PDC Europe launches PDCE Start series

PDC Europe has launched PDCE Start, a new amateur tournament series that begins on August 3, 2026, and is designed to create a direct route from local club darts into higher levels of the professional game. The series will run across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, with matches staged in participating clubs rather than centralized venues. PDC Europe said the format is built around weekly events, regional rankings and final tournaments. The pathway eventually feeds into the HYLO PDC Europe Super League and, through that route, a place at the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace. ### Where does PDCE Start fit in the PDC system? PDC Europe said PDCE Start is intended as the missing link between local club darts and the HYLO PDC Europe Next Gen circuit. The organization said players who perform well regionally can move from club events into the Next Gen structure, then into the HYLO PDC Europe Super League, which awards a World Championship place. (pdc-europe.tv) The official launch article said “at the end of the road” there is a World Darts Championship ticket at Ally Pally. PDC Europe also said every regional champion will qualify for a newly created PDC major tournament in 2027, with more details on that event due in the coming weeks. ### How is the new series divided up? (pdc-europe.tv) PDC Europe said the series is split into eight regions. Those are four in Germany, two in Austria and two in Switzerland, with Luxembourg included in western Germany and Liechtenstein included in eastern Switzerland. The player page lists the German regions as West, North, East and South. (pdc-europe.tv) Austria is divided into West and East, and Switzerland is divided into West and East. Each region has its own ranking table and its own final tournament. ### How do players qualify for bigger events? Eight regional champions will emerge from the final tournaments, according to PDC Europe. (pdc-europe.tv) Those players automatically qualify for the new PDC major in 2027. PDC Europe said four additional places in the HYLO PDC Europe Super League will then be decided in direct one-on-one matches between regional champions on the day before the Super League begins. (pdc-europe.tv) The 2026 HYLO PDC Europe Super League is scheduled for November 10-13 in Hildesheim, Germany. ### What does a PDCE Start event look like? (pdc-europe.tv) The first season will consist of 10 weeks of regular competition followed by regional final tournaments, according to the player information page. Each player’s 10 best results count toward the regional rankings. PDC Europe said tournaments use a group format with either four boards for up to 24 participants or eight boards for up to 48. (pdc-europe.tv) Group matches are best of three legs, while the knockout stage from the last 16 and quarterfinals onward is played over best of five legs. If a leg is not finished within 60 darts, it is decided by a bull throw, the rules page said. (pdc-europe.tv) ### Who can enter, and what does it cost? PDC Europe said PDCE Start is open to amateurs in the five eligible countries, with a minimum age of 12. A minimum age of 16 applies for qualification to final tournaments, according to the player page. The same page says a PDCE starter membership costs 10 euros per season and entry to each tournament costs 6 euros. (pdc-europe.tv) Registration opens one week before each event and is handled online through RegConnect, while tournaments are generally scheduled on weekdays between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time. ### Which players backed the idea at launch? Niko Springer, Martin Schindler, Gian van Veen and Stephen Bunting were quoted by PDC Europe backing the new structure. (pdc-europe.tv) Springer said the series gives players “a clear perspective to work their way up step by step,” while Schindler said players need regular competition without having to travel across Germany or Europe immediately. The next concrete date is August 3, when the first PDCE Start season begins. PDC Europe said weekly dates and sign-ups will be published through RegConnect, while the Super League stage of the pathway is set for November 10-13 in Hildesheim. (pdc-europe.tv 1) (pdc-europe.tv 2)