The 2020

CDC Rulebook

The Championship Darts Circuit is a series of long-format 501 singles events across the United States and Canada, giving players the opportunity to showcase their talent, participate in long format top level competition and earn prize money along the way. The goal is to make the sport of darts in North America better as a whole.

The core of the circuit is a “Tour Card” system with players holding these cards having the opportunity to enter directly into the main events on each circuit weekend. The majority of each circuit event tournament field is made up of tour card holders with a small portion of the field being open to the general darting public who are given the opportunity to play and earn their way in via qualifiers each day of a CDC Circuit Event tournament.

Download Rulebook (PDF)

Section 1 - Prize Money
Section 2 - Tour Points and Rankings
Section 3 - CDC Order of Merit
Section 4 - Seeding
Section 5 - Tour Cards
Section 6 - Circuit Events and Main Event Qualifiers
Section 7 - CDC Matchplay
Section 8 - CDC North American Shootout
Section 9 - CDC Continental Cup Tour Championship
Section 10 - CDC Q-School Series
Section 11 - CDC Junior Tour (Ages 10-17)
Section 12 - CDC Evolution Tour (Ages 14-23)
Section 13 - Conduct, Discipline and Anti-Doping

Section 1

Prize Money

For 2020, CDC is moving to a participation-based pay structure with a guaranteed minimum payout for all Main Tour events. As the number of Tour Card holders entered into each event increases, the payout increases.

(A)- Championship Darts Circuit Main Events

*Based on # of Tour Card Holders Registered*	*Minimum Guaranteed*	*56 Tour Card Holders Registered*	*64 Tour Card Holders Registered*	*72 Tour Card Holders Registered*	*80 Tour Card Holders Registered*	*88 Tour Card Holders Registered*	*96 Tour Card Holders Registered*
1st Place	$2000	$2000	$2000	$2000	$2500	$2500	$2500
2nd Place	$1000	$1000	$1000	$1100	$1500	$1500	$1500
Top 4	$750	$750	$800	$1000	$1000	$1250	$1250
Top 8	$500	$500	$600	$600	$750	$750	$1000
Top 16	$250	$250	$250	$250	$250	$250	$250
Top 32	$0	$125	$125	$125	$125	$125	$125

(B) – Cosmo Darts Matchplay

1st Place – $800
2nd Place – $400
T4 – $200 ea
T8 – $100 ea

(C) – CDC Continental Cup Tour Championship Presented by Cosmo Darts

TBA

*All prized listed in US Dollars

Section 2

Tour Points & Rankings

For each Championship Darts Circuit main event, players earn Tour Points based upon finishing order:

1st Place	18 Points
2nd Place	12 Points
Top 4	8 Points
Top 8	6 Points
Top 16	4 Points
Top 32	2 Points
Top 64	1 Point
Top 128	0.5 Point

The “Tour Points List” is comprised of results from all circuit events (excluding the CDC Matchplay, Continental Cup and any CDC special event) in ONE calendar/tour year based on the chart above. Points do not carry over from one year to the next.

The overall “Tour Points List” determines eligibility and seeding for:

The CDC Matchplay
The CDC Continental Cup

In addition to the overall Tour Points List, CDC will also maintain two separate lists – one for Canadian players and one for US Players – to determine those individuals that will qualify for the PDC World Darts Championship at the conclusion of the Tour. Points will be accrued on these lists based on the chart above for events held in that player’s country ONLY. Thus, Canadian players will accrue World Championship qualifying points only for events held in Canada and US players will accrue World Championship qualifying points only for events held in the United States. These lists will be referred to as the “US World Championship Ranking List” and the “Canadian World Championship Ranking List.”

The leader on each country’s respective list at the conclusion of all CDC Tour events held in that country will receive a spot in the World Darts Championship.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible to compete in the World Darts Championship, players must be a citizen, passport-holder or five-year permanent resident of the US or Canada per PDC guidelines. Players with dual citizenship are eligible to compete for ONE spot only and must declare which country they are attempting to qualify to represent prior to the start of the Tour. Country elections are binding and may not be changed for a three-year period.

Section 3

CDC Order of Merit

The “CDC Order of Merit” is a rolling points list comprised of points earned over the previous 20 CDC Main Events. At the conclusion of each event, points accrued by players at the oldest event on the list will fall off and will be replaced by points accrued on the event just completed. The Order of Merit will always consist of 20 events, regardless of the number of events played in a given calendar year.

The “CDC Order of Merit” is used to determine:

The seeding (Top 32) of each Championship Darts Circuit Event. (Results of each circuit event are promptly updated on the OoM to be reflected in the seeding for the next event.)
The players selected to represent the United States and Canada at the PDC World Cup of Darts. Per PDC guidelines, World Cup preference is given to PDC Tour Card holders appearing on the PDC Order of Merit. Should there be fewer than two PDC Tour Card holders from the US and Canada, remaining spots on the respective teams will be filled via the top US and Canadian players on the CDC Two Year Order of Merit after the conclusion of Weekend #2 on the CDC Tour.

Section 4

Seeding

A. Seeding for Championship Darts Circuit Events

Main Tour events shall be seeded 1-32 based on the CDC Order of Merit as described above

B. Seeding for the CDC Matchplay

The CDC Matchplay shall be seeded 1-8 based on the CDC Tour Points List as described above.

C. Seeding for the Continental Cup

The Continental Cup shall be seeded 1-16 based on the CDC Tour Points List as described above.

Section 5

Tour Cards

Invitations are extended at the start of each year based on the following criteria:

(A)- The Top 32 from the previous CDC Season

The players finishing Top 32 on the Tour Points List will receive their Tour Card automatically.

(B)- CDC Q-School Series

Two Tour Cards are available (based on participation) at each of the CDC Qualifying School events, generally held in conjunction with major tournaments across the United States and Canada. See Section 10 for further details.

(C)- Long Format Event Winners & Representatives

Winners of long-format regional “Players Tours” such as those affiliated with Dart Players United States, the W.E.S.T. events in Ontario and others.
Winners of top-level singles leagues such as The Philadelphia Premier League, NYC Premier League, Chicago Premier League and others.
Winners of high-profile North American tournaments such as The PDC North American Darts Championship, CDC Evolution Tour, US and Canadian 501 National Championships and others.

(D) – Wildcards

In addition to the specific qualifying spots above, CDC also extends, at its sole discretion, Tour Card invitations to talented players who have proven themselves through a combination of performance and comportment to be worthy of a spot among the continent’s elite. In general, these wildcards will be selected from among:

The Top 64 of the previous CDC season not otherwise qualified
Various soft-tip major event winners
Players consistently performing at elite levels in American Darts Organization (ADO), National Darts Federation of Canada (NDFC) and American Darters Association (ADA)-sanctioned events.

Section 6

Circuit Events & Main Event Qualifiers

Each Championship Darts Circuit Main Event will consist of a maximum of 112 players, of which 16 will be reserved for players advancing through one of two qualifiers preceding each main event. Any person who is at least 14 years old at the time of the event AND a citizen, passport holder or permanent resident of a North American country or Dependent Territory AND who is not a CDC Tour Card holder is eligible to enter the Main Event Qualifiers, excepting that players who were offered CDC Tour Cards and declined may not enter the qualifiers for the first two Tour weekends (four events). The full list of eligible countries and territories is available at https://www.countries-ofthe-world.com/countries-of-north-america.html.

CDC Main Event Qualifiers will be available for pre-registration for $60 USD per main event (one entry fee entitles players to participate in both qualifiers) via the champdarts.com website. Onsite registration will be available at $75 USD. Onsite registration via credit card at ALL events will be processed in US funds and CDC is not responsible for any transaction or funds conversion fees assessed by a player’s financial institution. Onsite registration with CASH at Canadian events can be made via US Dollars at the posted price, or via Canadian funds at an equivalent exchange rate to be determined on the morning of each event. Onsite registration with CASH at US events will be accepted in US Dollars only.

The balance of the Main Event field will be filled by CDC Tour Card holders who have entered by the registration deadline for each event. ONSITE REGISTRATION IS NOT AVAILABLE for Tour Card holders. Any Tour Card holder who is not registered by the posted deadline will be ineligible to enter the event. Under no circumstances may a CDC Tour Card holder enter the Main Event Qualifiers. Registration fees for Tour Card holders is $125 + $10 DartConnect fee per Main Event.

Main Event Format

501 (Straight In/ Double Out)
Bull Shot to determine match start (PDC/CDC Bull Rule in effect – 25/50 is a must)
Alternating starts
Loser Scores
CDC Dress Code is in effect: Collared shirt, dress or khaki pants and dress shoes or ALL BLACK sneakers (no other color may be visible on sneakers). Ladies may elect to wear a skirt.
Bracket consists of up to 96 Tour Card Holders plus 16 qualifiers, seeded to Top 32 based on the CDC Order of Merit.
- Preliminary round through Round of 16: Best of 9 legs
- Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Final: Best of 11 Legs

Qualifier Format

501 (Straight In / Double Out)
Best of 5 legs throughout
Bull shot to determine match start (PDC/CDC Bull Rule- 25/50 is a must)
Alternating start
Loser scores
CDC dress code is in effect
Bracket is a random draw

See champdarts.com/events for Circuit Event locations, dates, times….

Section 7

CDC Matchplay

The CDC Matchplay is capped at 48 players. 44 spots are to the public without regard to CDC Tour Card status. Four spots are reserved for top CDC players.

(A)- The top four players on the CDC Tour Points list after Weekend #3 on the CDC Tour will be extended a courtesy invitation with no entry fee.

(B)- The Matchplay will be seeded using the CDC Tour Points List after Event #6

(C)- Entry fee for the CDC Matchplay is $50 for all players except the four described above. This is a bonus special event and sponsorship won through CDC Q-School events is not applicable.

Format

501 (Straight In/ Double Out)
Best of 11 Legs Throughout

****MUST WIN BY 2 CLEAR LEGS (at 7-7 a sudden death leg will occur)

A bull shot will determine match start (PDC/CDC Bull Rule in effect – 25/50 is a must)
There will be a re-bull for a tiebreak leg with the player on the bottom of the bracket throwing for the bull first
Alternating starts
Loser Scores
CDC dress code in effect
Bracket is seeded #1-#8 based on the CDC Tour Points List

See champdarts.com for CDC Matchplay location, date and time.

Section 8

CDC North American Shootout

**EVENT CURRENTLY NOT IN PLAY**

“Double-in Masters”

➢ The North American Shootout is open entry to any player worldwide.

Format

501 (Double In/ Double Out)
Best of 7 Legs Throughout
Bull Shot to determine match start (PDC Rule- 25/50 is a must)
Alternating starts
Loser Scores, no re-bull for a tiebreak leg
CDC Dress Code is in effect
Bracket is seeded Top 8 based on the CDC Order of Merit

See champdarts.com/events for CDC Shootout location, date and time.

Section 9

CDC Continental Cup Tour Championship

This is an invitation-only event. Invitations are extended to the top-16 on the CDC Tour Points List at the conclusion of the full CDC Tour. The event will be seeded 1-16 based on the Tour Points List. There is no entry fee for players invited to participate.

If any player in the top-16 on the Tour Points list declines the invitation, it will be extended to the next player on the list until the field has been filled, excepting that in no case will a player lower than #24 on the Tour Points List be eligible to play. In the case that the event has not filled and spot #24 is reached, any remaining spots in the event shall become byes for the highest ranked player(s) in order.

Format

(Straight In/ Double Out)
Bull Shot to determine match start (PDC/CDC Bull Rule in effect – 25/50 is a must)
Alternating start
Full Dress Code in effect. Players must wear a collared shirt, dress pants (no khakis) and dress shoes or all-black sneakers. Any deviation to this dress code must be approved in writing by the Tournament Director.

➢ Round of 16: Best of 9 Legs

➢ Quarterfinals: Best of 11 Legs

➢ Semifinals: Best of 13 Legs

➢ Finals: Best of 15 Legs

See champdarts.com/events for CDC Continental Cup location, date(s) and time(s)

Section 10

CDC Q-School Series

CDC Q-School Events are smaller tournaments held onsite at various major non-CDC tournaments across North America. The purpose of the events is to give regional players the chance to win a Tour Card and compete on the Championship Darts Circuit. Each tournament may award up to two CDC Tour Cards based on participation. There must be a minimum of 12 players entered to hold the event. Should an event fail to reach 12 registrants, it will be cancelled and the available Tour Cards will not be awarded. In this case, CDC’s sole liability for all entrants shall be limited to a refund of their entry fee.

Entry fee for all Q-Schools is $50 USD in advance and $65 USD onsite. Onsite registration with CASH at Canadian events can be made via US Dollars at the posted price, or via Canadian funds at an equivalent exchange rate to be determined on the morning of each event. Onsite registration with CASH at US events will be accepted in US Dollars only.

Players in the top-16 on the CDC Tour Points List and in the Top-32 on the CDC Order of Merit are ineligible to participate in Q-School events.

Format

501 (Straight In/ Double Out)
Best of 7 Legs Throughout
Bull Shot to determine match start (PDC Rule- 25/50 is a must)
Alternating starts
Loser Scores
Dress Code
Bracket is a random draw

Prizes

Champion: Tour Card plus a sponsorship covering ALL CDC Circuit Main Events (sponsorship does not extend to special events like the CDC Matchplay.)
Runner-up: Tour Card plus a sponsorship covering 2 CDC Circuit Events. A minimum of 16 entries is necessary to award this prize.

Q-School Order of Merit

Players finishing top-8 or better in a Q-School event will accrue points on a special Order of Merit for Q-Schools. At the end of the Q-School series each year, the player that has accrued the most points and has not otherwise earned his/her Tour Card will be awarded a Tour Card and all Main Event entry fees paid for the upcoming CDC season. NOTE: From time-to-time, CDC may run a “Q-School Special Event” for which points will not accrue on the Q-School Order of Merit. These will be clearly designated.

Points:

Runner-up: 3 Points / Top 4: 2 Points / Top 8: 1 Point

See champdarts.com/events for CDC Q-School Event locations, dates, times….

Section 11

CDC Junior Tour (Ages 10-17)

Field limited to a maximum of 24 players. Registration is first-come, first-served.

Eligibility

The CDC Junior Tour is open to players aged 10 to 17.

Must be at least 10 years old on the day of the event(s) for which you are registered.
Cannot turn 18 until January 1 of the following year.
Eligibility limited to citizens, passport holders or permanent residents of the country in which the event is being held. US players are NOT eligible to play in Canada and vice-versa

***$25 Pre-registration Fee /$30 Onsite Registration Fee

Tournament Format

Round Robin play into a Knockout Round 1-4
Round Robin groups determined by entry #’s
8 Players advance into Knockout Round

Round Robin Stage

501 (Straight In/ Double Out) Leg Play
Each RR Match is a FULL 3 Legs
Bull Shot to determine match start (Modified CDC Rule)
Alternating starts
Assigned Scorekeepers
Business Casual Dress Code
RR groups are a random draw

Knockout Stage

501 (Straight In/ Double Out) Leg Play
Quarterfinal: Best of 5 / Semifinal: Best of 7/ Final: Best of 9
Bull Shot to determine match start (Modified CDC Bull Rule)
Alternating starts
Loser Scores
Business Casual Dress Code
Bracket is based on RR results

PLAYERS EARN TOUR POINTS BASED ON FINISHING ORDER IN THE EVENT

Prize Money

Minimum of 8 Players: $300 Total
Minimum of 12 Players: $400 Total
Minimum of 16 Players: $500 Total
Minimum of 24 Players: $600 Total

Tour Points

1st: 6 points
2nd: 4 points
Top-4: 3 points
Top-8: 2 points
RR: 1 point

At the conclusion of all Junior Tour events held in the USA and Canada respectively:

➢ The top-four Canadian players will be awarded a place in the JDC World Junior Championship!

➢ The top-four United States player will get at spot in the JDC World Junior Championship!

** ALL FOUR PLAYERS will receive travel reimbursement funds as prize money -(On a scale from #1 down to #4) -TBA

See champdarts.com/events for Junior Tour Event locations, dates, times….

Section 12

CDC Evolution Tour (14-23)

Eligibility

The CDC Evolution Tour is open to players aged 14 to 23.

Must be at least 14 years old on the day of the event(s) for which you are registered.
Players aged 23 as of January 2nd are eligible to play in all events regardless of the date on which they turn 24.
Eligibility limited to citizens, passport holders or permanent residents of the United States and Canada. All Evolution Tour events are open to players from both countries.

***$30 Pre-registration Entry Fee /$40 Onsite Registration Fee

Format

501 (Straight In/ Double Out)
Early rounds – Best of 7 Legs / Semifinal – Best of 9 Legs / Final – Best of 11 Legs
Bull Shot to determine match start (PDC/CDC Bull Rule in effect)
Alternating starts
Loser Scores
Business Casual Dress Code
Bracket is a random draw

Prize Money

Minimum of 8 Players: $300 Total
Minimum of 12 Players: $420 Total
Minimum of 16 Players: $540 Total

Tour Points

1st: 6 points
2nd: 4 points
T4: 3 points
T8: 2 points
T16: 1 point

At the conclusion of the Evolution Tour:

➢ The top-ranked Canadian player will get a spot in the PDC/Unicorn World Youth Championship

➢ The top-ranked United States player will get at spot in the PDC/Unicorn World Youth Championship

Evolution Tour Finals

The Top 4 players on the Evolution Tour Points List at the completion the Tour will be invited to compete in the Evolution Tour Championship. Players will be seeded #1 through #4 in this event.

See champdarts.com/events for Evolution Tour Event locations, dates, times

Section 13

Conduct, Discipline & Anti-Doping

All CDC Tours compete under the rules established by the Darts Regulation Authority (http://www.thedra.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/DRA-Rules.pdf). As the officially-sanctioned affiliate of the Professional Darts Corporation, all disciplines on the main CDC Tour and CDC Evolution Tour will be handled via the DRA. Junior Tour discipline will be handled internally by the CDC.

Players are expected to conform to all DRA rules and regulations, including the gambling and anti-doping rules, at all times. Players are advised that random drug testing in accordance with the rules set forth by the World Anti-Doping Agency (https://www.wada-ama.org) may occur at any time during a CDC event.

CDC is not responsible for a player’s unfamiliarity with DRA rules and it will not be considered a mitigating circumstance in any disciplinary action. It is the player’s responsibility to know and understand the rules under which CDC events are held.

CDC Rulebook

Table of Contents

Prize Money

Tour Points & Rankings

CDC Order of Merit

Seeding

Tour Cards

Circuit Events & Main Event Qualifiers

CDC Matchplay

CDC North American Shootout

CDC Continental Cup Tour Championship

CDC Q-School Series

CDC Junior Tour (Ages 10-17)

CDC Evolution Tour (14-23)

Conduct, Discipline & Anti-Doping