The World Matchplay is renowned for its intense, legs-only format, creating unparalleled drama in darts. However, with modern darts becoming faster and more professional, this unique structure, particularly the varying and often excessive match lengths, is sparking a crucial debate. While cherished for its history and legendary moments, many argue that a format adjustment is essential to ensure the tournament remains captivating and broadcast-friendly for a wider audience, without sacrificing its competitive integrity.
The Iconic ‘Pressure Cooker’ of Blackpool
The World Matchplay, held at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, is more than just a darts tournament; it’s a unique spectacle. Unlike the sprawling atmosphere of larger arenas, the Winter Gardens creates a compact, pressure-cooker environment that has forged some of the sport’s most legendary matches. In less than a month, it will ignite again, with defending champion Luke Littler vying for a share of a record-breaking £1 million prize fund – the largest in the tournament’s 33-year history.
The Unique Format: Legs, Not Sets
To understand the heart of the debate, one must first grasp what makes the World Matchplay distinct. Unlike almost every other major Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) event – such as the World Championship, Premier League, or Grand Prix – Blackpool is played entirely in legs, not sets.
What does ‘legs-only’ mean for the game?
- No natural checkpoints: Sets provide built-in pauses and clear narrative breaks. Legs-only means a continuous flow.
- No built-in breathing room: Players are constantly under pressure without the mental reset of a new set.
- No clean narrative structure: The story of a match can be harder to follow without the defined segments of sets.
The Problem of Endless Legs: Match Lengths and “Win by Two”
The current format leads to vastly different match durations, which can be a significant challenge for both players and broadcasters. The “must win by two” rule, designed to ensure a clear winner, often extends matches far beyond expectation.
Consider the structure:
- First Round: Best of 19 legs
- Second Round: Best of 21 legs
- Quarter-Finals: Best of 31 legs
- Semi-Finals: Best of 33 legs
- Final: Best of 35 legs
This wide range means a brisk quarter-final between high-scoring players might conclude in 75 minutes, while a grueling encounter at the same stage could stretch to three hours. The 2018 final, played under an older format without sudden death, famously saw Gary Anderson and Mensur Suljovic battle for an astonishing 40 legs. While thrilling for some, this can be an endurance test that impacts viewership.
Even with the more recent “sudden-death” rule (introduced in 2013 to cap the extensions), matches can still be incredibly long. Luke Littler’s extraordinary semi-final victory over Josh Rock in 2025, featuring a nine-darter and a combined record 29 maximums, lasted over two hours. While a masterpiece of darts, such extended timings can push broadcast schedules and test the patience of even dedicated fans watching at home.
Modern Darts vs. An Older Format
The legs-only format was originally conceived for an era when the average darts score was around 85, and each leg typically took six or seven visits to the board. Modern professional darts is a different sport entirely. Today’s top players, like Luke Littler who averaged 107.24 in last year’s final, play at a much faster pace, with an average leg at the elite level taking about three minutes. Paradoxically, even with shorter legs, the high number of legs required and the “two-clear-legs” rule can lead to very long matches, where a player might consistently perform better but struggle to close out the game due to the constant back-and-forth.
The Argument for Tradition: Why the Format is Cherished
It’s crucial to acknowledge that the World Matchplay’s format has many ardent defenders, and for good reason:
- Pure, Agonizing Drama: The legs-only structure creates moments of intense, nail-biting drama rarely seen in sets-based darts. A 15-15 scoreline in a best-of-31 quarter-final carries a unique weight and intensity.
- Every Leg Counts: There’s no “set-padding” or going through the motions to reach a tiebreak. From the very first leg, every throw matters, ensuring constant engagement.
- Favors the Best Player: A longer format, like a best-of-35 legs final, is often seen as a truer test of skill and endurance, making it much harder for a player to win by accident compared to a shorter, sets-based equivalent. This is considered a feature, not a flaw, by many purists.
- Historical Significance: The format is part of the tournament’s identity, famously dominated by Phil “The Power” Taylor, who won it an incredible 16 times. The trophy even bears his name.
The Case for Change: Adapting to Modern Darts
Despite its cherished traditions, there’s a growing consensus that the World Matchplay’s format needs to evolve to remain relevant and accessible in the modern sporting landscape. Acknowledging its strengths doesn’t mean refusing to improve it.
The most straightforward solution proposed is to reduce the overall match lengths. For example, if the final were a first-to-13 legs contest instead of first-to-18, the competitive integrity would largely remain, but the gains in broadcast viability and pacing would be substantial. While the World Championship final can successfully fill an entire evening, a World Matchplay final that drags on until nearly midnight on a Sunday can feel less like a peak sporting event and more like an endurance test for all but the most dedicated fans.
Precedent for Pragmatism
For those who argue against any change, it’s worth remembering that the PDC has already demonstrated a willingness to adapt. In 2013, the “sudden-death” rule was introduced precisely because matches were becoming excessively long and unpredictable. This wasn’t seen as heresy; it was a pragmatic decision to improve the tournament. Nobody lamented the loss of 45-leg finals. The format has already changed, proving that evolution is possible without undermining the event’s soul.
Blackpool’s Enduring Soul
The soul of the World Matchplay – the electric atmosphere of the Winter Gardens, the vibrant seaside backdrop, and the passionate crowds who transform it into a week-long festival of darts – none of this needs reforming. The tournament doesn’t need to become a carbon copy of other events. It simply needs its match lengths to reflect the state of darts in 2026, not the era Phil Taylor dominated in 2010.
You can love something completely and still believe it deserves to be better. Blackpool, with its rich history and incredible drama, deserves that honest assessment and a format that ensures its future remains as captivating as its past.
Source: Based on an article from Darts Planet TV.
