The PDC’s ranking system is undergoing active review following the unprecedented decision to award £1 million to the winner of the 2025 World Darts Championship — the largest top prize in darts history.
The move, which doubles the previous year’s winner’s cheque and boosts the total prize fund at Alexandra Palace to £5 million, has sparked concerns about the impact such a financial leap could have on the integrity of the Order of Merit, which has been prize-money based since 2007.
Ranking Integrity Under Scrutiny
Speaking during ITV Sport’s coverage of the World Series Finals, Alan Warriner-Little, president of the Professional Darts Players Association (PDPA), confirmed that discussions are already underway.
“It gives us new challenges,” said Warriner-Little, a former world number one and founding PDPA member. “On the surface, a £1 million top prize is brilliant, but it forces us to reconsider what that means for rankings and player equity.”
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“At this moment in time, we’re looking at the ranking system — there’s no confirmed changes yet — but we had a meeting this weekend to begin discussing what we can do over the next couple of years to make the system fairer in light of that prize money.”
A Skewed Playing Field?
Under the current system, players are ranked based on prize money earned over a rolling two-year period. World number one Luke Humphries currently sits atop the Order of Merit with just over £1.8 million — a figure now barely exceeding the potential earnings from a single tournament win.
ITV pundit and former pro Chris Mason voiced his concern that such a spike in prize money could distort the competitive landscape.
“The PDC, Paddy Power, and Sky Sports have created a life-changing opportunity,” Mason said. “But from a rankings perspective, it’s going to skew things badly. You could win the Worlds, skip most of the calendar, and still outrank someone who’s consistently winning major titles across the season.”
He added: “It’s also brutal when players come to defend that money. You could drop from world number one to somewhere in the twenties, and we’ve seen this happen — look at Nathan Aspinall. He dropped from number seven to 24th despite still being a top-10 player in terms of form.”
A Historic Dilemma
The issue touches on a long-standing debate in darts: how to reward prestige without compromising competitive fairness. Before 2007, the PDC operated a points-based ranking system, factoring in tournament importance rather than prize money. Since 1993, 13 players have held the world number one spot — never under conditions where one tournament carried so much disproportionate weight.
With the World Championship’s top prize now more than four times greater than any other event, some within the sport are calling for a hybrid ranking system — one that maintains financial incentives while better reflecting year-round consistency.
What’s Next?
For now, Warriner-Little has confirmed that the PDPA and PDC are in active dialogue, with no changes yet finalised. However, the urgency is clear. With the 2025 World Championship looming and the rankings more influential than ever — affecting seedings, invites, and player earnings — a decision will need to be made soon.
“Ultimately, we want a system that rewards excellence but remains fair and competitive,” said Warriner-Little. “These are good problems to have, but we have to get it right.”
