WDF New Rule Updates

communications1649
Jan 14
1 min read

World Darts Federation Mandatory Marking / Scorekeeping Rule (2025 Update)

What’s changed: Players are no longer allowed to self-mark their matches in WDF ranking events — even if both competitors agree to do it. A third-party marker must be assigned to keep score.

How it works in practice:

For WDF ranking events (the ones that count for global ranking points), every match must have someone assigned to mark/keep score who is not one of the two players competing.
This is often implemented via “board group” formats or automated systems (like DartConnect) that assign and track scorekeeping duties.
If a player is assigned to mark a match and fails to ensure a marker is present (or fails to fulfill that duty), they risk disqualification or penalty. However, some interpretations allow the assigned player to find someone else to mark in their place as long as it’s communicated to officials.

Why the rule exists:This update was introduced to standardize scoring accuracy, reduce disputes, and align with professional-style tournaments, especially those using digital scorekeeping platforms.