Jan Schmidt may have thought his World Championship hopes rested solely on winning the World Youth Championship final in November. But a PDC rule change has opened a backdoor route to Ally Pally for the young German – and he might not even have to play another match. Schmidt, only the third German to reach the final of the PDC World Youth Championship after Martin Schindler and Max Hopp, now has a realistic chance of qualifying for the World Darts Championship even if he loses the final.
Schmidt's remarkable run to the final began on 5 October 2026, a day that was set to become the most successful of his darts career. Having qualified through the Development Tour, he was not among the favourites in a field that included Development Tour winner Sebastian Bialecki, major semi-finalists Keane Barry and Adam Gawlas, and Luke Littler, who was looking to win the title again after his 2023 triumph. But Schmidt defied the odds, beating Bialecki in the last 16, defeating this year's Pro Tour winner Henry Coates in the quarter-finals, and overcoming World Championship quarter-finalist Charlie Manby in the semi-finals. He thus reached the first World Youth Championship final featuring a German since 2018, when Martin Schindler lost 6–3 to Dimitri Van den Bergh.
In the final, Schmidt will face Cameron Crabtree, who sprang a surprise by winning the deciding leg of the other semi-final against Luke Littler. Crabtree has one significant advantage: he has already qualified for the World Championship through his strong Development Tour performances, securing his place at Ally Pally in December even before the final. For a long time, Schmidt's route to the biggest tournament of the year seemed to depend on beating Crabtree, as the World Youth Championship winner qualifies directly for the Worlds. His alternative was to win the Super League, the qualifying event for German players that begins on 10 November.
However, recent developments have revealed another path. Schmidt appeared on the debut episode of "Checkout: Best of 5", a podcast from "Checkout", where he revealed what Philipp Brezinski told him when he asked whether he would have to play his first Grand Slam of Darts match on Saturday afternoon. By reaching the World Youth Championship final, Schmidt also qualified for this year's Grand Slam of Darts, becoming the second German to do so after Gabriel Clemens. The Super League ends the day before the Grand Slam begins, leaving little time between a possible semi-final or final and the first session of the Grand Slam. Schmidt was surprised when Brezinski told him not only that he would not have to play on Saturday afternoon, but that he might even be able to miss the Super League altogether.
That information is linked to Crabtree and a change to the PDC rules. Until now, the beaten finalist at the World Youth Championship would not receive a place at Ally Pally if his opponent had already qualified for the Worlds – a rule that left Jurjen van der Velde in tears on stage almost two years ago after missing several match darts against Gian van Veen. That rule now appears to have changed. Crabtree is a current PDC Tour Card holder and still has a chance to qualify for the Worlds through the Pro Tour. If he does, Schmidt will automatically take one of the 96 places in the World Championship field. As things stand, Crabtree is 42nd in the Pro Tour Order of Merit, with only the top 40 qualifying in December. He currently trails Raymond van Barneveld by £1,250. If Crabtree can make up the prize-money deficit and qualify through that ranking, his place in the field would go to Jack Drayton, who would be next in line on the Development Tour rankings. Schmidt would then be guaranteed a place at Ally Pally regardless of the outcome of the World Youth Championship final, as he would also qualify as runner-up.
Speaking on the Checkout podcast, Schmidt was delighted with the news. "If Cam Crabtree qualifies for the World Championship through the Pro Tour, I'm in too, regardless of how the World Youth Championship final goes. I went crazy at work when I heard the news. I was so happy." He added: "I'm looking forward to being a Cam Crabtree fan over the next week and a half. If he hits the one decisive match dart next Thursday that could move him into the top 40, I'll be shouting the place down at work. I promise you that." The final two Players Championship events of the season take place in England next week. If Crabtree breaks into the Pro Tour top 40 in Leicester, Schmidt's place at the World Championship will be confirmed. The 22-year-old said on "Checkout" that he would then withdraw from the Super League, which would benefit Kevin Troppmann, who would move up through the Next-Gen Tour. Schmidt could then focus on the Grand Slam of Darts, which starts on 14 November, without the uncertainty of still having to qualify for the World Championship. For now, whether Schmidt qualifies for Ally Pally is out of his hands. Next week, he will probably be one of Crabtree's biggest supporters, knowing that a little under a month later, Crabtree could be his opponent in the biggest match of Schmidt's career.
