PDC referee Owen Binks is the definition of a jack of all trades.

From calling matches on-stage to spotting for the television broadcast, Binks can do it all.

His career is only getting started, and he's beyond excited for what's to come in the coming years.

Like many, Binks got into the sport when he was a child, watching the biggest televised event each year, the PDC World Championship.

He started watching around age 10 or 11, but the actual darts action wasn't the only enticing thing that drew him into watching.

"I was a bit of an odd child. I'd be more interested in the numbers side of it, and I'd be sitting there trying to call out the scores quicker than the ref, and learn the patterns," Binks told The Sporting News.

Most children who are into darts have the dream of one day being a professional player, but for Binks, it was the complete opposite.

"I played a little bit, but I wanted to be a ref more for some reason...I was never really good, and it never crossed my mind that I wanted to be a player," Binks said.

At 17, Binks decided to message PDC referee Kirk Bevins for some tips on how to get into refereeing.

Bevins directed him in the right direction to get his feet wet with marking (keeping score next to the referee), which eventually turned into him working on the Challenge Tour and Pro Tour.

As he got more experience, he was given opportunities to mark matches for TV games, and eventually overtook recently retired referee George Noble, which has gotten him more on-stage refereeing opportunities in the PDC.

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On the pressures of following George Noble

Binks spoke fondly of all the current and past PDC referees, and cited Noble as one of his favorites.

"He's [George Noble] the greatest referee of all time, in my opinion. I looked up to him...I was interested in all of them; they're all brilliant in their own ways. Russ [Bray] is a legend; Paul Hinks was a ref when I was watching, and Bevins [Kirk] helped me out and gave me direction on where to go...they're all colleagues now, or former colleagues...I have a lot of respect for all of them," Binks said.

It wasn't easy for Noble to be the one he replaced when he retired, as Noble left big shoes for Binks to fill.

"When I go into the World Championship, there will be a lot of pressure, for sure. I'll be nervous. You can never replace George, but I want to be different from George...big shoes to fill certainly...of course there's pressure; if you make a mistake, everyone in the world can see it," Binks said.

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The art of 'spotting'

Binks is mainly known and seen when he officiates matches, but he does a lot of key things behind the scenes as well.

Binks does a good amount of spotting for the broadcasts at tournaments, and plays a massive role in the product we see every time we tune in to watch matches.

"He's [the spotter] is basically the person who tells the director where the players are going to throw, so I'm looking into the players' eyes...I'm obviously looking at what score they're on, and telling the director where to go in certain events, and when there's manual camera people, I'll be telling them where to go," Binks said.

Double Start Spotting at the World Grand Prix @OfficialPDC @SkySportsDarts 🎥🎯 https://t.co/lsqR1x3ezC

— Owen Binks (@BinksOwen) October 2, 2026

Both officiating and spotting require significant focus, and any mistakes made can be seen by the audience. One is worse to make a mistake in than the other, though, in Binks eyes.

"More pressure doing the refereeing, because you can't hide...when I'm spotting, no one knows I'm spotting," Binks said.

Certain players, like Ryan Searle, can be tough to read for spotters, so guessing where the player is throwing is harder in certain scenarios.

"It's very hard to read his [Searle's] eyes...you might make one or two mistakes...if I was up on stage refereeing and I made two errors in one night, I would be very upset," Binks said.

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A dream finally coming to fruition

Binks has been involved with the PDC and darts for a number of years now, but still feels like he's finally living the life he's always dreamt of.

"I've achieved my dream job...when I do ref events, it's a pinch-me moment still; I'm like, how is this happening? At the World Championship, I'm working every day up until the final...It's where I wanted to be from day one, holding the microphone. I'm really happy when I'm up there; it's an amazing feeling," Binks said.

With this being his first year in a new role with the PDC, his opportunities have been fewer than those of the tenured officials (Kirk Bevins, Huw Ware, Charlie Corstorphine, etc.), but that could change in 2027, as Binks hopes to get a few more bigger officiating opportunities.

Binks, in one of his first on-stage officiating roles in the PDC, had the privilege of calling an incredible nine-darter hit by Gian van Veen in the first-ever Poland Darts Masters final, which still amazes Binks months later.

"I've never had a feeling like that moment; something came over my body ...the seventh dart and then the eighth dart, my chest was pumping...I've been on stage for loads of nine-darters, marking, but knowing that I then have to react to it on my first weekend in the final...unbelievable feeling...more adrenaline than I've ever felt before," Binks said.

Binks is an official, but a darts fan himself, and admitted he had to hold back the fan-side he had, witnessing such an incredible moment.

"My brain was on a different planet; you just have to remain professional and get the words out," Binks said.

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Social media presence and recognizability

Binks likes to have a bit of fun off the oche, and posts comedic skits that he films with professional players to give his followers a laugh.

It started when the head of social media at MODUS approached him, encouraging him to upload some content, considering the unique personality he has.

"It became popular; for some reason, people like me. Originally, I was just talking about the best ways to go on different finishes...you have to try and make it fun, or else people will get bored. I do that a lot when I'm at MODUS. It's good fun, isn't it?" Binks said.

From being on stage and posting these social media skits, Binks has found himself running into more fans of his at events and on the street.

"Since the social media, it's [being recognized] has happened way more. The thing people say to me the most is not so much 'oh you're the ref!, I like your reffing!'; it's 'I love your videos!, I like your TikToks!'...even in the streets I get noticed a bit now," Binks said.

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Binks' impact and what he hopes for the future

Binks acknowledged the players are in the spotlight, but he likes how he can have an impact on the audience as well.

"I like the fact that I've had a few messages that young people are inspired by me," Binks said.

Binks has dealt with ADHD throughout his life, which has made it difficult before his career in darts to find a job where he belongs, but he is enjoying what he gets to do now, which has inspired others.

Binks wants to be the best referee he can be, and although looking far ahead into the future can be hard to do, he does have one specific big career goal.

"My dream is to call a world final... let's see where I end up; I have no idea," Binks said.

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