of Merit — £25,500 behind the top-64 cut-off held by Martin Schindler, with just eight events left to qualify for Minehead.
World Darts Championship 2026/27: Dates Confirmed for Alexandra Palace’s Great Hall
The PDC has confirmed the 2026/27 World Darts Championship will run 11 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, moving into Alexandra Palace's Great Hall for the first time with a record 180,000 tickets on offer.
PDC Order of Merit: Gian van Veen Overtakes Humphries for World No.2
Gian van Veen has climbed to a career-high world No.2 in the PDC Order of Merit, passing Luke Humphries, while Wessel Nijman rises to a career-high No.13 without a major title.
Luke Littler's Warrington Mural — and His Bid for Darts' First Ever Clean Sweep
Days after retaining the World Matchplay, Luke Littler was honoured with a giant mural in Warrington and confirmed his 2026 'clean sweep' bid is still on. Five majors down, four to go — including the one title he's never won.
Dart Flights and Shafts Explained: Types, Materials and How to Choose
Standard, kite, pear and slim flights; aluminium, nylon and titanium shafts. How flight shape and shaft length change a dart’s path, and how to pick the right combination.
Australian Darts Masters 2026: Full Field Confirmed for Wollongong
The PDC has confirmed the 16-player field for the Australian Darts Masters 2026, with a late change seeing injured Darren Penhall replaced by Mal Cuming ahead of the 21-22 August event.
Beau Greaves Becomes First Woman to Qualify for a PDC European Tour Event — Twice
Beau Greaves made history by qualifying for the Hungarian Darts Trophy and the Czech Darts Open, becoming the first woman to reach a PDC European Tour event. Full story: how she got there, and what it means.
Development Tour Hildesheim: Schlueter Denies Coates in Five-Title Weekend
Five different winners across Winmau Development Tour Events 16-20 in Hildesheim. Lenny Schlueter, 18, came back from 4-2 down to deny Henry Coates a maiden Development Tour title in a dramatic decider.
How to Throw a Dart: Grip, Stance and Technique Guide
A complete guide to dart grip styles, stance options and throwing mechanics — how to hold, stand and release for a more consistent, repeatable throw.
Darts Checkout Chart: How to Finish Every Big Score (2-170)
The complete darts checkout chart — every major finish from 170 down to 2, the seven bogey numbers with no checkout, and how to pick the right route to a double.
How to Clean Your Darts: A Complete Maintenance Guide
Grimy grips, rusting points and dull flights all cost you accuracy. A step-by-step guide to cleaning and maintaining your barrels, shafts, flights and points.
New Zealand Darts Masters 2026: Full Field, Littler Out
The PDC has confirmed the 16-player field for the New Zealand Darts Masters 2026 in Auckland, with world No.1 Luke Littler sitting out the whole of August.
Beat Luke Littler: Netflix's £501k Darts Challenge Explained
Netflix's Beat Luke Littler special pits 20 amateurs against the world No.1 for a single leg of 501 and £501,000. Full format, key dates and how to apply.
Dartboard Height and Distance: Official Setup Guide
Official PDC dartboard height, throwing distance and diagonal check measurements, plus soft-tip differences and a step-by-step home setup guide.
PDC Order of Merit 2026: Littler Hits £3m, MvG Falls to No.7
Littler's £3m milestone headlines a PDC Order of Merit shake-up after World Matchplay: Price enters the top 4, Van Gerwen drops to his lowest rank since 2013.
World Series of Darts Finals 2026: Qualification Explained
PDC confirms how the 32-player field for the 2026 World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam is decided — qualification routes, prize money and key dates.
Players Championship 25 & 26 Breakdown: Coates Makes History, Bialecki Strikes Twice
Henry Coates became only the 5th player to win a PDC ranking title without a Tour Card at PC25, then Sebastian Bialecki won PC26 exactly a year after his first title. Full breakdown: winners, averages, a nine-darter, rankings impact and Beau Greaves' crossover run.
World Matchplay 2026 Final Breakdown: Littler Beats Price 18-9, Smashes Taylor Records
Luke Littler thrashed Gerwyn Price 18-9 in the World Matchplay final, averaging 111.53 to break Phil Taylor's 2013 record. Full breakdown: averages, 180 counts, records broken, prize money and what's next in darts.
Women's World Matchplay 2026 Breakdown: Greaves Beats Sherrock 6-5 for Third Title
Beau Greaves won a deciding-leg thriller 6-5 over Fallon Sherrock to claim her third Women's World Matchplay title in four years. Full breakdown: averages, path to the final, prize money, records and what's next.
World Matchplay 2026 Day 2: Results, Monday Fixtures and TV Guide
Gary Anderson averages 109.96, MvG recovers from 4-1 down and Chris Dobey misses nine match darts in a tie-break epic. Full day 2 results from Blackpool, Monday's fixtures, prize money and where to watch.
Luke Woodhouse Wins Baltic Sea Darts Open — Second PDC Title in 12 Days
Woodhouse beat Ryan Joyce 8-4 in the ET8 final, averaging 98.61 with a 160 checkout. His second PDC title in 12 days at 37 years old — following his maiden win at PC18 in Leicester.
World Cup of Darts 2026: All Confirmed Teams, Seeds and Squads
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries lead England as the top seeds in Frankfurt. Northern Ireland defend the title, Gerwyn Price is absent from Wales, and Cameron Menzies replaces Peter Wright for Scotland.
Premier League Darts 2026: Playoffs Confirmed After Humphries Wins Night 15
Luke Humphries came back from 3-0 down to beat Littler then defeated Price 6-4 in Birmingham to seal his playoff spot. Littler, Clayton and Price also confirmed for The O2. MvG eliminated.
MvG's 122 Average and PC15 Win — Van Gerwen is Back
Michael van Gerwen whitewashed Martin Schindler 7-0 with a 122.34 average before beating Dirk van Duijvenbode 8-5 in the final to claim his first ProTour title since October 2024.
Josh Rock Wins 2026 Austrian Darts Open — European Tour Report
Josh Rock beat Kevin Doets 8-6 in a thrilling final in Graz, averaging 101.56 and landing a crucial 170 checkout to claim his second PDC European Tour title.
Luke Littler PDC Career, Stats & Ranking 2026
The complete guide to Luke Littler's PDC career — from his world final debut at 16 to world champion at 17, his rankings, major wins and darts gear.
Michael van Gerwen: Career, Titles and PDC Legacy
Three world titles, a record number of nine-dart finishes and over a decade at the top. The complete story of Michael van Gerwen's PDC career.
Peter Wright PDC Career: Two World Titles and Snakebite's Journey
From a late start in professional darts to two PDC World Championship titles — the career story of Peter Wright, aka Snakebite.
Luke Humphries PDC Career: World Champion and Order of Merit Rankings
Cool Hand Luke Humphries — world champion, former world number one, and one of the most consistent players on the PDC circuit. Full career breakdown and stats.
PDC Player Darts & Gear Guide 2026 — What the Pros Use
What darts do the top PDC players use? A breakdown of the gear used by Luke Littler, MvG, Peter Wright and more — and where to buy official player merchandise.
How the PDC Order of Merit Works: The Complete Guide
A complete guide to the PDC Order of Merit — how prize money is counted, which events qualify, the two-year rolling window, and what the ranking determines.
PDC Tour Card Explained: What It Is and How Players Earn One
Everything you need to know about the PDC Tour Card — what it gives you, how Q-School works, the Challenge Tour pathway, and what happens when you lose it.
How to Qualify for the PDC World Darts Championship
The complete breakdown of every route into the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace — from Order of Merit spots to international qualifiers.
PDC ProTour Explained: Players Championships, Rankings and Tour Cards
What is the PDC ProTour? How Players Championship events work, how the ProTour Order of Merit is calculated, and why the top 64 matters so much.