International Darts Federation: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Professional darts organisation}}
{{short description|Professional darts organisation}}
{{about|the darts organization|most recent season|2024 PDC Pro Tour|the upcoming 2025 season|2025 in PDC}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=April 2023}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2023}}
{{Primary sources|date=April 2023}}
{{Primary sources|date=April 2023}}
}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
 
{{Use British English|date=April 2011}}
{{Infobox organization
{{Infobox organization
| name                = Professional Darts Corporation
| name                = International Darts Federation
| former name        = World Darts Council
| former name        =  
| logo                = Professional Darts Corporation logo.svg
| logo                =  
| image              = 2009 World Darts Championship.jpg
| image              = 2009 World Darts Championship.jpg
| image_border        =  
| image_border        =  
Line 17: Line 15:
| caption            = Photo of the stage at the 2010 PDC World Darts Championship
| caption            = Photo of the stage at the 2010 PDC World Darts Championship
| map                =  
| map                =  
| msize              = <!-- map size, optional, default 250px -->
| msize              =  
| malt                = <!-- map alt text -->
| malt                =  
| mcaption            = <!-- optional -->
| mcaption            =  
| map2                =  
| map2                =  
| abbreviation        = PDC
| abbreviation        = IDF
| motto              =  
| motto              =  
| predecessor        =  
| predecessor        =  
| successor          =  
| successor          =  
| formation          = {{Start date and age|df=y|1992|1|16}}
| formation          = {{Start date and age|df=y|2025|1|7}}
| extinction          = <!-- date of extinction, optional -->
| extinction          = <!-- date of extinction, optional -->
| type                = [[Professional]] [[darts]] organisation
| type                = [[Professional]] [[darts]] organisation
| status              = <!-- ad hoc, treaty, foundation, etc -->
| status              =  
| purpose            = <!-- focus as e.g. humanitarian, peacekeeping, etc -->
| purpose            =  
| headquarters        = Mascalls, Mascalls Lane <br/> [[Brentwood, Essex]] <br/> CM14 5LJ <br/> [[England]], [[United Kingdom]]
| headquarters        =  
| location            =  
| location            =  
| coords              = <!-- Coordinates of location using a coordinates template -->
| coords              = <!-- Coordinates of location using a coordinates template -->
| region_served      =  
| region_served      =  
| membership          = 221
| membership          = 100+
| language            = <!-- official languages -->
| language            = <!-- official languages -->
| general            = <!-- Secretary General -->
| general            = <!-- Secretary General -->
| leader_title        = Chairman
| leader_title        = Chairman
| leader_name        = [[Eddie Hearn]]
| leader_name        = [[Freddie Goodwin]]
| leader_title2      = Chief Executive
| leader_title2      = Chief Executive
| leader_name2        = Matthew Porter
| leader_name2        =  
| leader_title3      =  
| leader_title3      =  
| leader_name3        =  
| leader_name3        =  
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| leader_name4        =  
| leader_name4        =  
| key_people          =  
| key_people          =  
| main_organ          = <!-- gral. assembly, board of directors, etc -->
| main_organ          =  
| parent_organization =  
| parent_organization =  
| affiliations        = <!-- if any -->
| affiliations        = <!-- if any -->
| budget              =  
| budget              =  
| num_staff          = 30
| num_staff          = 7
| num_volunteers      =  
| num_volunteers      =  
| website            = {{URL|www.pdc.tv}}
| website            =  
| remarks            =  
| remarks            =  
}}
}}


The '''Professional Darts Corporation''' ('''PDC''') is a professional [[darts]] organisation in the [[United Kingdom]], established in 1992 when a group of leading players split from the [[British Darts Organisation]] (BDO) to form what was initially called the '''World Darts Council''' ('''WDC'''). Sports promoter [[Eddie Hearn]] is the PDC chairman.
The '''International Darts Federation''' ('''IDF''') is a professional [[darts]] organisation which hosts events with AI bots as the players combined with real players who use a mobile Darts app. The IDF was established in 2025 when Freddie Goodwin announced in December 2024 that he wanted to host a tournament, but nobody agreed to do so, therefore having him include bots.


The PDC developed and holds several competitions, including the annual [[PDC World Darts Championship]], the [[World Matchplay (darts)|World Matchplay]], [[World Grand Prix (darts)|World Grand Prix]], [[UK Open]], [[Premier League Darts|Premier League]], and [[Grand Slam of Darts|Grand Slam]]. It also runs its own [[Darts world rankings|world rankings]] based on players' performances.
The PDC developed and holds several competitions, including the annual [[Home Masters Championship (IDF)|Home Masters Championship]], the annual [[Grand Prix Open Masters Championship (IDF)|Grand Prix Open Masters Championship]], and the [[IDF Darts Premiere League|Premiere League]]. Players are part of the [[IDF Order of Merit]] and are ranked based on prize money earned from participating in tournaments. The first edition of the [[IDF World Championship]] is scheduled to occur in September 2025.


==History==
==History==
{{Main|Split in darts}}
Darts had experienced a boom in the 1980s. A number of tournaments were televised on [[BBC]] and [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]], which allowed the top players to make a full-time living from the sport and turn professional. However, darts steadily dropped from television schedules and by 1989 the only remaining televised event was the annual Embassy World Championship. Some of the players felt that not enough was being done by the governing body, the [[British Darts Organisation]], to encourage new sponsors into the sport and arrange more television coverage. BDO chairman [[Olly Croft]] stated "I don't owe any dart players a living" and refused to guarantee more televised tournaments or permit the players to organise their own.
As a result, 16 professional players, including every previous BDO world champion who was still active in the game, created their own darts organisation, the World Darts Council (WDC), in January 1992.<ref>[http://www.planetdarts.tv/page/PDCHistory/0,,10180,00.html History of PDC] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221121505/http://www.planetdarts.tv/page/PDCHistory/0,,10180,00.html |date=21 December 2008 }} pdc.tv</ref> The players were led by sports promoters Tommy Cox and Dick Allix, both of whom used their own money to fund the fledgling organisation.
[[Image:wdcbadges.jpg|thumb|150px|The badges worn by WDC players at the 1993 World Championship]]
They wanted to appoint a [[Public relations|PR]] consultant to improve the image of the game. The 1993 Embassy World Championship was the last time there was one unified world championship. The WDC players wore their new insignia on their sleeves during the tournament but were told to remove them by the BDO.<ref>[http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/westondartsleague/DartsPages/history-darts.htm History of Darts] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061203065537/http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/westondartsleague/DartsPages/history-darts.htm |date=3 December 2006 }} tiscali.co.uk</ref> The WDC players decided that if they were not going to be recognised by the BDO they would no longer play in the Embassy tournament.
The BDO took the step of banning the rebel players from playing in county darts and even threatened to ban any player who participated in exhibition events with WDC players.<ref>[http://www.theiceman.co.uk/split.htm Alan Warriner web site on darts split] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070623103003/http://www.theiceman.co.uk/split.htm |date=23 June 2007 }} theiceman.co.uk</ref>
===Tomlin order===
The WDC players took the matter to court in a dispute which accrued large and perhaps unaffordable costs during a protracted legal process. The two bodies reached an out-of-court settlement on 30 June 1997 in the form of a [[Tomlin order]].<ref>[http://www.bdodarts.com/Section%20L%20-%20World%20Professional%20Championship%20(Men)%20-%20Lakeside.doc Extracts from Tomlin order (see page 13 Word Document)]{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} bdodarts.com</ref>
The BDO recognised the WDC and agreed that all players shall have the freedom of choice as to which open events they wish to play in. The WDC dropped its claim to be a world governing body and renamed itself the Professional Darts Corporation. The PDC accepted and recognized the [[World Darts Federation]] (WDF) as the governing body for the sport of darts worldwide, and the BDO the governing body for darts in the UK. The stated purpose of the agreement was to promote the freedom of individual darts players to participate freely in open competition.
Another condition of this Tomlin order is that the top 16 players, and any Home Country players ranked between 17 and 32 in each year's BDO Championship, and the top 16 players in each year's PDC Championship, shall not be permitted to enter the other competition in the immediate following year.
Despite this condition, Raymond van Barneveld switched to the PDC within weeks of reaching the 2006 BDO final, later playing in (and winning) the 2007 PDC World Championship – the Tomlin order should have made him ineligible to play.<ref>[http://www.pdc.tv/page/PlayerProfile/0,,10180~1451704,00.html Raymond van Barneveld profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315005538/http://www.pdc.tv/page/PlayerProfile/0,,10180~1451704,00.html |date=15 March 2010 }} pdc.tv</ref>
There was further controversy following the 2007 BDO World Championship, when [[Jelle Klaasen]] announced that he would be switching to the PDC. As a BDO World Champion, he signed a three-year deal in 2006 to return to the Lakeside event. The BDO threatened to take legal action for breach of contract,<ref>[http://www.bdodarts.com/JELLEKLAASEN2.htm BDO Statement on Jelle Klaasen's PDC switch] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209103457/http://www.bdodarts.com/JELLEKLAASEN2.htm |date=9 February 2007 }} bdodarts.com</ref> but with previous damage and costs incurred by other legal cases it has become less likely that any action will be taken in future with regards to player contracts and the Tomlin Order.<ref>[http://www.theoche.com/archives/55 Klaasen could face legal action over PDC switch] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717020346/http://www.theoche.com/archives/55 |date=17 July 2011 }} theoche.com</ref> 2007 semi-finalist [[Mervyn King (darts player)|Mervyn King]] also moved to the PDC, seemingly against the contracted condition that semi-finalists and finalists were bound to appear the next year.
In January 2012, the PDC invited the four semi-finalists of the BDO world championships, after obtaining a written agreement to release any player without penalty. [[Ted Hankey]] was the first player to move,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/darts/16576334.stm Ted Hankey to lead exodus from BDO to PDC] bbc.co.uk</ref> as well as several players (who were not guaranteed a pro tour card due to not reaching the BDO semi finals) entering the PDC qualifying school, including [[Dean Winstanley]], [[Tony West (dart player)|Tony West]], [[Steve West (darts player)|Steve West]], and [[Stuart Kellett]].


==Television coverage==
=== Inception of bot competitions ===
Following the breakaway groups first televised event in 1992 (the [[WDC UK Masters|Lada UK Masters]] on [[Anglia Television]]), satellite broadcaster Sky Sports signed a deal to exclusively cover three PDC tournaments each year. To capitalise on its investment, the channel introduced a number of new techniques{{vague|date=April 2018}} to make the coverage more interesting for armchair fans.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}
In 2023, [[Alex Brow]] approached [[Freddie Goodwin]] on starting a organisation with the intention of hosting darts events that are for players with a average above 50.00. In November 2024, it was announced that the first event would be a "world-based" event, though would not be the annual [[IDF World Championship]] event, scheduled for September 2025.


Unlike the BDO world championship, which was covered via the general entertainment [[BBC Two]] channel, Sky's dedicated sports channel allowed the PDC matches to be covered in their entirety. Over ten hours per day of live darts on Sky Sports is not uncommon.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}} The British Darts Organisation's events were more limited to selected matches and highlights, although in recent years the BBC increased its [[interactive TV]] coverage allowing viewers to see many more events live.<ref>[http://www.theoche.com/archives/2023 2010 BDO Lakeside Men’s Winner Will Take £100,000] theoche.com</ref>
==Events==
Each event that players participate in will be included in the [[IDF Order of Merit]] and are ranked based on prize money earned from their results from within each tournaments.  


Sky television is an advertisement and subscription based channel, and generally after each set a commercial break is taken. [[Planet Funk]]'s 2000 single "[[Chase the Sun (song)|Chase the Sun]]" is played in the auditorium and it has become a cult track amongst darts fans, who tend to dance along to the tune during the breaks.<ref>[http://www.pdc.tv/page/FAQs/0,,10180,00.html Frequently Asked Questions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408110734/http://www.pdc.tv/page/FAQs/0,,10180,00.html |date=8 April 2010 }} pdc.tv</ref>
=== Home Masters Championship ===
The first [[Home Darts Championship|Home Masters Championship]] event was announced to be done in 2025; the editions are: [[2025 IDF Grand Prix Open Masters Championship|2025]].
{{:Home Darts Championship}}


Currently [[Sky Sports]] broadcasts six tournaments live each year in both [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] and the [[United Kingdom]]. PDC events are also televised in [[Australia]], [[Belgium]], [[Germany]], [[Hungary]], [[India]], [[Japan]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Norway]], [[Singapore]], [[South Africa]] and the [[United States]] ([[One World Sports]]).
=== Grand Prix Open Masters Championship ===
The first [[Grand Prix Open Masters Championship]] event was announced to be done in 2025; the editions are: [[2025 IDF Grand Prix Open Masters Championship|2025]].


The PDC signed a three-year deal with ITV in 2007 with the inaugural Grand Slam of Darts from 2007 and the inaugural Players Championship from 2009. The matches are shown live on ITV4 with highlights on ITV1. ITV being an advertisement channel like Sky Sports, commercial breaks are taken after 5 legs; the tournaments that ITV cover do not play in sets. [[The Fratellis]] 2006 single "Chelsea Dagger" is played during the breaks on ITV.  In 2010, Bravo signed a contract to show the European Championships.
=== IDF Darts Premiere League ===
{{Main|IDF Darts Premiere League}}
The [[2025 IDF Darts Premiere League|2025 edition of the IDF Darts Premiere League]] began on January 7, 2025 and is set to conclude in November 2025.  


In 2007, Sky Sports decided to extend their coverage of the [[Premier League Darts]] to 2010 following the high number of viewers to previous tournaments.<ref>[http://www.pdc.tv/page/PremierLeagueDetail/0,,10180~962208,00.html Premier League Darts to continue to 2010] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617010551/http://www.pdc.tv/page/PremierLeagueDetail/0,,10180~962208,00.html |date=17 June 2010 }} pdc.tv</ref>
=== IDF World Championship ===
The first edition of the [[IDF World Championship]] is scheduled to occur in September 2025.


In February 2016, it was announced the [[BBC]] would cover the PDC for the first time with a new tournament being formed using the top 8 players on the [[PDC Order of Merit]] after the World Matchplay, known as the [[Champions League of Darts]]. As a result, the BBC dropped coverage of the BDO World Darts Championship, which they covered from 1978 to 2016 (this was the original World Championship prior to the formation of the PDC). [[DJ Ötzi]]'s "[[Hey! Baby#DJ Ötzi version|Hey! Baby]]" is played during the breaks on the BBC.
== References ==

Revision as of 20:58, 14 January 2025

International Darts Federation
AbbreviationIDF
Formation7 January 2025; 17 months ago (2025-01-07)
TypeProfessional darts organisation
Membership100+
Chairman
Freddie Goodwin
Staff7

The International Darts Federation (IDF) is a professional darts organisation which hosts events with AI bots as the players combined with real players who use a mobile Darts app. The IDF was established in 2025 when Freddie Goodwin announced in December 2024 that he wanted to host a tournament, but nobody agreed to do so, therefore having him include bots.

The PDC developed and holds several competitions, including the annual Home Masters Championship, the annual Grand Prix Open Masters Championship, and the Premiere League. Players are part of the IDF Order of Merit and are ranked based on prize money earned from participating in tournaments. The first edition of the IDF World Championship is scheduled to occur in September 2025.

History

Inception of bot competitions

In 2023, Alex Brow approached Freddie Goodwin on starting a organisation with the intention of hosting darts events that are for players with a average above 50.00. In November 2024, it was announced that the first event would be a "world-based" event, though would not be the annual IDF World Championship event, scheduled for September 2025.

Events

Each event that players participate in will be included in the IDF Order of Merit and are ranked based on prize money earned from their results from within each tournaments.

Home Masters Championship

The first Home Masters Championship event was announced to be done in 2025; the editions are: 2025.

For the recent tournament, see 2025 PDC World Darts Championship.
IDF Home Masters Darts Championship
File:PDC World Darts Championship 2016.jpg
Founded2025
First season2025
Organising bodyInternational Darts Federation
CountryEngland
Venue(s)Circus Tavern (1994–2007)
Alexandra Palace (since 2008)
Most recent
champion(s)		Logan White
(2026)
TV partner(s)Sky Sports (1993–)
Tournament formatLegs
Current sports event 2026 Home Masters Championship

The IDF Home Masters Darts Championship is a competition held annually in the sport of darts. The championship begins in January. Organised by the International Darts Federation (IDF), it is the most prestigious of their tournaments, with the winner receiving the Sid Waddell Trophy, named in honour of the darts commentator Sid Waddell.

There have been two winners since the tournament's inception. The winners are Lukas Parker (2025) and Logan White (2026).

History

List of finals

Year Champion (average in final) Score Runner-up (average in final) Prize money
Total Champion Runner-up
2025 Lukas Parker 11–6 (l) Alex Brow $2,500,000 $1,250,000 $500,000
2026 Logan White 7–3 (s) Alex Brow

Records and statistics

Trophy

Notes and references

External links

Grand Prix Open Masters Championship

The first Grand Prix Open Masters Championship event was announced to be done in 2025; the editions are: 2025.

IDF Darts Premiere League

Main article: IDF Darts Premiere League

The 2025 edition of the IDF Darts Premiere League began on January 7, 2025 and is set to conclude in November 2025.

IDF World Championship

The first edition of the IDF World Championship is scheduled to occur in September 2025.

References

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