Where do darts players go when they walk off stage between sets, and when did tradition begin?
THE PDC World Darts Championship 2022/23 is here at Pally.
But you may be wondering why the players exit the stage at the conclusion of each set at the big tournament. We’ve got you covered here…
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Where do darts players go when they walk off stage between sets?
In TV darts tournaments on Sky Sports or ITV4, adverts need to be shown to pay the bills.
And this gives sweaty players the chance to regroup during key points in the match.
Of course, it often disrupts the flow of a contest and the leading star usually sees their momentum stopped if there are too many disruptions.
In the final there are likely to be several 5-minute breaks where players can quickly nip to the loo – they drink a lot of water on stage.
In the past, players used to go backstage and swing a bottle of Budweiser for comfort or maybe nip outside for a crafty cigarette.
Players don’t have to leave the oche and they can remain there for some free practice. Particularly if they are in a losing position.
PDC Darts Championship 2022/23 schedule and results
Thursday December 15 (7pm GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Mickey Mansell v Ben Robb (R1)
Keane Barry v Grant Sampson (R1)
Jermaine Wattimena v Nathan Rafferty (R1)
Peter Wright v Mansell/Robb (R2)
Friday December 16
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Alan Soutar v Mal Cuming (R1)
Boris Krcmar v Toru Suzuki (R1)
Adrian Lewis v Daniel Larsson (R1)
Kim Huybrechts v Barry/Sampson (R2)
Evening Session (7pm GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Rowby-John Rodriguez v Lourence Ilagan (R1)
William O‘Connor v Beau Greaves (R1)
Keegan Brown v Florian Hempel (R1)
Michael Smith v Wattimena/Rafferty (R2)
Saturday December 17
Afternoon Session (11am GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Martin Lukeman v Nobuhiro Yamamoto (R1)
Simon Whitlock v Christian Perez (R1)
Adam Gawlas v Richie Burnett (R1)
Daryl Gurney v Soutar/Cuming (R2)
Evening Session (8pm GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Ryan Meikle v Lisa Ashton (R1)
Cameron Menzies v Diogo Portela (R1)
Josh Rock v Jose Justicia (R1)
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Rodriguez/Ilagan (R2)
Sunday December 18
Afternoon Session (11am GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Madars Razma v Prakash Jiwa (R1)
Karel Sedlacek v Raymond Smith (R1)
Luke Woodhouse v Vladyslav Omelchenko (R1)
Damon Heta v Lewis/Larsson (R2)
Evening Session (8pm GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Mike De Decker v Jeff Smith (R1)
Scott Williams v Ryan Joyce (R1)
Matt Campbell v Danny Baggish (R1)
Nathan Aspinall v Krcmar/Suzuki (R2)
Monday December 19
Afternoon Session (12.30pmGMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Andrew Gilding v Robert Owen (R1)
Danny Jansen v Paolo Nebrida (R1)
Niels Zonneveld v Lewy Williams (R1)
Jose de Sousa v Whitlock/Perez (R2)
Evening Session (7pm GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Geert Nentjes v Leonard Gates (R1)
Ritchie Edhouse v David Cameron (R1)
Steve Beaton v Danny van Trijp (R1)
Gerwyn Price v Woodhouse/Omelchenko (R2)
Tuesday December 20 (7pm GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Jim Williams v Sebastian Bialecki (R1)
Jamie Hughes v Jimmy Hendriks (R1)
Ricky Evans v Fallon Sherrock (R1)
Raymond van Barneveld v Meikle/Ashton (R2)
Wednesday December 21
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
2x First Round, 2x Second Round
John O’Shea v Darius Labanauskas (R1)
Martijn Kleermaker v Xicheng Han (R1)
Callan Rydz v Rock/Justicia (R2)
Dave Chisnall v Gilding/Owen (R2)
Evening Session (7pm GMT)
4x Second Round
Mervyn King v Campbell/Baggish (R2)
Gabriel Clemens v O‘Connor/Greaves (R2)
Michael van Gerwen v Zonneveld/L Williams (R2)
Stephen Bunting v Nentjes/Gates (R2)
Thursday December 22
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
4x Second Round
Krzysztof Ratajski v Jansen/Nebrida (R2)
Ryan Searle v Gawlas/Burnett (R2)
Mensur Suljovic v De Decker/J Smith (R2)
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Sedlacek/R Smith (R2)
Evening Session (7pm GMT)
4x Second Round
Gary Anderson v Razma/Jiwa (R2)
James Wade v J Williams/Bialecki (R2)
Luke Humphries v Brown/Hempel (R2)
Vincent van der Voort v Menzies/Portela (R2)
Friday December 23
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
4x Second Round
Brendan Dolan v Hughes/Hendriks (R2)
Chris Dobey v Kleermaker/Han (R2)
Ross Smith v O’Shea/Labanauskas (R2)
Rob Cross v S Williams/Joyce (R2)
Evening Session (7pm GMT)
4x Second Round
Martin Schindler v Lukeman/Yamamoto (R2)
Danny Noppert v Edhouse/Cameron (R2)
Jonny Clayton v Beaton/Van Trijp (R2)
Joe Cullen v Evans/Sherrock (R2)
Tuesday December 27
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
3x Third Round
Evening Session (7pm GMT)
3x Third Round
Wednesday December 28
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
3x Third Round
Evening Session (7pm GMT)
3x Third Round
Thursday December 29
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
3x Third Round
Evening Session (7pm GMT)
1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round
Friday December 30
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
3x Fourth Round
Evening Session (7pm GMT)
3x Fourth Round
Sunday January 1
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (7.30pm GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals
Monday January 2 (7.30pm GMT)
2x Semi-Finals
Tuesday January 3 (8pm GMT)
Final