THE 2011 Championship League Darts will begin on September 27 2011, as the nine-day internet-streamed tournament kicks off at Crondon Park GC in Essex.
The fourth staging of Championship League Darts, which is shown exclusively live online, will feature 29 players competing in the unique tournament across nine days of play in September and October.
Prize money is paid per leg won in the group stages of the tournament, as eight players per day battle to win a place in the Winners Group on October 20.
On each day, players face each other once over the best of 11 legs in the league phase, with prize money of £50 per leg won, before the top four contest the play-offs, with the semi-finals and finals offering £100 per leg won.
Each Group Winner progresses through to the big-money Winners Group, with the runner-up, losing semi-finalists and the players finishing fifth and sixth in the league table moving into the next group.
The bottom two players from each group are eliminated, with the next three players from the PDC Order of Merit coming in to compete in the next group.
Reigning champion James Wade, who defeated Phil Taylor 6-5 in a gripping final last October, will open the defence of his title in Group One on Tuesday September 27.
2008 champion Taylor, World Champion Adrian Lewis and Premier League Darts winner Gary Anderson will also be in action in Group One, alongside Simon Whitlock, Wes Newton, Mark Webster and Terry Jenkins.
Group Two will see Paul Nicholson, Andy Hamilton and Mervyn King enter the event, with Wayne Jones, Mark Walsh and Colin Lloyd coming in for Group Three.
The tournament will resume following the World Grand Prix on Tuesday October 11, when Ronnie Baxter, Vincent van der Voort and Jamie Caven come in for Group Four.
2009 champion Colin Osborne is joined by Andy Smith and Kevin Painter in entering for Group Five, with Denis Ovens, Alan Tabern and Steve Beaton - a semi-finalist in the 2010 Winners Group - coming into Championship League Darts in Group Six.
Group Seven, on Tuesday October 18, sees Holland's Co Stompe joined by Robert Thornton and Mark Dudbridge, while Group Eight sees former World Champions John Part and Dennis Priestley enter alongside debutant Steve Brown.
The big-money Winners Group will be held on Thursday October 20 - featuring £100 prize money per leg in the group stage, £200 per leg in the play-offs and a first prize of £10,000, as well as £5,000 for the runner-up, £2,500 for the losing semi-finalists and invitations to the Grand Slam of Darts for the finalists.
Watch live coverage of Championship League Darts in LIVEPDC.TV - click here for subscription information. Coverage will also be available through a number of bookmakers' websites, with details to be confirmed in due course.
Championship League Darts
Group One - Tuesday September 27 2011
Phil Taylor
Adrian Lewis
James Wade
Gary Anderson
Simon Whitlock
Wes Newton
Mark Webster
Terry Jenkins
Group Two - Wednesday September 28 2011
Paul Nicholson
Andy Hamilton
Mervyn King
Group Three - Thursday September 29 2011
Wayne Jones
Mark Walsh
Colin Lloyd
Group Four - Tuesday October 11 2011
Ronnie Baxter
Vincent van der Voort
Jamie Caven
Group Five - Wednesday October 12 2011
Andy Smith
Colin Osborne
Kevin Painter
Group Six - Thursday October 13 2011
Denis Ovens
Alan Tabern
Steve Beaton
Group Seven - Tuesday October 18 2011
Co Stompe
Robert Thornton
Mark Dudbridge
Group Eight - Wednesday October 19 2011
John Part
Steve Brown
Dennis Priestley
Winners Group - Thursday October 20 2011
Eight Group Winners return to play in Winners Group
Format & Prize Money
Each player plays all other seven in the league over best-of-11 leg matches in a round-robin format. Two points go to the winner. Once a player reaches six legs, he has won the match and no further legs are played.
At the end of the league phase, the top four move into the play-offs, with semi-finals and then the final played on the day.
Winner progresses to Winners Group.
The losing finalist, losing semi-finalists and players finishing fifth and sixth in the league table progress to Group Two.
Players seven and eight in league table are eliminated and ineligible for future groups.
Groups 1-8 Prize Money
Prize Money is paid at £50 per leg won in the league phase and £100 per leg won in the play-offs.
Winners Group
Prize Money is paid at £100 per leg won in the league phase and £200 per leg won in the play-offs.
The Championship League Darts winner also receives £10,000, the runner-up receives £5,000 and the losing semi-finalists receive £2,500.
The winner and runner-up will also receive an invitation to the 2011 Grand Slam of Darts.
The tournament has a total achievable prize fund of £207,000.
Watch Championship League Darts!
Watch live coverage of Championship League Darts in LIVEPDC.TV - click here for subscription information
Coverage will also be available through a number of bookmakers' websites, with details to be confirmed in due course.