Why Formats Matter
One of the aspects of darts that can initially confuse new fans is the variety of formats used across different tournaments. Unlike football, where every league match follows the same structure, darts uses several distinct formats depending on the event, the stage of the tournament, and even the specific television broadcaster's preferences. Understanding these formats is essential for following the sport, analysing results, and appreciating the strategic demands placed on players.
The format of a match fundamentally affects its character. A short-format match over the best of 11 legs is a sprint where one bad visit can prove decisive. A long-format World Championship final over the best of 13 sets is a marathon requiring sustained concentration and the ability to recover from setbacks. The best players adapt their approach depending on the format, and knowing how each one works will deepen your appreciation of the sport considerably.
The Legs Format
The legs format is the simplest and most widely used structure in professional darts. A match is played as a straight race to a specified number of legs, where each leg is a single game of 501. The first player to reach the target number of legs wins the match.
How It Works
In a "best of 11 legs" match, the first player to win 6 legs takes the match. In a "best of 19 legs" match, the first to 10 wins. The throw alternates between legs, so the player who threw first in leg one will throw second in leg two, and so on. This alternation is important because throwing first in a leg confers a meaningful advantage.
Advantages of the Legs Format
The legs format is clean, easy to understand, and produces matches of relatively predictable length. It rewards consistency and works well for shorter matches on a busy tournament schedule. It is the format of choice for the majority of PDC ranking events, including Players Championship floor events, European Tour events, and the World Matchplay.
Where It Is Used
The World Matchplay at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool uses a legs format throughout, with first-round matches played over the best of 19 legs. The quarter-finals are best of 31 legs, the semi-finals best of 33, and the final best of 35 legs. This progressive lengthening ensures that the deeper a player goes in the tournament, the greater the test of stamina and consistency.
Players Championship events, the bread and butter of the PDC tour, use shorter legs formats. Early rounds are typically best of 11 legs, increasing to best of 19 or 21 in the later stages. These events are played in a single day, so shorter formats are essential to keep the schedule on track.
The Sets Format
The sets format introduces a two-tier structure. Within each set, players contest a series of legs (typically best of 5). The match itself is then a race to a specified number of sets.
How It Works
Consider a "best of 7 sets" match where each set is the best of 5 legs. To win a set, a player must win 3 legs. To win the match, a player must win 4 sets. The throw alternates within each set, and at the start of each new set, the player who threw second at the beginning of the previous set now throws first.
This rotation means that over the course of a long sets match, the advantage of throw is distributed more evenly between the two players. In a legs match, one player throws first in all the odd-numbered legs, giving them a persistent edge. In a sets match, the first-throw advantage shifts back and forth with each new set.
The "Sudden Death" Leg
If a set reaches 2-2 in legs, the fifth and deciding leg is known as the "sudden death" leg. The player who threw first in the first leg of that set throws first in the deciding leg, which is a significant advantage. Winning a sudden death leg against the throw is one of the most challenging feats in darts and can shift the momentum of an entire match.
Where It Is Used
The sets format is most famously associated with the PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace. First-round matches are played over the best of 5 sets, second-round matches over the best of 7 sets, and the format increases progressively to the final, which is the best of 13 sets. This structure gives the World Championship its unique epic quality, with matches potentially lasting over two hours and featuring dramatic comebacks that would be impossible in a shorter format.
The Grand Prix also uses a sets format with a twist: it requires players to double-in as well as double-out (see below). The UK Open qualifier rounds also use sets in certain configurations.
The Double-Start Format
The World Grand Prix, held annually in Leicester, employs a unique format that requires players to hit a double before they can begin scoring. This "double-in, double-out" format is the only major PDC event to use this rule, and it dramatically changes the nature of the game.
How It Works
In the double-start format, a player must land a dart in any double segment (or the inner bullseye) before any of their darts count towards reducing their 501 total. Until a double is hit, all darts thrown score zero. Once the double is hit, that dart's score counts and the player proceeds to reduce their total as normal, finishing on a double as usual.
Strategic Implications
The double-start format places immense pressure on players from the very first dart. A player who fails to find a double in their opening visit effectively wastes three darts whilst their opponent, if they hit a double first dart, can race ahead. This format also changes the arithmetic of the game. If a player starts with double 20 (40), they are effectively playing a game of 461 rather than 501.
Players who excel on doubles tend to perform well at the Grand Prix, whilst heavy scorers who are less precise on the outer ring can struggle. The format rewards accuracy and composure under pressure, and matches tend to be lower-scoring but more tactically nuanced than standard 501.
The Grand Slam Group Stage
The Grand Slam of Darts uses a round-robin group stage followed by a knockout phase, making it unique among the major PDC events.
Group Stage Structure
The 32 players are divided into eight groups of four. Within each group, every player plays the other three, resulting in three matches per player. Group matches are played over the best of 9 legs. Points are awarded as follows: 2 points for a win, 1 point each for a draw (if the match ends 4-4, the players share the points, though a draw is impossible in best of 9), and 0 for a loss. However, since best of 9 cannot end in a draw, the scoring is simply 2 for a win and 0 for a loss.
The top two players from each group advance to the knockout stage. If players are tied on points, leg difference (legs won minus legs lost) is used as the first tiebreaker, followed by legs won, and then a head-to-head record if necessary.
Knockout Rounds
Once the group stage is complete, the 16 remaining players enter a straight knockout bracket. The last-16 matches are best of 19 legs, quarter-finals best of 19, semi-finals best of 31, and the final best of 31 legs. Group winners are seeded against group runners-up in the last-16 draw.
What Makes It Special
The Grand Slam is distinctive because it brings together players from the PDC and, historically, the BDO/WDF circuit. The group stage format means that even a below-par performance in one match does not eliminate a player, provided they recover in subsequent matches. This creates different tactical considerations: a player who wins their first two group matches comfortably may ease off in the third, knowing they have already qualified. Conversely, a player who loses their opener faces a must-win scenario in their remaining matches.
The Premier League Format
The Premier League Darts is a season-long event that takes place over multiple weeks, touring different venues across the United Kingdom and beyond. Its format has evolved over the years but consistently features a league phase and a knockout finale.
League Phase
A select group of top players (typically eight) compete in a round-robin league. Each "night" of the Premier League features a set of matches, with each player facing every other player twice over the course of the season. Matches are played over a set number of legs, and the results contribute to a league table.
Points are awarded similarly to football: 2 points for a match win, 1 point each for a draw, and 0 for a defeat. Unlike many darts events, draws are possible in the Premier League because matches are played over an even number of legs (for example, best of 12 legs, where a 6-6 result is a draw).
Playoffs
At the end of the league phase, the top four players in the table qualify for the playoff semi-finals and final, which are held on one night. The first-placed player plays the fourth, and the second plays the third in the semi-finals. The winners contest the final to determine the overall Premier League champion. The playoff night is typically held at the O2 Arena in London and is one of the biggest nights on the darts calendar.
Elimination and Jeopardy
In some seasons, the Premier League has featured a mid-season elimination, where the bottom player in the table after a certain number of weeks is eliminated from the competition. This adds jeopardy to the early weeks and ensures that every match carries real consequence, even for players who are not in contention for the top four.
Pro Tour and Floor Events
Beyond the major televised events, the backbone of the PDC calendar is the Pro Tour, which comprises Players Championship events and European Tour events played throughout the year.
Players Championship Events
These are single-day events held on the Pro Tour circuit, typically at venues such as the Butlins Minehead Resort or the Barnsley Metrodome. The field is open to all PDC tour card holders and is played as a straight knockout from the first round. Matches are relatively short, often best of 11 legs in early rounds, and the format ensures that a full tournament, from first round to final, can be completed in a single day.
Players Championship events are crucial for ranking points and prize money. Consistent performance across these events determines a player's position on the Order of Merit, which in turn dictates seedings and qualification for the major televised events.
European Tour Events
European Tour events follow a similar knockout structure but are held across Europe in countries such as Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium. They feature a host nation qualifier, allowing local players to compete alongside the PDC regulars. The formats are comparable to Players Championship events, with best-of-11 or best-of-13 legs in the early rounds, increasing in the later stages.
Qualifying Events
Qualification for major events often involves separate qualifying tournaments. For example, the UK Open features a unique random draw format where any PDC tour card holder can enter, and there are no seedings. The World Championship has its own qualification pathway through the Pro Tour Order of Merit and international qualifiers. These qualifying routes add depth to the PDC ecosystem and ensure that the major events feature the most deserving players.
The UK Open: A Unique Format
The UK Open is sometimes called the "FA Cup of darts" because it features a random draw with no seedings. Any player in the field can draw any other player at any stage, meaning a qualifier could face the world number one in the first round. Matches are played over best of 11 legs in the early rounds, increasing through the tournament. This format creates some of the most unpredictable and exciting matches of the season.
How Format Affects Strategy
The format of a match has a direct bearing on how players approach it. In a short-format match, every leg is critical, and there is limited room for error. Players tend to be aggressive from the outset, knowing that falling behind early can be fatal. In longer formats, players have the luxury of building into a match, and mental resilience becomes as important as darting ability.
The sets format in particular creates natural break points. Winning or losing a set has a psychological impact that goes beyond simply adding or subtracting a leg. A player who loses a close set may feel deflated, whilst a player who steals a set against the throw receives an enormous confidence boost. Understanding these dynamics is key to reading and predicting match outcomes.