Why professional darts rankings shifted from prestige points to cold hard cash
In short: In the world of professional darts, your ranking is no longer about abstract prestige points. Since 2007, the Professional Darts Corporation has used the Order of Merit, a system based entirely on prize money won. This shift fundamentally changed how players qualify for major tournaments and secure their professional future.
Before 2007, the PDC utilized a ranking system established in 1993 that awarded points based on tournament prestige. This older method often failed to reflect current form, leading to scenarios where players like Colin Lloyd held the world number one spot throughout 2005 and 2006, even while major titles were dominated by Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, and John Part. The transition to the current Order of Merit system, which tracks prize money earned over a rolling two-year eligibility period for Tour Card holders, was designed to ensure that rankings more accurately mirror recent performance.
The stakes of this system are high. At the conclusion of the PDC World Darts Championship, the year-end Order of Merit determines who keeps their professional status. Players finishing in the top 64 are offered a Tour Card for the following season. Those who fall outside this bracket see their ranking money reset to zero and must compete in Q School to regain their professional standing. This creates a high-pressure environment where every tournament result directly impacts a player's ability to remain on the professional circuit.
While the main Order of Merit is the primary ranking, the PDC maintains a complex ecosystem of secondary rankings. These include the Pro Tour, European Tour, and various development and women's series. These secondary lists serve as crucial pathways for qualification into televised events and provide alternative routes for players to earn Tour Cards. Despite the prestige associated with the world number one ranking, some of the sport's most decorated figures, including two-time back-to-back world champion Gary Anderson and 11-time major winner James Wade, have never held the top spot under this system.
The system is robust enough to handle ties, using a back-counting method of earnings from the previous four ranking tournaments to separate players. If necessary, the PDC will count back through individual events until a distinction is found, ensuring that the rankings remain a precise, meritocratic reflection of professional success.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: PDC World Rankings
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