Dom Taylor has been warned he will receive an immediate lifetime ban from darts should he fail another drugs test following his World Championship disqualification.
The 27-year-old was removed from the Alexandra Palace tournament in December after testing positive for cocaine and cannabis, marking his second failed test within 14 months.
Taylor had secured victory in his opening round match but was thrown out before he could face Jonny Clayton in the next round.
Professional Darts Players Association chairman Alan Warriner-Little told Online Darts: “If he gets caught again, it’s an immediate lifetime ban. It couldn’t happen again.”
The Darts Regulation Authority Disciplinary Committee determined that Taylor consumed the substances before competition officially began, sparing him from a four-year suspension.
Instead, he received a six-month ban and was stripped of £25,000 in prize money.
Warriner-Little explained the timing was crucial: “From 23:59 the day before the tournament starts, that’s considered out of competition. Anything after that is in competition. It was borderline.”
Dom Taylor has been warned he will receive an immediate lifetime ban from darts should he fail another drugs test following his World Championship disqualification
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PA
He added: “But the use was very high, and that makes a difference. He was very lucky, absolutely.”
The suspension effectively amounts to a year-long absence from professional darts, as Taylor cannot compete in Q-School until January 2027.
Beyond the ban, he has also lost his tour card and sponsorship deals.
Dom Taylor issued a public apology back in December
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GETTYWarriner-Little revealed that Taylor is battling addiction and described his circumstances as chaotic.
“The guy was in trouble. He’s got an addiction. His life was all over the place. He was chaotic,” he said.
The PDPA chairman confirmed that darts authorities are covering the cost of Taylor’s rehabilitation treatment.
“Of course, we helped him. It’s not cheap, but we have a fantastic support network. We would do that for anybody,” Warriner-Little stated.
He provided an update on Taylor’s progress, saying: “He’s doing fine. I spoke to him this morning. He’s due out at the end of this week.”
The previous year saw Taylor miss the World Championship entirely, compounding his recent troubles.
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Taylor issued a lengthy and emotional statement following his disqualification, apologising and detailing the personal tragedies he has endured.
His struggles include losing his grandfather, whom he described as one of “my biggest fans”, before turning professional, and discovering his grandmother dead when he was just 12 years old.
He also referenced his brother nearly dying from a heart attack, a close friend’s death from a brain tumour, the anniversary of his daughter’s passing last year, and missing his uncle’s funeral whilst attempting to qualify for the World Championship.
Authorities confirmed the substances detected were not performance-enhancing.
Warriner-Little emphasised: “There’s no indication whatsoever of cheating.”
