In the Ally Pally in London, the darts will fly again at the most important darts tournament of the year. SPORT1 explains the rules and the game mode of the World Championship tournament.
When the darts fly towards the dartboard in the famous Alexandra Palace in London from December 11th, every fan worldwide knows – with the PDC Darts World Championship, the absolute highlight of the year is back! (Darts World Cup 2026 LIVE on TV on SPORT1 , in LIVESTREAM and in LIVETICKER)
Darts has become very popular in German-speaking countries in recent years, but many people still wonder what this precision sport is all about and how the rules are structured.
SPORT1 explains the most important rules for the Darts World Championship 2026:
Darts World Championship 2026: Participants, Prize Money
At the 33rd Darts World Championship, a total of 128 players will start for the first time. From 2006 to 2018, the number of participants was 72 – last year it was still 96. (PDC Order of Merit: Current world ranking in darts)
The prize money has also been increased significantly again. A total of five million pounds will be distributed. Last year, 2.5 million pounds in prize money were distributed.
This year, the world champion will receive one million pounds for the first time (2025: 500,000 pounds).
Darts Rules: Height, Distance, etc.
The dartboard is hung at a height of 1.73 meters (measured at the center). The players throw the darts up to three times from a distance of exactly 2.37 meters, from the so-called oche, onto the board ( SERVICE: The Darts Vocabulary ) .
The center of the dartboard is exactly 1.73 meters high
When the large fields are hit, there are simple points. The outer, narrow ring counts double and is especially important when finishing a leg, the inner ring counts triple – both are eight millimeters wide.
Darts World Championship Rules: Highest Score and Bulls-Eye
The highest score per throw is therefore three times twenty (Triple-20). With three throws, this results in a possible maximum score of 180 points per “three-dart-intake”.
There is also the Bulls-Eye, the circle in the middle of the dartboard. Here you can distinguish between the “Outer Bull” (the green, outer area of the circle) and the “Inner Bull” (the red, inner part of the circle), also called “Single” or “Double Bull”.
A hit in the “Outer Bull” brings 25 points, if the dart lands in the “Inner Bull”, it is 50 points. A throw into the “Inner Bull” is also a way to check out a leg.
Darts World Championship Rules, Legs: 501 – Straight In, Double Out
The classic: The players must try to bring a leg – 501 points – exactly to zero as quickly as possible. Each throw is counted, but the decisive throw to get to zero must be made via one of the double fields (outer ring or Bulls Eye). This is called “Double Out”.
In contrast, a single leg may be opened with a throw into any area of the dartboard (Straight-In).
If a player throws more than the required number of points or only has a single point left, the referee (“Caller”) says “No Score”. The intake is therefore not counted. Only darts that remain in the board or whose tips touch the board are counted.
The fastest way to bring 501 points to zero is the perfect game – the so-called nine-darter. In total, there are 71 variants to lay down the nine-dart finish.
At a Darts World Championship, this feat has been achieved 16 times so far, and only two dart players, Raymond van Barneveld from the Netherlands and Adrian Lewis from England, have achieved it multiple times. At the last World Championship, two players achieved 9-darters, but Christian Kist and Damon Heta subsequently lost the match.
At the 2022 World Championship, three players succeeded in the so rare nine-darter, which had never happened before in World Championship history. In 2013 and 2014, two players each achieved 9-darters. ( SERVICE: This is a nine-darter )
Darts World Championship Rules: Sets and Legs
From round to round it becomes more difficult for the participants to get further. In the 1st round, the players have to win three sets to make the jump into the last 64. The “Best of 5” mode is also played in the 2nd round.
Whoever makes 501 points per double field or Bulls-Eye wins a leg, three leg wins bring a set.
In the third and fourth rounds, four set wins (“Best of 7”) are required to advance. After the quarter-finals (“Best of 9”), the mode increases by two sets each time. In the semi-finals, a darts player needs six won sets (“Best of 11”). The final is won by whoever decides seven sets (“Best of 13”) for themselves first.
PDC Reintroduces Sudden-Death Rule at 5:5
Until the 2020 World Championship, the decisive set had to be won with a two-leg lead. When it came to 5:5, a so-called sudden-death leg was played, which decided the outcome of the match.
However, the PDC overturned this rule for the 2021 World Championship, as the time frame could otherwise not always have been adhered to under Corona conditions.
At the 2023 World Championship, however, the rule came back and will continue to be applied at the 2026 edition. From the 2nd round, the decision set must be won with at least two legs ahead or at most 6:5. A throw at the Bulls-Eye to determine who starts the Sudden-Death-Leg is no longer performed. It is played by the player with the darts who won the first bulling before the match.