Michael van Gerwen was victorious over Luke Littler in the final of last year’s Premier League Darts in Berlin – but it could have played out differently if a rule break was called out
Michael van Gerwen’s win over Luke Littler at Premier League Darts Berlin wasn’t without its controversy last year.
The Green Machine secured an incredibly close 6-5 win on the night, but it could have played out differently should a subtle rule break on the Dutchman’s part in the game’s dying moments have been called out. The score was tied at 5-5 headed into the final set, when Littler missed back-to-back attempts at checking out 80 with double 10s.
Van Gerwen was able to capitalise on the error of the now 18-year-old’s ways, nailing a double four at the second time of asking to win the game. However, MVG’s victory wasn’t without its criticism, with fans taking to social media to call him out for encroaching on his opponent as he was throwing.
Video footage showed Van Gerwen’s feet over the line while Littler was looking for a finish, failing to adhere to the Darts Regulation Authority rulebook in doing so. The handbook reads: “The non-throwing player must stand whilst waiting for their throw.
“This position will be behind the throwing player and outside the exclusion zone in a position that does not obstruct officials or broadcast facilities. The non-throwing player must not enter the exclusion zone behind or at the side of the oche until the throwing player has released the final dart of their throw.”
While it is the duty of officials to spot any infringement and correct it on the spot, Van Gerwen’s rule-break seemingly flew under the radar until the game was said and done – when fans fumed on social media over his antics. One wrote: “Should be a rule in darts that you have to stand by your table when the other player throws.”
Meanwhile, another claimed: “He always does this, but PDC too scared to punish him.” It’s not the first time that Van Gerwen has came under fire for standing a little too close to his opponent either.
Dimitri Van den Bergh was left irate at the 2023 PDC World Championships when he was handed a 6-0 thumping from Van Gerwen. Responding to the Belgian’s qualms, MVG said: “I don’t really know what his problem was but you have to concentrate yourself and watch your own game.
“That is exactly what I did. Games can get tense and you need to focus yourself, and that is exactly what I did, he was losing the game so he had to say something.”
The Premier League returns to Berlin’s Uber Arena on Thursday, with Van Gerwen looking to clinch his first nightly win. The 35-year-old is set to face Gerwyn Price in his quarter-final after failing to make it out of his first fixture with Nathan Aspinall in Newcastle last week.
Elsewhere, Aspinall faces Stephen Bunting, Luke Humphries battles with Rob Cross, and Littler will hope to dispatch of Chris Dobey and add to his eight-point cushion atop the standings thus far. Van Gerwen, meanwhile, sits third in the table – 13 points behind Littler at present.
