Darts star Dom Taylor has been handed a six-month suspension after testing positive for cocaine and cannabis during the PDC World Championship in December. The 27-year-old Englishman had admitted to breaching anti-doping rules, which led to the Disciplinary Committee deeming his consumption of both substances "out of competition" and not related to the tournament.
As a result, Taylor will forfeit his £25,000 prize money for reaching the second round of the World Championship. He has also dropped just outside the top 64 in the PDC's world rankings, which means he will lose his PDC tour card for 2026.
The news comes as a significant blow to Taylor, who had won his first-round match against Oskar Lukasiak before the failed drugs test and suspension were announced. His scheduled second-round match against Jonny Clayton was also cancelled.
Taylor has since taken to Facebook to express his "sincere sorry" for his actions, stating that his mental health had been affected by personal traumas. He assured fans that he would be seeking help to address the issues.
The Disciplinary Committee's decision is in line with UK Anti-Doping's (Ukad) rules and reflects the severity of Taylor's breaches. The six-month suspension ensures that the young player will not compete at the highest level for an extended period, serving as a warning to others who may struggle with substance abuse.
As a result, Taylor will forfeit his £25,000 prize money for reaching the second round of the World Championship. He has also dropped just outside the top 64 in the PDC's world rankings, which means he will lose his PDC tour card for 2026.
The news comes as a significant blow to Taylor, who had won his first-round match against Oskar Lukasiak before the failed drugs test and suspension were announced. His scheduled second-round match against Jonny Clayton was also cancelled.
Taylor has since taken to Facebook to express his "sincere sorry" for his actions, stating that his mental health had been affected by personal traumas. He assured fans that he would be seeking help to address the issues.
The Disciplinary Committee's decision is in line with UK Anti-Doping's (Ukad) rules and reflects the severity of Taylor's breaches. The six-month suspension ensures that the young player will not compete at the highest level for an extended period, serving as a warning to others who may struggle with substance abuse.
. Like, seriously how hard is it to stay clean for one tournament? And what's with the excuses about mental health traumas? That's not an excuse, dude, that's just a fancy way of saying you messed up and can't take responsibility for your actions 
. Six months suspended, yeah okay maybe that'll teach him to keep his nose clean... but I doubt it 
. And now he's gonna lose all that prize money, that's just a slap on the wrist 
.
I'm literally so disappointed in Dom Taylor 
He was on top of his game just a few weeks ago and then this bombshell drops 
and now he's facing serious consequences 
Six months is a looong time to be suspended, especially when it comes to your sport 
. It's like, you can't even get back into the swing of things for that long 
.
that takes so much courage 
. Mental health is everything, especially in high-pressure situations like professional sports 
️. I hope Dom gets the support he needs and comes back stronger than ever 
. Taking responsibility for your actions and seeking help is the first step towards recovery 
. It's not just about the game of darts, it's about taking care of yourself 
. We should all be supporting Dom Taylor on his journey to get back on track 
, not just cheering for his darts skills 
.
I feel so bad for Dom Taylor 
. Crazy how numbers work out, right? 
next thing you know, he'll be telling us it was all part of his pre-game warm-up routine 
mental health issues or not, we all know the real reason is that you couldn't resist a few puffs after the match 
. six months without competing? fair enough, maybe this will teach him to keep his priorities straight... and by priority, I mean not getting caught with dodgy substances 
. on the bright side, he's off the tour card for 2026, so no more embarrassing losses to Oskar Lukasiak 
he was on top of his game after beating Oskar Lukasiak and now hes suspended for 6 months?! I feel bad for him tho, I heard he's been dealing with some personal stuff