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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
Darts Regulation Authority Statement – Dominic Taylor
On Friday 19th December 2025 the Chairman of the DRA suspended Dominic Taylor following the failure of a drugs test. Taylor was tested at the World Darts Championship on 14th December 2025 and returned a positive sample for a banned substance. His case was subject to a full hearing before the DRA Disciplinary Committee on 7th January 2026. He admitted the breach of the Anti-Doping Rules.
Although he had tested positive in competition, the Committee was satisfied that the ingestion of the prohibited substance took place out of competition.
The sanction available to the Committee is laid down by the UKAD Anti-Doping Rules 2021. Where a player is found to have breached the Anti-Doping Rules for a second time and the ingestion was out of competition, the stipulated sanction applicable to his case is a six-month period of ineligibility as at 10.9 of the UKAD Anti-Doping Rules 2021.
Therefore, the sanction imposed by the Committee is:
“Accordingly, and taking into account all of the available evidence, the Committee were satisfied that Mr Taylor’s ingestion of both cocaine and cannabis occurred out of competition and was not following the commencement of the World Championship on 11th December 2025.
Following on from this finding, the Committee has determined that as this is Mr Taylor’s second offence, then under these Rules, he must serve a six month ban in line with 10.9 (a) and 10.9 (b) of UKAD Anti-Doping Rules 2021".
As a result of this finding, Taylor will forfeit his £25,000 prize money earned at the World Championship and move down the ranking list. This means that he loses his Tour Card. He was ordered to pay the costs of the proceedings.
UKAD Anti-Doping Rules 2021.
10.9. Multiple Violations
Second Anti-Doping Violation:
For an Athlete’s or other Person’s second Anti-Doping Rule Violation, the period of Ineligibility shall be the greater of:
a) A six (6) month period of Ineligibility; and
b) A period of Ineligibility in the range between:
(i) the sum of the period of Ineligibility imposed for the first AntiDoping Rule Violation plus the period of Ineligibility otherwise applicable to the second Anti-Doping Rule Violation treated as if it were a first violation; and
(ii) twice the period of Ineligibility otherwise applicable to the second Anti-Doping Rule Violation treated as if it were a first violation.
Darts Regulation Authority Statement – Dominic Taylor
In line with its ongoing anti-doping procedures the PDC and DRA are conducting drug testing during the 2025/26 Paddy Power World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
On 19 December, the DRA was notified of an adverse analytical finding in respect of the player Dom Taylor resulting from a test conducted on 14 December. As a result of this and in line with relevant DRA processes, Dom Taylor has been suspended from participating in any DRA regulated events with immediate effect.
This matter will now be the subject of a disciplinary process in line with the relevant DRA Anti-Doping Rules.
The DRA will not be making any further comment pending the outcome of this confidential process.
Darts Regulation Authority Statement – Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Rusty Jake Rodriguez appeared before the DRA Disciplinary Committee on 10th October 2025 as a result of a of him failing a drugs test at Players Championship 24. He admitted the breach of the DRA Anti-Doping Rules.
The UK Anti-Doping Rules 2021 state that where in a first offence, the substance of abuse is not performance enhancing a period of ineligibility shall be 2 years (10.2.2). There is a possible reduction from this where the player can show to the comfortable satisfaction of the Committee that the substance was not performance enhancing and its ingestion or use was of out of competition (10.2.4 (a)). This would reduce the period of ineligibility to three months and could be further reduced to one month if the player satisfactorily completed a Substance of Abuse treatment program approved by UKAD.
The Committee found that the ingestion was out of competition and applied 10.2.4 (a) UK Anti-Doping Rules 2021. Therefore the sanction imposed is as follows:
"In the circumstances, the Committee determined that Mr Rodriguez will be subject to a one-month ban. This is strictly conditional on his completion of an appropriate UKAD approved treatment program. Should Mr Rodriguez fail to engage and complete this course within the next three months, then the ban shall be extended by an additional two months".
Darts Regulation Authority Statement – Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
On Saturday 25th August 2025 Players Championship 24, Rusty Jake Rodriguez failed a random drug test. The Chairman of the DRA has suspended Rodriguez from attending or competing in DRA governed events until the conclusion of the investigation and proceedings and the determination of this matter. He has the right to appeal the suspension decision.
Darts Regulation Authority Statement – Andy Jenkins
The Darts Regulation Authority Disciplinary Committee has delivered its decisions in the case of Andy Jenkins. At a Hearing before the DRA Disciplinary Committee on 17th March 2025, he denied twenty-four charges of match fixing and providing information on those matches. He accepted one charge of betting on Darts.
The Committee have found him guilty of all twenty-four charges relating to match fixing and accepted his guilty plea to betting on Darts.
The sanction imposed is:
For charges 1 – 24 relating to the twelve fixed matches in which he was involved at the Modus Super Series, Jenkins is suspended from playing in or being involved in any way in any DRA regulated events for a period of 11 years;
For the breach of DRA Rules relating to betting on Darts between 17 March 2022 and 4 May 2023, Jenkins is suspended from playing in or being involved in any way in any DRA regulated events for a period of 12 months. This suspension will be concurrent with his other sanction.
Additionally, Jenkins is ordered to pay costs of £17,580.03. These costs are payable by 31 December 2026 or such other date as the DRA may agree at its discretion, provided that date is before 14 November 2034.
Jenkins’ suspension period is deemed to have started on 15 November 2023, the date on which he was first suspended by the DRA and will end at 23.59 on 14 November 2034.
There is no suggestion that the other players in the matches in question were involved in any way.
The full finding can be found here
The decision on sanction can be found here
Andy Jenkins has until 6th May 2025 to appeal the decisions of the Disciplinary Committee.
Darts Regulation Authority Statement – Prakash Jiwa
The Darts Regulation Authority Disciplinary Committee has delivered its decisions in the case of Prakash Jiwa. At a Hearing before the DRA Disciplinary Committee on 21st January 2025, he denied four charges of match fixing and one of obstructing the DRA enquiry. He accepted a charge of betting on Darts.
The Committee have found him guilty of fixing four matches and betting on Darts. He was found not guilty of obstructing the enquiry.
The sanction imposed is that Prakash Jiwa is suspended from playing in or being involved in any way in any DRA regulated events for a total period of eight years and ordered to pay costs of £17,741.46. The suspension will end on 6th November 2031 provided the costs have been paid in full.
The matches were played in the Modus Super Series:
1. Prakash Jiwa vs Owen Bates played on 16/02/23 where Jiwa lost 4-0
2. Prakash Jiwa vs Adam Hunt played on 17/02/23 where Jiwa lost 4-0
3. Prakash Jiwa vs Peter Hudson played on 01/06/23 where Jiwa lost 4-1
4. Prakash Jiwa vs Willie Borland played on 01/06/23 where Jiwa lost 4-1
There is no suggestion that the other players in the matches in question were involved in any way.
The Hearing Finding can be found here.
The decision on Sanction and Costs can be found here.
Prakash Jiwa has until 19th March 2025 to appeal the decisions of the Disciplinary Committee.