Ricardo Pietreczko’s Comical Rule Slip at World Grand Prix Fires Up Darts Fans

Ricardo Pietreczko, a competing German darts player, experienced a humorous moment of forgetfulness during the World Grand Prix tournament held in Leicester. As one of the world’s best players competing for a prize of £600,000, Pietreczko made headlines when he inadvertently disregarded the unique rules of the only double-start tournament on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) calendar.

During his first round match against four-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld, Pietreczko mistakenly aimed for a treble 20 at the start of his match, only to realize that his effort would not be counted. The World Grand Prix requires players to hit a double before they can begin scoring in each leg, followed by a double finish. The audience and commentators, including Dan Dawson and Wayne Mardle from Sky Sports, were visibly amused by the slip-up. “He’s forgotten!” exclaimed the commentators amid laughter.

This oversight occurred in Pietreczko’s debut at the World Grand Prix, where he overcame his mistake to ultimately win the match. Despite losing the first leg of the second set and having to fight through wrist injury issues, the 29-year-old dart player managed to regain his composure and secured a victory over Van Barneveld in the final set.

Pietreczko’s confidence has been undeterred by this incident, even as he prepares to face Premier League world champion Luke Humphries. In any other tournament format within the PDC tour, Pietreczko’s initial scoring dart of a treble 20 would have been ideal, highlighting the distinctive challenge of the World Grand Prix format.

The tournament, known for its challenging rules, receives mixed reactions from players, being described as “marmite” – with players either loving or hating the double-start requirement. Unlike other competitions, every leg in the World Grand Prix demands hitting two doubles – a feature that can easily be overlooked, as demonstrated by Pietreczko.