Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world! It can be hard to know all of the rules, however. Some people may not even know what rule applies to a situation because there are so many cricket laws.
The Laws of The Game go way beyond just how to score a goal or field a ball properly. There are several different types of offsides, timeouts, scrums, free kicks and more. These things occur less than half a percent of the total games but can make a big difference when they do!
It is very important for every fan to understand the game because these things happen too quickly for anyone who is watching at a slow speed. A casual fan might never see something get overturned due to an obscure law.
Luckily, we are here to help! From this article you will learn about all of the major parts of the game including how to watch a match, which team plays what position, and some easy ways to follow the game. More advanced players should look into some key terms as well.
Definition of the crease
The “crease” is the imaginary line that goes across the pitch just like in golf. In cricket, there are two creases. One is known as the batting crease and the other is called the bowling crease. These terms describe where each team has to place their side of the field.
The bat and ball must remain behind the bowling or batting crease all the time during play. This is what constitutes a legal hit! A legal run can be made if the player crosses either of these marks before a throw-in happens. If a throw-in does happen then it becomes an illegal bounce and part of the field is given back to the fielding team.
If a batter hits the ball over the boundary then this is a six. It depends on whether the fielder was positioned close enough to catch the ball with his hands or not. If he did then it is a legal drop and the batsman gets a score for one more run. But if they do not have their hand up high enough to catch the ball then it is an illegal shot and the batter loses a wicket.
Definition of the bat and ball
The term ‘ball’ is used to describe anything that comes off of the pitch, whether it be by gravity or bounce. A cricket ball will usually have markings on it to determine what time period it has been on the field. These are typically made up of two numbers separated by a decimal point such as 2½ or 3¼. As the game goes on, these times get shorter for reasons like grass getting wet or mud sticking to the surface.
When the balls hit the ground, it creates friction with the earth. This causes the ball to lose some energy, which makes it fly lower than if it was not touched down onto the soil. This is why batsmen often say they feel the ball coming in because it is flying low. Batsmen also use this feeling to help them decide when to go back into their shot.
The batting side gets one run for every player who stays within his boundary while the other team must gain a yard with each member going out.
Definition of a run
A run is any situation where the batter gets onto base (usually first or second) and then advances to another base either by walking, sliding, or diving. He must do this within his team’s time limit and he can be awarded a penalty if he stops before reaching safety.
A run can also occur when a fielder touches ground with their foot and is considered safe unless they are trying to field a ball or stop a batsman from advancing into position. In that case it is an out via grounding rule and a one-run penalty is given to the batting side.
The number of runs scored in a cricket match comes down to a few factors. These include how many balls were completed, whether there was a timed end to the game, and how many times someone falls over or is caught off balance while running.
Definition of a catch
A catch is any way that an fielder touches the ball with his hands or body after it has gone out of the field of play.
A player can be awarded a catch if they run towards the bounce of the ball, jump to grab the ball, or even pluck it from the ground using their hand or arm.
If a batsman drops his bat in order to make a catch then he will usually get two runs added onto the score for one extra boundary. This is because a one-run penalty is given for dropping the wicket.
Definition of a drop
In cricket there is a definition for what constitutes a ‘dropped’wicket. If the bails come off the top of the wicket then this does not constitute a dropped wicket. However, if the bails are taken down by force (for example, when the batter catches them) then this would be considered a dropped wicket.
This rule was put into place so that players do not deliberately lose the game by taking away the bails themselves.
Definition of a dead ball
A cricket match comes to an end when a team has been defeated or has run out of time. This is done through one of two ways – by being bowled out, or by having their batting side be dismissed for zero or less.
When this happens, the other team will usually win the game because they have either won the match outright with a victory in the second half of the contest, or they will achieve a loss due to the opposing team achieving a tie.
Either way it is good for the betting community as it creates more opportunities for money to be made!
A cricket match can also become extended if there are lots of runs scored during play. This happened last year’s Ashes series where Australia were very heavily favoured to retain the urn until all ten matches had finished.
Definition of a DRS
A Decision Review System (DRS) is an interactive decision making tool used to determine if a ball has crossed the boundary or not. It was first implemented in Test cricket in Australia in 2001, and then extended to One Day Internationals (ODIs) in 2013.
The technology was later adapted for use in Twenty-Twenty (T20) international matches at all levels. The ICC decided to make it global by introducing a unified DRS system across all three formats in 2016.
Since its inception, the DRS has been met with both positive and negative feedback. Some argue that it takes away some of the human element from the game, while others believe that it can be too quick to use and distract players.
However, most agree that it does add another layer to test your expertise as a referee! If you are unsure whether or not the ball has gone over the fence, there is always the Technology Guy who will let you know what his team thinks about it.
Definition of time
Time can be defined as ‘the passing of events’ or something that happens every now and then. For example, if you look outside your window at 10 o’clock in the morning, it is an instance of time happening.
Time is also referred to as the fourth dimension because we experience three dimensions – length, width and height. There is also a time component to everything that has momentum so there are times when time seems to slow down and even stop!
When talking about time in relation to cricket, we use the word break which refers to the end of one period of play and the start of another. A cricket match has two distinct periods known as ends of day and end of test.
During a normal day of cricket, players will need to rest after the close of play which is the end of the test. This gives them enough time to recover for the next day’s game. The same applies to a Test match where players must re-focus before the second day begins.
How the DRS is used
The Decision Review System (DRS) was first implemented in cricket during the 2015 World Cup. Since then, it has grown into one of the most talked about features of the game. Nowadays, you can find it being used almost every match!
The technology behind the DRS is quite complex, but to understand how it works, there are three main components that must be understood. These are: the screen for reviews, the people who use the system, and what happens when there’s a review.
When a review is called, either by the umpire or through the use of the DRS, someone from the field will go up to the other team’s players and get their opinion as to whether the ball crossed the boundary. This person is referred to as a “referring player” because they are asking the other team if the call should be changed due to something that happened off the pitch.
After getting this feedback, the on-field referee will make his/her decision depending on whether the referral was made before or after the ball crossed the boundary. If made before, then no action will be taken, but if made after, the referees will ask for a re-offence so they can start the play again. Once the start of play has been determined, then an additional 30 seconds will be added onto the next stoppage time, which is usually between deliveries.
