PDC Changes Controversial Rule That Will Impact Luke Littler and Rivals

The PDC have changed plans to impose a controversial rule change to the 2026 European Tour.

The European Tour is a series of events that takes place across Europe, with prize money won contributing towards the main PDC Order of Merit.

A total of 48 competitors enter each event, with an increased number of 15 events on the calendar for 2026.

The top 16 players on the Order of Merit automatically qualify for round two of each event, with the 16 highest-ranked players on the ProTour Order of Merit facing off against 16 qualifiers in round one.

A prize pot of £230,000 is on offer, with the winner of each European Tour event pocketing £35,000 in prize money.

Ahead of the 2026 season, the PDC put forward a controversial rule change proposal, which has now been reversed.

For round one, there would be a seeding system in place, with the 32 players being seeded based on their Order of Merit rankings, not their positions on the ProTour (via Darts Actueel's Jetze Jan Idsardi).

For instance, if one of the 16 qualifiers had pulled out of an event and replaced by a reserve - who had a higher Order of Merit ranking than one of the ProTour qualifiers - the reserve would be seeded over the ProTour qualifier.

The PDC have reversed the rule by ensuring that all 16 ProTour qualifiers will automatically be seeded in round one.

Any reserve list qualifier will take the lowest placing available between 17 and 32.

It will effectively mean that the best players on the ProTour have the prospect of a potentially easier passage through round one.

A draw then takes place to decide the 16 matchups in round two.

For reigning champion Luke Littler and his nearest competitors, the rule U-turn will not have a major impact on their European Tour seasons - if only to potentially make their run through the tournament slightly more challenging than they may have imagined.

It will help to reward those players who have performed strongly on the Players Championship floor events, which get underway on February 9 with Players Championship 1 in Hildesheim, Germany.

As things stand, world number 16 Ross Smith will be the final automatic qualifier for the European Tour this season, though could yet be overhauled by others below him - including Damon Heta, Rob Cross and Jermaine Wattimena - before the 2026 campaign gets underway.