Rules
The laws that shape every decision on the field. 1,207 guides, page 12 of 26.
Test vs T20 Batting: How Players Adapt Between Formats
The greatest challenge in modern cricket is switching between Test and T20 batting. Learn how technique, mindset, and shot selection differ between formats and how top players adapt their games effectively.
Read explainerCricket's Famous Tied Matches: Tests, ODIs, and the 2019 Final
From the 1960 Brisbane tie to the 2019 World Cup final Super Over, the rarest outcomes in cricket — tied matches — and the extraordinary circumstances that produced them.
Read explainerThe Laws of Cricket: How Cricket's Rules Were Made
From the 1744 Articles of Agreement to the MCC's modern Laws — the history of how cricket codified its rules, resolved controversies, and adapted to new formats.
Read explainerThe Switch Hit: Cricket's Most Controversial Batting Innovation
What the switch hit is, how it is executed, the legal debate it sparked, and how Kevin Pietersen and Ben Stokes mastered it against spin bowling.
Read explainerToss Strategy in Test Cricket: Bat or Bowl First?
How captains decide whether to bat or bowl after winning the toss in Test cricket — pitch conditions, weather, team composition and historical data.
Read explainerDeclaration in Cricket: When to Declare & the Risk of Getting It Wrong
How Test captains decide when to declare their innings closed — the calculation of runs, time remaining, pitch conditions, and the consequences of getting it wrong.
Read explainerHawk-Eye Ball Tracking in Cricket: How It Works & LBW Reviews
What Hawk-Eye is, how the ball-tracking technology works, how it determines LBW impact zones, and the ICC's 'umpire's call' margin explained.
Read explainerSnickometer & Ultra Edge in Cricket DRS: How They Detect Edges
How the Snickometer and Ultra Edge technology work to detect bat-ball contact in cricket, how they are used in DRS, and their limitations.
Read explainerDRS Strategy for Batters: When to Review & When to Save Your Review
How batters use the Decision Review System strategically — which decisions to review, when to save reviews for later, and common mistakes in DRS usage.
Read explainerThe Two Tied Tests in Cricket History
Only two Tests in cricket history have ended in a tie — the 1960 Brisbane Test between Australia and West Indies, and the 1986 Chennai Test between India and Australia. Both remain remarkable sporting events.
Read explainerFollow-On in Cricket: Rules and Famous Examples
A complete guide to the follow-on in Test cricket — what it is, when a captain can enforce it, why some captains choose not to, and the most famous follow-on comeback in history.
Read explainerObstructing the Field: Cricket's Rare Dismissal Explained
A complete guide to obstructing the field in cricket — how this rare dismissal works, famous examples, how it differs from handled the ball, and the incidents that brought it into public consciousness.
Read explainerPowerplay Rules in Cricket: ODIs and T20s Explained
A complete guide to powerplay rules in cricket — how fielding restrictions work in ODIs and T20s, the mandatory powerplay, batting powerplay, and how they shape tactics at the start of each innings.
Read explainerOverthrows in Cricket: Rules, Records, and the 2019 World Cup Controversy
Everything you need to know about overthrows in cricket — how they are scored, when six overthrows can be awarded, and the controversial 2019 World Cup final overthrows incident.
Read explainerOver Rates in Cricket: Rules, Penalties, and Why They Matter
Understanding cricket over rates — how many overs per hour teams are expected to bowl, what happens when they fall short, and the ICC's penalties for slow over rates in international cricket.
Read explainerDukes vs Kookaburra vs SG: Cricket Ball Differences Explained
The key differences between Dukes, Kookaburra, and SG cricket balls — why each ball behaves differently for swing, seam, and spin, and which countries use each ball type.
Read explainerCricket Umpire Duties: What Umpires Do, Signals, and How They Decide
A complete guide to cricket umpire duties — the on-field signals, how LBW and run-out decisions are made, the third umpire's role, and the history of cricket umpiring.
Read explainerCricket Weather Rules: Rain, Bad Light, and When Play Stops
How cricket handles weather interruptions — when umpires offer bad light, how rain delays work, the DLS method in limited-overs cricket, and the infamous covering controversies.
Read explainerDLS Method Explained: How Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Sets Revised Targets
A step-by-step explanation of the DLS method — how it works, why it replaced previous rain-rule systems, common DLS scenarios, and why people find it confusing.
Read explainerFielding Restrictions in Cricket: Powerplays and Circles Explained
A full guide to cricket's fielding restrictions — Powerplay overs, the 30-yard circle, fielding limits outside the circle, and how restrictions differ across T20, ODI, and Test cricket formats.
Read explainerThe Free Hit Rule in Cricket: What It Is and When It Applies
A complete explanation of the free hit in cricket — what triggers it, which deliveries qualify, what a batter can and cannot do on a free hit, and how the rule has changed run scoring in T20 and ODI cricket.
Read explainerTechnology in Cricket Umpiring: DRS, Hawkeye, Hot Spot & More
A complete guide to the Decision Review System (DRS) and cricket's umpiring technology — how Hawkeye, Hot Spot, UltraEdge, and ball-tracking work, DRS rules, and how technology has changed dismissal decisions.
Read explainerStump Microphones in Cricket: How They Work and What We Hear
A complete guide to the stump microphone in cricket — what it is, how it works, what it captures, its use in broadcasting and DRS decisions, and the famous conversations and sounds it has produced.
Read explainerCricket Boundaries: Fours, Sixes, Boundary Rules & Famous Sixes
A complete guide to boundaries in cricket — the 30-yard circle, rope boundaries, six rules, overthrow boundaries, boundary catches, and the most famous sixes in cricket history.
Read explainerDraws in Test Cricket: When and How a Match Ends Without a Result
A complete guide to draws in Test cricket — how they happen, why they matter, famous drawn Test matches, the fifth-day calculations, and why draws are fundamental to Test cricket's character.
Read explainerLeg Spin Bowling in Cricket: Complete Guide to the Art
How leg spin bowling works in cricket — googly, flipper, top-spinner, wrong-un. Why it is the hardest bowling art and who mastered it best.
Read explainerNew Ball Swing Bowling: How Fast Bowlers Move It in Cricket
How swing bowling works with the new ball in cricket — conventional swing, reverse swing, and seam movement. Why some bowlers swing and others don't.
Read explainerLeft-Arm Spin in Cricket: Orthodox and Chinaman Explained
How left-arm spin bowling works — orthodox left-arm spin vs left-arm wrist spin (Chinaman). Key deliveries, famous practitioners, and when it is used.
Read explainerLBW in Cricket: Complete Rules, Exceptions, and How Decisions Are Made
Everything about LBW in cricket — the full law, impact rules, pitching outside leg, umpire's call, DRS reviews, and why LBW decisions are so complex.
Read explainerMankading in Cricket: The Rule, History, and Controversy Explained
What Mankading is in cricket, why it was controversial, the 2022 rule change making it fully legal, and the history of famous Mankad dismissals.
Read explainerCricket Umpire Signals: Complete Guide to Every Signal and Its Meaning
Every cricket umpire signal explained — four, six, wide, no ball, out, dead ball, DRS, boundary, bye, and more. What each arm position means on the field.
Read explainerHawk-Eye Technology in Cricket: How Ball-Tracking Works
Hawk-Eye uses six cameras to track the cricket ball in 3D and predict its trajectory for LBW decisions. Learn how the technology works, its accuracy, and why it changed DRS.
Read explainerHotspot Technology in Cricket: Infrared Edge Detection Explained
Hotspot uses infrared cameras to detect friction heat from ball-on-bat or ball-on-pad contact. Learn how it works, why it is used in DRS, and its known limitations.
Read explainerThe Art of Fielding Captaincy: How Captains Set Fields in Cricket
Setting a cricket field is one of the game's most nuanced tactical acts. Learn how captains analyse batsmen, use fielding restrictions, and position eleven players to apply maximum pressure.
Read explainerBall Tampering in Cricket: History, Rules, and Famous Incidents
Ball tampering — illegally altering the cricket ball's surface — has caused some of cricket's biggest controversies. Learn the rules, how players tamper, and the Australian sandpaper affair of 2018.
Read explainerHow Cricket's Laws Changed: A History of Rule Developments
Cricket's Laws have evolved dramatically since 1744 — from underarm bowling to overarm, from no helmets to DRS. Learn how the key rule changes shaped the game we know today.
Read explainerLeg Spin in Cricket: The Art of the Wrist Spinner
Leg spin is cricket's most difficult and most devastating bowling art — a delivery that turns from leg to off using wrist rotation. Warne, Mushtaq and Rashid are its modern masters.
Read explainerOff Spin in Cricket: Finger Spin, Doosra and the Art of Accuracy
Off spin is the most controlled form of spin bowling — using finger rotation to turn from off to leg. Masters like Muralitharan, Swann and Ashwin have made it devastating.
Read explainerWicketkeeper-Batsman in Cricket: The Game's Most Demanding Role
The wicketkeeper-batsman combines the game's most technically demanding fielding role with the need to score runs. MS Dhoni, AB de Villiers and Kumar Sangakkara defined the position.
Read explainerFast Bowling in Cricket: Pace, Swing and the Art of Bowling Quick
Fast bowling is cricket's most explosive skill — demanding physical conditioning, mastery of swing, seam and bounce to dismiss batsmen at 80–100 mph.
Read explainerSeam Bowling in Cricket: How the Seam Creates Movement off the Pitch
Seam bowling uses the ball's raised seam to generate unpredictable movement after it pitches. James Anderson, Glenn McGrath and Richard Hadlee are its finest practitioners.
Read explainerDRS in Cricket: How the Decision Review System Works
The Decision Review System (DRS) allows teams to challenge on-field umpire decisions using technology. This guide explains reviews, Hawk-Eye, UltraEdge and the umpire's call rule.
Read explainerCatching in Cricket: Slip Cordon, Outfield and the Art of the Take
Catching is the most common mode of dismissal in cricket. This guide covers slip catching, outfield catches, catching technique, famous drops and the rules around catches.
Read explainerGround Fielding in Cricket: Saving Runs, Run-Outs and the Modern Athlete
Ground fielding — stopping boundaries, effecting run-outs and throwing with precision — has transformed in the T20 era. Elite fielders now save 15–20 runs per ODI game.
Read explainerNo-Ball in Cricket: Rules, Types and the Free Hit
A no-ball gives the batting side an extra delivery and in limited-overs cricket, a free hit. This guide covers all the ways a no-ball can be called — from overstepping to dangerous bowling.
Read explainerWide Ball in Cricket: Rules, Umpire Signals and Format Differences
A wide ball is a delivery too far from the batsman to be playable — conceding an extra run and a re-delivery. Wide standards differ significantly between Test, ODI and T20 cricket.
Read explainerFree Hit in Cricket: Rules, Strategy and How It Changed T20
The free hit gives a batsman a guaranteed delivery where they cannot be dismissed (except by run-out). Introduced for T20 cricket, it has become one of the game's most dramatic moments.
Read explainerRain and Weather Rules in Cricket: D/L Method, Stops and Delays
Rain interruptions in cricket use the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method to set revised targets. This guide explains how DLS works, abandonment rules, and weather's impact on Test cricket.
Read explainerRules — Cricket Guides
The Laws of Cricket are maintained by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and have governed the game since 1744. Understanding them separates a casual viewer from someone who truly follows what is happening on the field.
The most debated law in cricket is Law 36 — Leg Before Wicket (LBW). A batter is out LBW when the ball hits their body (not the bat) and the umpire judges it would have gone on to hit the stumps, provided the ball pitched in line or outside off stump, and the batter was not playing a shot outside their leg stump. The introduction of the Decision Review System (DRS) has made LBW decisions far more accurate: ball-tracking technology predicts the ball's path with sub-centimetre precision, and 'Umpire's Call' retains the on-field decision when the ball is clipping the stumps rather than hitting them full.
Fielding restrictions shape the scoring patterns of every limited-overs match. In an ODI, Powerplay 1 (overs 1–10) restricts the fielding team to two fielders outside the 30-yard circle, creating an open outfield that rewards early aggression. Batting Powerplay (the optional five overs, typically taken in the middle) can be used strategically to attack a weakened bowling spell. In T20Is the first six overs are mandatory Powerplay with only two fielders outside the circle. These restrictions evolved to encourage higher scoring and make limited-overs cricket more watchable — and the data shows run rates in the first six overs of a T20I now average above 9 per over at the highest level.
The free hit rule, introduced to penalise no-balls, awards the batter a delivery from which they cannot be dismissed by any fielded method — only a run-out or handling the ball applies. In T20Is, a front-foot no-ball typically costs 2–3 additional runs (the extras plus the free-hit delivery) when a batter capitalises. The wide rule differs by format: in Tests, a ball must be genuinely out of reach to be called wide; in T20Is the umpire stands closer to the stumps when calling wides, meaning straighter deliveries are penalised even if the batter could theoretically reach them. These rules, and dozens more, are covered in depth across this collection of 1,200+ guides.
Rare dismissals — handled ball, hit the ball twice, timed out, obstructing the field — appear occasionally at all levels and cause confusion even among experienced fans. The DRS protocol, the no-ball review process (now referred to the third umpire), ball-change procedures, the follow-on threshold (200 runs in Tests, 150 in five-day matches), and the Mankad (non-striker run-out pre-delivery) all feature in detail across the guides in this section. Whether you want to settle a pub argument about whether a batter can be given out obstructing the field for accidentally deflecting a return throw, or understand exactly when a match referee can intervene, you will find the answer here.
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