Eligibility Policy and Rules for DRA Regulated Events

The DRA issues its new Eligibility Policy and Rules for Open and Women's Tournaments

The DRA has issued a new Eligibility Policy and Rules for open and women’s tournaments, effective from April 9th 2026.

The DRA began a review of its Trans and Gender Diverse Policy in 2025, which included commissioning a report from Dr Emma Hilton, an academic developmental biologist who has published several papers on sex and categories in sport. The DRA has also considered extensive legal advice.

This review also took into consideration the judgment of the UK Supreme Court on April 16 2025 in the For Women Scotland case and the subsequent case of Harriet Haynes and the English Blackball Pool Federation in August 2025.

Relevant key findings by Dr Hilton are appended below, concluding: “that multiple, small-magnitude sex differences accumulate to generate male advantage over females in darts,” leading to her expert scientific opinion that “darts is a “gender-affected sport” within Section 195 of the Equality Act (2010).”

As a result of its review, the DRA is satisfied that to achieve fair competition in darts, only biological females should be eligible to compete in women’s tournaments regulated by DRA Rules.

Accordingly, effective from April 5 2026, the DRA has replaced its Trans and Gender Diverse Policy with an Eligibility Policy and Rules for open and women's tournaments, which will now be in operation across affiliated organisations, including the PDC.

The DRA has consulted with the PDC and PDPA in developing this new Policy and Rules.

The DRA seeks to be inclusive and all players – irrespective of their biological sex, legal sex, and/or gender identity – may compete in open tournaments and are encouraged to do so.

The DRA will continue to monitor developments in relation to transgender participation in sport and will review the Eligibility Policy in light of these and at least annually.

Appendix 1

Key Points from Dr Hilton’s report

• Various evidence streams indicate that females are unable to consistently compete with male players in darts. Whilst the performance gap is likely related to a number of relevant social factors, there are also several physical characteristics that provide males with an advantage over female players.
• Male advantage includes greater height, longer limbs, broader shoulders, more muscle mass, and stiffer tendons. These factors enhance reach, stability and throwing mechanics, affecting consistency and precision.
• Stance and throw. A combination of larger skeleton and advantageous biomechanics that maximise reach and more effective exploitation of forward lean contributes to an advantage for males in throwing mechanics and accuracy.
• Grip and motor control. Greater hand and arm strength delay fatigue of key muscles involved in release timing, supporting sustained scoring consistency in male players.
• Conclusion. This report has identified multiple physical differences that, in my opinion, contribute to superior scoring among male darts players. I do not consider that any individual sex difference is overwhelming in magnitude and therefore deterministic for performance. Rather, multiple, small-magnitude sex differences accumulate to generate male advantage over females in darts.

It is Dr Hilton's expert opinion that darts is a “gender-affected sport” within Section 195 of the Equality Act (2010).

Appendix 2

The UK Supreme Court Ruling can be found here

Harriet Haynes and the English Blackball Pool Federation Ruling can be found here

Introduction

1. This DRA Eligibility Policy and Rules document (“Eligibility Rules”) sets out a policy and rules to provide fairness and clarity to all competitors. In doing so, these Eligibility Rules meet the DRA’s objective to make Darts an inclusive, tolerant, and enjoyable sport for all, with the opportunity for everyone to enjoy competitive success.

2. These Eligibility Rules apply to all DRA Regulated Events from 9 April 2026. The previous DRA Trans and Gender Diverse Policy will cease to apply from this date.

3. These Eligibility Rules will be the subject of at least annual review and may be amended following such review to take account of any new evidence and/or relevant scientific, medical, legal, or other developments.

4. These Eligibility Rules address the eligibility of Players in Darts Events (as defined in the DRA Rules) based on biological sex. Affiliated organisations may adopt their own policies to determine Player eligibility for open, men’s, and women's Darts Events taking place within their respective jurisdictions, provided that nothing in those policies affects the eligibility of Players under these Eligibility Rules.

5. Unless indicated or the context requires otherwise, capitalised words and phrases in these Eligibility Rules are defined terms and have the meaning given to them in the DRA Rules.

6. In these Eligibility Rules, ‘biological male’ shall mean someone with a Y chromosome and ‘biological female’ shall mean someone with no Y chromosome, irrespective of their legal sex and/or gender identity.

7. In women’s Darts Events the eligibility requirement is based on biological sex in accordance with the applicable law of England and Wales, and specifically Section 195(1)-(3) of the Equality Act 2010, which Act shall for the purposes of these Eligibility Rules be deemed to be of worldwide effect.

8. These Eligibility Rules do not make any judgement on, or dispute in any way, the legal sex or gender identity of any Player. All forms of abuse, discrimination, and/or harassment are prohibited, including stigmatisation against a Player on the basis that their appearance does not conform to gender stereotypes.

9. If an issue arises that is not foreseen in these Eligibility Rules, it will be addressed by the DRA in a manner that safeguards and promotes its objectives as the regulatory body for professional Darts.

Eligibility Criteria

10. Open Darts Events: All Players – irrespective of their biological sex, legal sex, and/or gender identity – may compete in open Darts Events.

11. Women’s Darts Events: Only biological female Players may compete in women's Darts Events.

12. Trans men (biological females):

12.1 Subject to paragraph 11.2, a trans male (biological female) Player who does not use testosterone as part of male gender-affirming treatment may compete in open Darts Events and/or women’s Darts Events.

12.2 A trans male (biological female) Player who uses or has used testosterone as part of male gender-affirming treatment may compete in open Darts Events but may not compete in women’s Darts Events (unless and until four years have passed since their last use of testosterone).

Proof of Eligibility and Investigation

13. Any Player who wishes to compete in women's Darts Events must, on request by the DRA, demonstrate their eligibility to compete in such events.

14. The DRA may investigate any case using such means as it deems necessary, including (without limitation) requesting medical information, documentation, and SRY gene testing if required to determine eligibility.

15. A Player who fails to cooperate in full with any request or investigation by the DRA pursuant to these Eligibility Rules will not be eligible to compete in women's Darts Events.

Player Obligations and Confidentiality

16. The eligibility criteria set out in these Eligibility Rules operates without prejudice to other eligibility or other requirements that are applicable to all Players under the DRA Rules, which must also be applied at all relevant times. In particular, nothing in theseEligibility Rules permits, excuses, or justifies non-compliance with any of the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Code, the WADA International Standards, or the DRA Anti-Doping Rules, including the requirement for a Player to obtain a Therapeutic Use Exemption for the use of substances on the WADA Prohibited List.

17. A Player who wishes to be eligible to compete in women's Darts Events agrees:

17.1 to cooperate promptly and in good faith with the DRA in the implementation of these Eligibility Rules, including by providing all of the information and evidence requested by the DRA to determine whether they satisfy the eligibility criteria, and by ensuring that all information and evidence provided by them or on their behalf to the DRA is accurate and complete, and that nothing relevant is withheld;

17.2 (to the fullest extent permitted and not contrary to applicable laws) to the collection, processing, disclosure, and use of information (including their sensitive personal information) as required to implement and apply these Eligibility Rules effectively and efficiently; and

17.3 to provide written confirmation of their agreement with this paragraph upon request by the DRA. However, the Player's agreement to these Eligibility Rules will be assumed as an automatic consequence of their participation in Darts Events and is effective and binding upon them whether or not confirmed in writing. A Player may revoke at any time, without having to give reasons, the consent that they have granted further to this paragraph. In that case, the Player will be deemed to have withdrawn any claim to be eligible to compete in women’s Darts Events.

18. In cases arising under these Eligibility Rules, and in particular all information relating to a Player that is provided to the DRA under these rules, must always be maintained in strict confidence by all parties. All medical information and data relating to a Player will be treated as sensitive and confidential personal information, and the DRA will process it as such in accordance with applicable data protection and privacy laws. Such information and data may not be used for any purpose that is not contemplated by, or otherwise necessary in the context of, these Eligibility Rules and may not be disclosed to any third party save:

18.1 as is strictly necessary for the effective application and enforcement of these Eligibility Rules; or

18.2 as is required by applicable law.

19. The DRA will not comment publicly on the specific facts of a case arising under these Eligibility Rules (as opposed to general descriptions of the process and science involved) except in response to public comments made by a Player or the Player’s support personnel or national federation.

Enforcement and Liability

20. Any breach of these Eligibility Rules (including where a Player competes in a Darts Event for which they have not satisfied the eligibility criteria set out in these Eligibility Rules) will be subject to the DRA Rules. The consequences imposed for competing while ineligible will (unless the circumstances of the case dictate otherwise) include disqualification of any of the results achieved by a Player while ineligible, with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any prizes, ranking points, prize money, records, and/or other benefits awarded to the Player based on those results.

21. Players acknowledge that a consequence of disqualification of results in such circumstances may be that the reason for disqualification becomes public knowledge (or may be the subject of public speculation).

22. These Eligibility Rules and any dispute arising out of or in connection with them will be governed by and construed in accordance with English law, without regard to its conflict of law rules, and will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

23. In no circumstances will the DRA or any of the DRA’s employees, officers, agents, representatives, or experts be liable in any way to any person in relation to acts done (or omitted to be done) in good faith in connection with these Eligibility Rules.

24. Each case will be addressed as quickly as is reasonably practicable in all of the circumstances. However, in no circumstance will the DRA be liable for any detriment allegedly suffered by a Player (or anyone else) as a result of the length of time taken to complete the investigation and/or assessment of their case.

Contact

In the case of confidential queries regarding the implementation of this these Eligibility Rules in specific cases, please contact Dave Jones at the DRA - [email protected].