PDC could ditch strict rule that would change the lives of darts players forever

According to former professional Vincent van der Voort, the PDC could relax its rules for Tour Card holders next season, enabling those outside of the elite to compete in tournaments beyond the official PDC circuit.

Currently, Tour Card holders have limited opportunities to play outside the PDC, with the governing body imposing strict conditions on participation in other competitions.

For those unaware, players ranked lower down the Order of Merit largely rely on income from Players Championship events and European Tour events, but talk of them relaxing this rule would transform the lives of many.

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PDC could allow darts stars to compete in other tournaments

Speaking on the Darts Draait Door podcast, Vincent van der Voort says work is underway behind the scenes to give players more freedom to compete away from the PDC.

"There are going to be a lot of relaxations for Tour Card holders, so they can play in other tournaments,” the Dutchman confirmed.

The change would give players not among the highest-ranked in the world an opportunity to earn some invaluable prize money elsewhere, with the MODUS Super Series emerging as a possible destination.

Active PDC Tour card holders are currently not permitted to compete, but the competition - which is a weekly, livestreamed tournament held in Portsmouth - would give players regular match play and the chance to earn prize money.

The extra income, particularly for those lower-ranked on the tour, would be very beneficial financially. Darts is an incredibly time-consuming sport, as players are travelling regularly across the UK or abroad, while paying for hotels and other expenses.

Those who earn little in prize money can feel the burden of the costs, as holding a PDC Tour Card doesn't automatically guarantee enough income to make a full-time living from darts.

More opportunities to compete in other tournaments also provide added benefits, notably building rhythm by playing in more matches, and sponsors gain additional exposure.

While it seems like a no-brainer to relax the current rule, the PDC haven't announced the revised terms officially, and it remains to be seen which players will be able to take advantage of the extra tournaments.

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Gary Anderson is open about the cost of playing darts

Many players occupying spots lower down the Order of Merit have repeatedly complained about the financial strain of competing.

But it isn't just the lesser-known stars who have aired their frustrations, with Gary Anderson - one of the greatest players ever - explaining how much it costs to fly to European Tour events before he's thrown a dart.

Speaking ahead of the World Darts Championship last year, Anderson said: "Good luck to whoever wins it, but I’d rather see a bit of that money go to the early rounds,” he said.

“It’s so expensive for a lot of the lads to play on Tour. Before I’d even thrown a dart in Germany, I was £1,600 down on flights, hotels, transport – it adds up fast.”

At the time of writing, the two-time world champion has earned approximately £5.4 million in prize money across his illustrious career, so the fact he has voiced his concerns about the cost of playing speaks volumes, and allowing players to compete outside of the PDC would improve the outlook.