The term “rules” may sound very formal and complicated, but there are only two rules in cricket! That is not to say that there are no guidelines or regulations outside of the two basic laws; you can call them out as such if need be.
But for the most part, when people refer to the “rules of cricket,” they mean just those two fundamental laws we mentioned earlier. Beyond that, there are three major categories of rule that many people count towards the number of cricketing rules.
These include the Laws of the Game, Fielders’ Duties, and Bowling Techniques. Some individuals also include the terms “The Cricketer’s Code” or even “Fair Play Principles” under their category of “Rules of Cricket.” All these refer to some form of ethical conduct that players are expected to abide by while representing an official match or event.
However, too often these extra concepts are overlooked by media members and other commentators who focus more heavily on enforcing the game’s actual statutes. This can sometimes lead to skewed perceptions about what actually constitutes a “good sport.” To avoid this, it is important to remember that the word “rule” has its origins in the term “rule of law,” which simply means “a set of principles governing behavior.
Law of the game
The law of the cricket is one that has been around since the sport was invented in England back in 1750. It is mentioned in several books about the history of cricket, and it seems to have fallen into disuse over time. But it has returned as an integral part of modern-day cricket!
The law states that once play has stopped due to bad light or darkness, then each side gets two minutes to recover before the next wicket becomes active. This gives both teams time to find batsmen to bring onto the field or change clothing depending on if they want to continue playing or not.
This also gives the players some time to discuss whether or not they wanted to keep going after being hit by the ball, or if they needed to call it quits because they could no longer see well enough to bat or bowl.
Law of the land
The law of the game is what happens next. This can be anything from an incident or rule being explained, to one of the teams having to run a play, to a goal being scored, to a new player coming into position for a role. Anything that comes up during the match is part of the cricketing landscape!
The laws are clearly written down somewhere, but it’s not until something major occurs that anyone actually looks at them. When you watch a cricket match live, you’re usually too busy watching the action unfold to take note of the rules. But when there is a lull in the action, the officials get out the book and go through the laws.
Law of the series
In cricket, there is one more rule than in other sports. This rule does not apply to any specific game but instead is referred to as the law of the series. This means that if both teams are at a rest period after an innings has been completed, then whoever wins the match will choose which stadium they want to play as their home ground for the next game.
The winner can be determined by several different factors such as who scored the most runs or how many wickets each team lost, but whatever they choose to use it doesn’t matter because this choice becomes the new law. The laws from before the rest break no longer exist!
This happens twice per season in men’s international cricket due to the World Cup and the Champions Trophy, where every two years a new host nation gets to pick between anywhere between one and three games at their own national park or arena. Same thing goes for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, where every four years we get to see either the 2019 FIFA FIFAWorld Cup final or the 2021 AFCWomen’s Asian Cup final.
Law of the tournament
The law of the tournament is an unusual rule that was made in order to create more exciting cricket. This law allows for one team to be awarded two points if they win by seven or less runs. If this happens, then their opponent does not get any points!
This effectively makes them champions due to having won by fewer than 7 runs. It also gives the winners extra motivation to perform better because they will potentially win the match even harder later in the game.
It can also have major repercussions on the championship race as the teams who lose could drop down a position depending how many points they earn. For example, if England were to play Australia in a One Day International, then under the current system, England would need to win by at least 10 runs to keep up with Australia.
Law of the match
The law of the match is always in effect during a cricket game. If there’s ever a situation where it seems like there are too many offences being committed, then you have to apply the rule that says if someone breaks the laws of the game enough times, they will be awarded a win against you!
This comes into play when a player is given out or disqualified for what would otherwise not only be considered normal bad behavior but also illegal activity.
For example, say Player A takes an unfair amount of time between balls while bowling. This could potentially give their opponents more opportunities to rest before the next ball, which is frowned upon.
If this happens enough times then according to the rules we discussed earlier, Player A has broken the Laws of the Game and must therefore forfeit the current wicket as well as any future ones until they learn how to bowl properly.
Law of the over
The law of the over is an indirect way to determine whether or not play should continue in cricket. It comes into effect when there are less than five balls remaining in the innings and the batting team needs at least one run to win.
The bowling team must ensure that they have enough time to bowl the last ball, but if they try to force it then you will lose the match! This could mean giving up on their goal of winning or going for a very close victory instead.
If the game ends with only two balls left then the rule does not apply as we mentioned before. You can read more about this here.
Law of the run out
The law of the run out is one that comes down to personal preference, but the most accepted rule is this: if you need to check your phone for something important, then it’s okay to walk off the field before doing so.
The game has enough rules built into it that there’s always someone around who can play the next ball or take over as wicketkeeper (or even batsman) while you go look at your phone.
If an official tells you that it’s not allowed, give them a hard time by saying that you did do it first! But don’t get too worked up about it because chances are they’re just trying to rile you.
They probably know what they’ve done wrong already, and want you to argue with them instead of accepting their word and moving on.
Law of the catch
The law of the catch comes down to this- you have to try to save it, even if it’s not your ball or batsman. If you feel like you can handle it, then do so!
If you are too slow in doing so though, that is okay as well. Because once you start trying to field it, it becomes more difficult for the batter to get home with it. So, by giving up your place, another player gets a chance to make a play on the ball.
This helps your team retain the football, because now there are fewer chances to drop it or lose it due to bad fielding. Or perhaps someone else makes a great effort to grab it before you could!
It also gives them better running conditions, as they don’t need to go after it themselves. They can just stay back and watch you work hard to give them a good opportunity to tackle the cricket ball.
