2021 PDC Q-School explanation: This is how to obtain a PDC Tour Card

The 2021 PDC UK and European Q-School is set to begin on Monday running from 8 to 17 February in Milton Keynes and Niedernhausen respectively.

Divided over both locations, 29 new PDC Tour Card holders will be set for the next two years. Thirteen Tour Cards are available at the European Q-School in Niedernhausen. The UK Q-School in Milton Keynes will have sixteen. The number of Tour Cards per location is determined based on the number of registrations.

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Q-School divided into two stages

As a result of hundreds of players participating in Q-School, it was decided to divide both UK and European Q-School into two stages due to Covid-19. As a result, there are fewer players on site and it is better to keep distance from each other.

The first stage is played in two blocks of three days. First from 8 to 10 February and then from 11 to 13 February. The final stage will be completed from 14 to 17 February.

Players who lost their PDC Tour Card or finished in the top 16 of the Challenge Tour and Development Tour last season will be directly qualified for the final stage.

The other participants must start in the first stage. You can qualify for the Final Stage by making the last four on one of the three days. 

If that does not occur, players must ensure that as many points as possible are won. Every win in a full round (without byes) earns one point. Via the Q-School Order of Merit from the first phase, players (top-43 at the European Q-School from each phase and top-36 players at the UK Q-School from each phase) will also advance to the Final Stage.

Tour Card distribution during final stage

During the final stage, Tour Cards are distributed. Of the 29 available Tour Cards, eight will be issued immediately through day wins with four days being played at both UK and European Q-School gleaming this.

The remaining 21 Tour Cards can be earned through the Q-School Order of Merit. You can earn points per victory (not including preliminary rounds) at both.

With consistent results, players can still get a Tour Card in this way, without winning the day. During European Q-School, eight Tour Cards are available via this route, there are thirteen in the UK.

What can you do with a Tour Card?

Players holding a Tour Card can participate in Pro Tour events to go towards their Order of Merit ranking. In addition, you may participate in qualifying tournaments for European Tour events, the qualifiers for the Grand Slam of Darts and World Series of Darts Finals and the last chance World Championship qualifier.

Can you still play on the PDC circuit without a Tour Card?

The PDC Challenge Tour has been set up especially for players who have missed out on a Tour Card. This is usually 24 tournaments, each with a top prize of £2,000. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is still not completely clear what this secondary tour will look like in 2021. With good results on the Challenge Tour, spare spot can also be obtained for Pro Tour tournaments.