PDC open to Order of Merit overhaul after prize money increase: "We want to make sure the rankings system is fair"

With a record-breaking £7 million increase in total prize money, the world of darts finds itself at a pivotal moment once again. The debate over the current ranking system, the PDC Order of Merit, has flared up anew — and PDC director Matt Porter hasn’t ruled out the possibility of significant changes.

The Order of Merit currently ranks players based on the prize money they earn over a rolling two-year period in official ranking tournaments. Luke Humphries leads the way with £1,906,500, followed by reigning world champion Luke Littler on £1,289,500.

Fueling the debate is the recent announcement that the winner’s prize at the PDC World Championship will rise to £1 million. This move not only cements the World Championship as the sport’s most prestigious event, but also makes it by far the most influential on the rankings. And that, according to former world champion Gerwyn Price and others, is precisely where the issue lies.

In an interview with talkSPORT.com, PDC boss Matt Porter indicated that the concerns are being heard. "Look, it's obvious that the £1m for the world champion will make them No.1," he admits. "But that likely happens anyway even like now when you win £500,000 at Alexandra Palace."

Still, Porter acknowledges that balance must be maintained. "We want to make sure the rankings system is fair and equitable. We sit down with the Players Association every year, and we discuss changes we could make," he explains. "We will sit down with them in our normal meeting, I'm not saying we will change it and I'm not saying we won't."

According to Porter, all rules are considered in terms of what best fits the current state of the sport. "It's like we do with all of our rules, we sit down and put in place what we feel is most appropriate."

While many players are pleased with the rising prize money, there is also criticism. As mentioned, in particular, Gerwyn Price, currently 12th in the world rankings, thinks the system is growing skewed.

"It’s only one tournament heavy. As bad as my last year has been, even though I’ve started well this year, I could go on to win the World Championship and be world number one. They’ve upped the Worlds [money], but they need to up everything else," Price previously commented. "Otherwise, they need to change the points. It’s not fair if someone wins the Worlds and they are world number one for two years. I will happily have the million. But they need to change the ranking points."