A controversial incident involving Ricky Evans sparked debate at a crucial moment in the match, when the referee inadvertently played a decisive role.
At a pivotal stage of the contest, a disputed call occurred that immediately drew strong objections from Evans. He made his dissatisfaction abundantly clear, as can be seen in the footage, after the referee took a decision with which “Rapid Ricky” strongly disagreed.
NEEDLE WITH THE REF 😤
Ricky Evans penalised for an illegal throw and leaves 5…
He then returns, and gives referee Charlie Corstorphine a bit as he pins it 👀
📺 https://t.co/59TualjgND#WCDarts | R2 pic.twitter.com/hRhbvyGkXn
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 22, 2025
The referee ruled the dart invalid on the grounds that it had allegedly been thrown underarm. However, upon closer inspection of the throw, that interpretation is far from conclusive. This ambiguity formed the basis of Evans’ protest, as he attempted to demonstrate through his gestures that the decision was incorrect.
While the throw was executed in a somewhat nonchalant manner, it can hardly be described as a clear underarm throw. This places the incident firmly in a grey area. Nevertheless, the decision had significant implications, as it occurred during a critical phase of the match, which was approaching its decisive moments.
The English television commentators refrained from expressing a clear opinion, instead stating that the decision had been made and that Evans would have to accept it. The Dutch commentators, on the other hand, openly expressed their doubts about the call, although they ultimately aligned themselves with the referee’s judgment.
"𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗜 𝗪𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚?!" 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘆 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗲
Ricky Evans talks about the controversial moment in his thriller with James Wade when referee Charlie Corstorphine disallowed his dart, leading to a sarcastic thumbs up after the… pic.twitter.com/54hhsyLjvu
— Darts Now (@DartsNow) December 22, 2025
The situation is reminiscent of the controversial final race of the 2021 Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi, where decisions made by race control had a decisive impact on the outcome of the championship. Similarly, this call could have proven decisive for the result of the match, given the timing and importance of the moment.
Ultimately, Evans managed to turn the match around after a series of uncharacteristic misses by James Wade on double 10. As a result, the incident faded without major consequences. Had the match swung in Wade’s favour, however, this moment could well have become the main talking point of the day.
This raises an inevitable question: Is it time for the introduction of VAR in the world of darts?