VIDEO: Frustrated Dirk van Duijvenbode gets into heated altercation with referee after throwing 'illegal dart' in defeat

Dirk van Duijvenbode’s run at the Players Championship Finals ended abruptly, the Dutchman falling 6–3 to Madars Razma in a match remembered less for its quality than for a late-leg flashpoint with the referee that laid bare Van Duijvenbode’s mounting frustration.

Trailing 5–3, Van Duijvenbode briefly rekindled hope with a superb 180, hauling his score down from 287 to 107. The checkout didn’t land on the next visit, but another opportunity soon followed at the Players Championship Finals.

Needing double 20 to stay in the match, his first dart found only single 20. He then chased double 10 but again hit the single. A switch to double 5 was required, yet that attempt also strayed into the single bed.

What happened next summed up his irritation. Van Duijvenbode tossed his third dart underhand towards the board, prompting the announcer to call the visit as “15 — last dart doesn’t count.” That ruling left him on 20, whereas Van Duijvenbode had intended to set himself up with that final dart to return to 20 for the next visit. By marking the score as 15, he was instead left on 5 — a number that cannot be finished in a single dart.

Van Duijvenbode strode towards the referee, gesturing pointedly to express his displeasure. As he walked back, he snapped his head aside in exasperation. Razma, unfazed, cleaned up on his next visit to seal the match.

A discussion between Van Duijvenbode and the referee followed on stage, ‘Aubergenius’ seemingly seeking clarity on why the final dart had been wiped from the score — though ultimately, it made no difference to the outcome.