PDC Q-School Rules - How does it work?

Thursday sees the UK PDC Q-school get underway, where over 300 hopefuls and counting will battle it out for a coveted spot on the PDC Pro Tour. We’re here to give you the lowdown on how players will earn their Tour Card and what it means to play on the prestigious PDC ProTour. How to you earn a Tour Card? Since 2018, Q-School has been split into a European Qualifying School and a UK Qualifying School. Players with a UK nationality must complete in UK Qualifying School whilst players from the rest of Europe must enter the European Qualifying School. Players outside of Europe may choose which event to attend, but may only enter a single qualifying school. The UK Qualifying School will play down to the final two players on each day, to give eight automatic Tour Cards. The European Qualifying School is played down to a winner on each day, to give four automatic Tour Cards. The remaining Tour Cards will be awarded to players based on positions in the Qualifying School Order of Merit on a pro-rata basis across the UK and European Qualifying Schools depending on final entry numbers, with separate ranking lists to be collated for each venue and players awarded one point per win from the first full round without byes onwards. If two or more players are tied on points, they will be separated in the ranking list by a countback, one event at a time, until they can be separated. If they cannot be separated after all matches have been taken into consideration, then total legs won will be used to determine positions, and then leg difference and, if necessary, a play-off. This year there are 30 PDC Tour Cards up for grabs, with 11 already award after the European Qualifying School which leaves 19 to be earned at the UK Qualifying School event. What does a Tour Card get you? As a Tour Card Holder you are eligible to play in for FREE: The 30 Players Championship events The UK Open The 13 European Tour events The Grand Slam of Darts PDC Tour Card Qualifier The PDC World Series of Darts Tour Card Qualifier (This does not include the Qualifiers which each World Series event runs, i.e. Las Vegas/Australia/New Zealand etc.) The PDPA World Championship Qualifier If you do not win a PDC Tour Card: As long as you have played at least once at Q-School you will be classed as an Associate Member of the PDPA, you be eligible to play on the PDC Challenge Tour. To be able to play at PDC Players Championship events you must play on the Challenge Tour as the 128 shortfall will be based on your Challenge Tour ranking. (See Below) For the first time, non-Tour Card holders will now also be able to compete on both the Challenge Tour and in BDO events. Players Championship: Entry to all Players Championship Events is open initially to Full Members. All Players Championship Events will have a 128-player draw. In instances where the number of Full Members entering a Players Championship Event does not reach 128, Associate Member entries shall then be accepted in order of Challenge Tour Order of Merit position as of the Event entry deadline to make the total number of entries up to 128. NOTE: You will not be eligible to play on the Challenge Tour in 2018 unless you play at Q-School As an Associate Member (played at QS) you are eligible to enter for FREE: The 13 European Tour events (UK Based Players if Eligible from CT) The 30 Players Championship events (Only If you play on the CT) You are NOT eligible to play in the: The Grand Slam of Darts PDC Tour Card Qualifier The PDC World Series of Darts Tour Card Qualifier (This does not include the Qualifiers which each World Series event runs, i.e. Las Vegas/Australia/New Zealand etc.) The PDPA World Championship Tour Card Qualifier