Luke Littler has criticised the Players Championship after being denied entry to an event for missing the registration deadline by minutes — a situation that the teenage darts star claims was handled inconsistently.
The 18-year-old, who has quickly become one of the sport’s brightest young talents, was forced to miss Players Championship 33 this week after arriving late due to traffic delays on the M6 caused by a fatal accident.
Littler later took part in Players Championship 34 instead, but expressed frustration at what he felt was unfair treatment.
In a since-deleted social media post, the prodigy wrote: “Not the best day today, but played some decent stuff.
“But really glad to hear from a few of the other players that people have been let in almost half an hour late for a pro tour, but I can’t be two minutes late. Says a lot, one rule for one, one for another.”
Littler’s comments quickly circulated among fans and fellow professionals, prompting debate about whether the rules on player registration were applied evenly.
Five facts to know about Luke Littler
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Under Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) regulations, all competitors must sign in by a set deadline before the start of each Players Championship event.
Despite missing the earlier tournament, Littler’s impressive performances across the series have already earned him a spot in the Players Championship Finals, set to take place at Butlin’s Minehead later this month.
Luke Littler was unable to play at the Players Championship 33 this week
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The event carries a prize pool of £120,000 and will see the sport’s top performers battle for the final major title before the World Championship.
The teenager, known for his rapid rise and level-headed approach, also made a point of expressing sympathy for those affected by the tragedy that caused the motorway closure.
“Missed registration today for the pro tour, but somebody sadly lost their life, thinking of everyone,” he wrote.
Littler, who has one Players Championship title to his name, suffered a narrow 6-5 defeat to world No 57 Matt Campbell earlier this week but remains among the most consistent young players on the circuit.
Luke Littler trails Luke Humphries in the rankings
| PAThe Warrington-born star has enjoyed a meteoric rise since his breakout run at the World Darts Championship in December 2023, where he reached the final at just 16.
Since then, he has established himself as one of the faces of the next generation of darts, winning titles such as the World Championship and Premier League.
Littler sits second in the world rankings at the current moment in time.
Rival Luke Humphries occupies the summit, despite his teenage nemesis closing the gap.