From the clubhouse to the World Darts Championship: New PDC Europe series offers players a direct route to Ally Pally
PDCThursday, 09 July 2026 at 12:00
PDC Europe is taking the next step in expanding darts across German-speaking countries. With PDC Europe Start (PDCE Start), a new tournament series has been launched to give players from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg a clear career pathway toward professional darts. Those who excel regionally can now not only play for prize money, but even chase the dream of a World Darts Championship berth.
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The new series serves as a bridge between local club darts and the HYLO PDC Europe Next Gen. This closes a previously existing gap on the road to the professional circuit. The first season is set to begin on 03/08/2026.
A regional league system with big ambitions
PDCE Start centers on a regional tournament format. Play will take place across eight regions. Germany is represented by the North, South, East, and West regions, with Luxembourg assigned to the West. There are also two regions each in Austria and Switzerland, with Liechtenstein included in the Swiss setup.
Over a span of ten weeks, participating clubs will host regular ranking events. Typically, play is once a week, usually on weekdays from 6 PM. Players may enter as many events as they wish, but only their ten best results will count for the rankings.
After the regular season, the top 32 players in each region qualify for the Regional Finals. The Regional Champion will then be crowned.
How the points are awarded
The ranking system rewards both regular participation and on-stage results. Simply taking part in a tournament earns two points.
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Reaching the knockout phase earns an additional 18 points. Each further win in the finals adds 20 more points. The tournament winner also receives a 30-point bonus. Extra points can also be collected for short legs, high finishes, or high scores.
Entry to a ranking tournament costs six euros. There is also a one-time season membership fee of ten euros. Eligible players must reside in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, or Luxembourg and be at least twelve years old. Players must be at least 16 to compete in the Regional Finals.
The road leads all the way to the World Darts Championship
The key appeal of the new series lies in its qualification pathways.
Each Regional Champion will first qualify for a new PDC major tournament. PDC Europe will release more information on this event in the coming weeks. As of now, no details are known about this new major. Rumor has it, however, that it could be the planned German Open – a German-language counterpart to the UK Open.
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Another big chance follows. One day before the HYLO PDC Europe Super League begins, the eight Regional Champions will face off in direct matchups. Four additional Super League spots will be awarded.
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Since the Super League determines the German qualifier for the World Darts Championship, the road to Alexandra Palace could soon begin at a regional tournament in your own club.
In addition to sporting qualification, a total of 40,000 euros in prize money will be paid out. There are also Next Gen season passes, weekend passes, and places at the new major tournament and the Super League playoffs to be won. From 2027, the concept is set to expand to three series per year.
Springer: “The big stage is no longer that far away”
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The new concept is also earning strong approval from the pros. German Tour Card holder Niko Springer sees PDCE Start as a key building block for the future of the sport.
“They give players a clear pathway to work their way up step by step,” Springer explained. “You start locally, show what you can do at PDCE Start, and suddenly the big stage isn’t all that far away.”
Niko Springer has already played the Ally Pally stage twice and welcomes PDC Europe’s new concept
Schindler hails a milestone
Germany’s number one, Martin Schindler, believes the new format can drive sustainable growth in darts.
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“Talent alone isn’t enough anymore. You need platforms like PDCE Start where you can regularly prove yourself under competitive conditions without having to travel all over Germany or across Europe straight away. For the sport’s development in the German-speaking world, this is a huge milestone.”
Dutch runner-up world champion Gian van Veen also sees the new series as an important step.
“These kinds of tournament series are especially important for younger players. Once you’re no longer eligible for youth events, the jump to the seniors can be tough.”
England’s Stephen Bunting also sees major opportunity for the entire DACH region.
“The darts boom in the DACH region is incredible, and the fans there are undoubtedly among the best in the world. But to keep that momentum, you have to offer local players a clear route to the top. That’s exactly what PDCE Start does. It opens the door for everyday players to show what they can do. I’m sure it won’t be long before we see some of these lads on the big TV stages, giving us a real test.”
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Clubs can apply now
Alongside unveiling the new series, PDC Europe has opened applications for interested clubs.
Requirements include at least four boards with adequate lighting and fixed oches, DartConnect connectivity on all boards, a stable internet connection, and at least one trained organizer per tournament.
With PDC Europe Start, a nationwide tournament system is emerging for the first time that clearly structures the path from regional club darts to the World Darts Championship. For many ambitious players, the dream of Ally Pally could soon begin right on their doorstep.
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- I agree that this season the format was a bit stale, it would be better to have some new faces rotated in through the season. I also think they should vary the format a bit as it doesn't count for rankings, they could have different varieties of 501 (e.g. double start) or just different challenges.mikedarts03-07-2026
- I don't really understand why its an issue that Littler doesn't play in the events, they are barely televised so there is no draw for marketing and it gives the other players a better chance to define their narratives. The events are more of a throw back to old events. I agree that the format should be looked at, I don't know why they don't do a more interesting format or vary it through the season to improve interestmikedarts03-07-2026
- This shows they have the prize money structure wrong then (and OoM as a result). Put more £ into the floor, less on the TV and you'll attract more players to attend more often.BandB03-07-2026
- He's admitted his mistakes. He won't be the first or last player to get sent down,or take drugs. I honestly didn't like the lad,but at least he's owning up to his issues. So,good luck. In whatever he decides to dorick6702-07-2026
- Not everyone wants to watch pub players throwing 70 averages for about £500. Premier League is indeed a cash cow, but it does its job of promoting the game. This new suggestion for changes is one of the better ones. Even better if everyone knew what they had to do to qualify and it isn't just a walk-on popularity contest.StraightArrowNoBull01-07-2026
- I have a suggestion,scrap the whole thing. It's a pointless cash cow for anyone in the top 10.rick6730-06-2026
- Well nobody made him bet!! It's his own fault,if wants to lose money,then he shouldn't call Gerwyn out! He averaged 103,I would think the losing betting idiot could average 40! If you don't want to risk losing,keep your money in your pocket!rick6728-06-2026
- A great female line up this year, it would be nice to see Gemma win, but Beau is too good. Although the most important lady is missing....Lorraine Winstanley! You can't have a major tournament with out Lorraine Winstanley!! My dream is to see Lorraine hit a nine darter, run off the stage and out of the building with Dean.richieburnettrocks25-06-2026
- Laura looking fantastic and obviously has a hidden talent as a dart player. It was so nice to see her shock and joy of hitting that triple 20 I miss Laura, she was excellent and very knowledgeable regarding darts. Can you imagine that dozy wooden air head Emma Paton from SKY being able to do that, she'd hold the dart the wrong way round.richieburnettrocks25-06-2026
- Otherwise known as The Fishmedinabello24-06-2026
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