Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen face off for the PDC World Darts Championship on Friday night, and referees have discussed a rule that some fans are only just finding out
Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen face off for the PDC World Darts Championship on Friday night, and referees have discussed a rule that some fans are only just finding out Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen face off for the PDC World Darts Championship on Friday night, and referees have discussed a rule that some fans are only just finding out
Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen are gearing up for the World Darts Championship final and there will be plenty of new darts fans tuning into the action.
The World Championship is the highlight of the darting year and all eyes will be on Alexandra Palace as a new champion is crowned. Darts prodigy Littler, 17, has reached back-to-back finals after his impressive 6-1 win over the popular Stephen Bunting on Thursday.
‘The Nuke’ will square off against three-time champion Van Gerwen, who advanced to the final after he defeated Chris Dobey by the same scoreline. The final promises fireworks as Littler and Van Gerwen have evenly split their last twelve matches, ramping up the anticipation for what’s sure to be a thrilling encounter.
Darts has enjoyed a boom in popularity in recent years, meaning there is always plenty of new eyes on the sport throughout the tournament. However, a discussion between two referees has shed light on an unusual rule that many ardent fans might not be aware of.
A debate was sparked when a spectator questioned whether referees can inform players of their remaining score. Darts official Owen Binks clarified in a post on X: “The rule is, and has been for as long as I can remember, we can tell a player what has been scored and what is remaining at any point.”
This clarification arose after a competitor spoke to PDC announcer Kirk Bevins mid-match. Providing more details to Binks’ clarification, Bevins commented: “And I’ll add that sometimes a player will throw two darts and then ask ‘Can I leave a finish? ‘. This question is not allowed to be answered (as, of course, you know).”
This results in players needing to rely on their maths skills and knowledge of the board to secure a checkout, rather than looking to officials for help. In terms of simpler rules, players beginning on 501 rather than a more rounded number adds to the challenge by ensuring that players also utilise odd numbers.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Who will win the World Darts Championship final? Tell us in the comments section below
(
Image:
Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Darting ace Littler, who’s averaged 102 and leads the tournament in scoring 180s, tends to set himself up for easy doubles. However, the teenager has still hit a top 170 checkout during the worlds. Meanwhile, Van Gerwen has achieved a 158 checkout but has a better checkout success, hitting 43.9% of his doubles to Littler’s 41%.
Soon after his semi-final win, Littler told Sky Sports: “If we [Littler and Van Gerwen] both turn up like we did tonight, it [the final] is going to be really good. As soon as Luke Humphries went out, that’s what everyone was looking at.
“I just had to focus on my quarter-final and semi-final, and now I’ve done that I can focus on Michael tomorrow. We all know he’s hunting for that world title but I’m hunting for my first.”
Learn more
Luke Littler is heading to the final of the WDC, and you can emulate the 17-year-old with a set of his Target G1 Swiss Point darts for £99.95. You can also upgrade to the gold Prodigy darts for £129.95.
There is also a more affordable Loadout 90% Tungsten darts for £45.90. If you need something to throw them at, Amazon has reduced the Luke Littler Cabinet & Dartboard Set to £59.99.
Mirror – Sport