Offbeat news from the world of sport
We have more newsletters
PDC chief executive Matt Porter says minor tweaks will be made to the Premier League for next season, but its new format will remain unchanged for now.
For this year’s edition, the darting roadshow saw each night feature a mini tournament with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final. The winner on the night received five points, the runner-up three and the losing semi-finalists two. The format has divided opinion among both fans and players, although it seems to have gone down well with supporters in the arenas, with the PDC reporting strong attendance figures.
One criticism highlighted was the lopsided nature of the draw, which meant a lot of repeat matches in the quarter-finals. Porter says that issue will be addressed for 2023, but overall he is happy with the system.
READ MORE: Gerwyn Price told PDC chief about Premier League concerns but vows to carry on
“There will be a slight alteration for the way the fixtures are drawn to give a bit more parity in how many times the players play each other in the first round,” Porter told Daily Star Sport.
“But if you look at the format of the Premier League, it’s always evolved in the near 20 years of its existence. [There’s been] seven players, eight players, 10 players, elimination, challenges, there’s always been alterations every two or three years and this will be no different.
“We have to keep the product fresh. Doing the same thing year in, year out isn’t going to work. This format has got more years left in it but it won’t be around forever because no format is around forever in the Premier League.”
Another issue which cropped up occasionally this year was absent players which saw the unsatisfactory scenario of their scheduled opponents receiving 6-0 walkovers and at least a point before they even took to the oche. Porter insists that situation is unavoidable and has no intention of calling up stand-ins.
“It wouldn’t rebalance the integrity of the Premier League in terms of a player getting a bye,” he said. “If someone plays a stand-in, that stand-in could be in red-hot form or they could be bang out of form. They could be better or worse than the last stand-in.
“It’s just going to be one of those things. The players do their best not to miss any weeks and hopefully we won’t have any next year. It happens in every sport. You can win a tennis match without your opponent tuning up.”
What do you think about the current Premier League format? Have your say in the comments section below.
World number one Gerwyn Price has been particularly critical of the format and aired his views to Porter during last season’s tournament.
“We’ll always listen to the players’ thoughts on the format,” said Porter. “Gerwyn had said he was tired and it’s important for players to balance their diaries in terms of their obligations outside of tournaments. They can choose which ones to play in and which ones to miss.
“Ultimately, it’s their responsibility. If they feel capable of travelling to everything, then great. If they don’t, they should take a rest. It’s up to the individual player to decide what’s right for them.
“You’ve had the likes of Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith, Peter Smith take rests in recent weeks because it’s a long, gruelling schedule for the top players. It’s important they’re at their best for the major TV tournaments because that’s where the majority of their income and longevity comes from.”
READ NEXT:
- Read the latest darts from the Daily Star here
- Peter Wright snubs opponent before losing final leg decider at Belgian Darts Open
- Gerwyn Price vows to shelve business interests and focus on darts ahead of PDC majors
- 'New' Gerwyn Price believes he can become 'unbeatable' but darts fans aren't so sure
- Girlfriend issues update as darts ace suffers 'second health scare' in 48 hours
- Darts
- Gerwyn Price
Source: Read Full Article
