diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VCFRecord.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VCFRecord.java
index cdb0a88d8a8a2e2f7489c3ea48dc556df6bfab1c..b3079ac688dd1632b7801a5f9da32e438f1b5dc6 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VCFRecord.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VCFRecord.java
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public class VCFRecord
     rec.filter  = parts[6];
     rec.info    = parts[7];
     
-    if(parts.length > 10)
+    if(parts.length > 9)
     {
       rec.format  = (parts[8]).trim();
       final int nfmt = countOccurrences(rec.format, ':')+1; //rec.format.split(":").length;