The rules of cricket are what make the game unique and clear. There is no formal governing body that makes up the laws for the sport, instead it’s left to each individual country to create their own set of regulations. Some countries update these rules more frequently than others though, which can be tricky to keep up with!
There are five main components of the law in cricket. These include Leg-Side Bounces, Runouts, Fielders, Throwings and Hit-Balls. Each one has its own chapter and article here on our website if you’d like to read more about them!
This article will go into some detail about the different types of bails and how they work. It’s important to know these things because sometimes there is confusion over whether or not an action constitutes as a legal bounce or illegal play.
The umpire
Like a referee in football, the person who calls the ball out or handball is referred to as an umpire. An umpire is someone that controls the game and has the final say on what happens during play.
The size and quality of their clothing doesn’t really matter. What does matter are those little white pants they wear under their shirt! (I will have to research whether that’s standard practice or not.)
In cricket there are three types of umpires: match referees, television umpires, and fielders. A match refree is usually one official per team, while a TV umpire works for the governing body and gets paid more. Fielders don’t get paid much, but they do get some kind of compensation for time off work.
As with any job where people make important decisions, there can be conflicts of interest. Some positions just aren’t meant to pay well because you need to feel comfortable making tough calls. As long as your conscience is clear, you’re okay though! — Sean O’Driscoll
These individuals control play by calling balls and strikes, awarding penalties when players are seen doing something wrong, etc. They also determine how many overs a player has before he or she is replaced.
Most professional matches last around five days, so each type of umpire only needs to oversee two-and-a-half games.
The captain
As mentioned before, the head coach is always referred to as the Captain. However, only certain positions in cricket have a true leader that gets promoted to Chief Executive Officer. That position is the Team Leader or Vice-Captain.
The other two positions are Fielder (wicketkeeper) and Bowler. For both of these positions, there is no official title given to them beyond just Player. This is because they are not led by someone else, but instead, their own personal qualities they possess as players.
For instance, if you look at it from a general leadership standpoint, some people are good motivators while others are leaders by example. A field player who works hard will earn the respect and trust of his team members which can propel him into the role of leader.
A wicket keeper or bowler can be an effective leader if they develop strong relationships with their teammates. By being honest and direct about what needs to be done, teamwork will thrive.
The team
There are five major components that make up the game of cricket. These include the field, the ball, the bat, the rule book and how to score.
The field is made up of six main areas: wicket, square leg, long-off, mid-off, coverpoint and gully. Each area has different functions depending on the situation. For example, the middle stump is an important part of the pitch because it adds length to your batsman’s run.
The ball can be bowled or batted with either a flat or round surface. A well-bowled ball will have more curl than a poorly bowled one. It depends on what type of shot you plan to take!
The laws of the game are in the form of rules. You would say these are like English grammar, they help define the game and understand its concepts. The Laws of the Game are referred to as the Rule Book and there are three versions – ICC (International Committee for Cricket), ECL (England) and CLT (Australia).
How to score
It sounds very simple but there is actually a method to scoring the most amount of points within the game of cricket. This is called the batting order and the person at number 1 is the opener. They get to choose whether to go first or not so they hold the position of captain by default.
From here, the other positions work in sequence towards the highest total possible.
The boundaries
The field is known as the field of play or pitch. This includes any area of the ground that is not part of the boundary, such as the outfield or the centre-circle. It also excludes anything like buildings or other outdoor spaces that are not part of the playing surface.
The field can be quite large at times. A typical cricket match will go for three to four hours depending on how many teams are in the game. During this time the ball may spend some time in the air, so it is important to know where the fields start and end.
There are several ways to determine when the ball has crossed the boundary line. If you’re watching from outside the stadium then using TV technology to check if the ball has gone out of bounds is the best way to do it.
Inside the stadium there are usually people with microphones who announce whether the umpire needs to signal a boundary cross. By listening for these announcements it becomes easier to know when the field is announced as having crossed the boundary.
The pitch
There are two main types of cricket pitches- grass or green, and flat. A green field is great for spectators as they do not need to worry about getting wet while watching the game. Unfortunately, this also means that it can be hard to see the ball unless it bounces or rolls away.
A slightly more common surface is dirt or soil which is better for TV coverage as there are fewer issues with visibility. This however, does mean that the ball will get stuck in the ground longer which can affect how the game is played.
A completely different type of pitch is one where the surface actually moves up and down! This is done by having a net below the wicket and then stakes going into the ground at varying heights. When a player hits the ball with the bat off the wicket it may bounce higher due to the net pulling it up. Or if it goes over the edge it may go down because of the stakes.
This kind of pitch makes the game less easy to play as you have to take into account how high the ball will bounce as well as whether it will stay still enough to allow a good batting shot or if it will keep moving so you must change your stroke accordingly.
The ball
The size, shape, material and bounce of the cricket ball are crucial rules in any game played with it. Different balls have different levels of softness or hardness which determine how much control you have over the bat when hitting it.
The Laws of the Game state that the ball must be made from cork or leather and should not contain metal parts. This is to prevent interference with the surface where the ball meets the batsman’s blade.
If the ball is hard then it will rebound more quickly off the wicket and this can give the batter an advantage by letting them hit straighter shots. If the ball is too soft they may lose their balance as they chase it and could hurt themselves badly.
There are many types of cricket ball available– something like twenty per team! Each one has its strengths and weaknesses depending on the type of play needed.
Leg-side boundaries
In cricket, there are three types of boundary that can be crossed when a run is scored. These include crossroads (fielders cannot stand in the middle), backwards (the field has to retreat as the batsman moves forward) and leg side (boundary off the back foot).
Leg side boundaries are usually very short – just enough for the ball to go over it and bounce away. Because this happens so quickly, these don’t give much time for the fielder to get out of position or start running towards the bouncing ball. This means they are typically easier to play than other types of boundary.
However, because they only take up little space, there is not always a lot of room for error. If a player hits the ball too hard, it may roll all the way down the pitch and into their house! Therefore, players must be careful not to swing the bat too hard while trying to score a quick goal through the power of the shot.
Off-side boundaries
In cricket, there are three types of field positions that determine when a player can go forward. These are the batting half-field, bowling halfway fields and off-side boundaries.
The batting half-field is an area just short of mid-off where the batsman cannot run unless he has made it into scoring position with the bat. This is so he does not have to chase down a ball too far away from his own goal.
Bowling halfway fields limit how much space the bowler needs to deliver the ball and how close they can get to the stumps before releasing the ball. An outside edge would be okay because it only goes as far as the boundary, but if the bowlers’ arm was fully extended then it could go beyond that!
Off-side boundaries exist in order to prevent what is called ‘backward running�’. A backward runner will gain an advantage by going back towards their goal or even behind another fielder.
