"The hairs can stand up on the back of your neck sometimes" - Huw Ware discusses psychological battles PDC referees fight against on stage

PDC darts referee Huw Ware revealed the challenging aspects psychologically of calling some of the biggest matches in the world. The Welshman recently came off the back of the World Grand Prix, where he was challenged to even more with the double-in double-out format.

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In that final, The Nuke missed the bull for a hugely impressive but rare nine-darter in the format. It was an exhilarating moment for everyone witnessing it, especially if you were live in the Mattioli Arena. However, not everyone was jumping up and down with every dart thrown at the board, with Ware and the other PDC referees having a job to do.

"It's difficult enough counting down from 501 as it is let alone with double starts," Ware said in an interview on Love the Darts podcast. But yeah, it's great. I'm very experienced now, I suppose. It's my job to stay composed, it's my job to stay calm no matter what's going on but you do have those moments, even if there is just a leg with three 180's in it, you're stood there thinking 'this is great.' With all the crowds involved, the hairs can stand up on the back of your neck sometimes depending on what is going on, and you come off the stage thinking 'yeah, that was a great game to referee.'"

It turns out that not only the players on stage feel the heat and pressure, but the referees do as well. Perched in front of thousands of people, Ware admitted that he still felt nerves when calling games. He went on to say that he had no idea how the players kept it together, admiring their composure and skill

"It's not easy, it's quite nerve-wracking and I still get quite nervous to be honest, but it is my job to stay composed, it is my job to keep a calm head when everybody around you is losing theirs. I do not know how the players do it. I don't know how the players keep their composure and keep doing what they're doing. Being someone who tried it myself in the past and couldn't do it, I don't know how they hold themselves."