Rules
The laws that shape every decision on the field. 1,207 guides, page 24 of 26.
No Ball in Cricket: All the Ways a Bowler Can Bowl a No Ball
A no ball costs one run and gives the batter a free hit in limited-overs cricket — here are all the reasons an umpire can call no ball.
Read explainerCaught Behind in Cricket: How the Dismissal Works
A caught-behind dismissal occurs when the batter edges the ball and the wicketkeeper or slip fielders catch it before it touches the ground.
Read explainerRun Out in Cricket: How and When a Batter Is Run Out
A run out occurs when a fielder breaks the stumps with the ball while the batter is short of their crease during a run — it is one of the most dramatic moments in cricket.
Read explainerObstructing the Field in Cricket: Law 37 Explained
Obstructing the field is a rare dismissal in which a batter deliberately impedes a fielder — it can also be given if a batter uses their hand or arm to deflect the ball.
Read explainerHandled the Ball in Cricket: The Old Law Explained
Handling the ball was a separate dismissal until 2017, when it was merged into obstructing the field — but understanding its history explains why touching the ball with your hand is still an out.
Read explainerTimed Out in Cricket: The Rarely Used Law 40
Timed out is the rarest dismissal in cricket — a batter is out if they take more than three minutes to be ready to face the next ball after a wicket falls.
Read explainerDeclarations in Cricket: When and Why Captains Declare
A declaration allows a batting captain to close their innings voluntarily before all wickets have fallen — timing it correctly is a mark of a shrewd Test captain.
Read explainerDangerous and Unfair Bowling in Cricket: Bouncers and Body-Line
Cricket law restricts bowling that poses an unreasonable risk to the batter — repeated bouncers and persistent short balls at the body can result in no-ball calls and warnings.
Read explainerOver Rate Penalties in Cricket: Why Slow Over Rates Are Punished
Fielding teams are required to bowl a minimum number of overs per hour — falling short results in fines, suspended bans, and in some cases, fielding restrictions.
Read explainerImpact Player Rule in IPL: How It Changes T20 Strategy
The Impact Player rule, introduced in the IPL from 2023, allows teams to substitute one player during a match — fundamentally reshaping team selection and in-match tactics.
Read explainerCricket Fielding Circle Explained: The 30-Yard Rule and Why It Exists
The 30-yard fielding circle limits where fielders can stand in limited-overs cricket — understanding it reveals why boundaries are more frequent in early overs.
Read explainerCricket Sight Screen: Why It Exists and How It Helps Batters
Sight screens are the large white or black boards placed at each end of a cricket ground to help batters track the ball against the background — a critical safety and fairness measure.
Read explainerCricket Substitutes and Replacements: What the Laws Allow
Cricket has strict rules about substituting players mid-match — understanding them clarifies when a fielding substitute is permitted and when an Impact Player can bat or bowl.
Read explainerWides, No-Balls, and Free Hits: The Rules Explained
Wides, no-balls, and free hits are among the most important penalty and bonus rules in cricket, directly affecting scoring, wickets, and match strategy.
Read explainerDRS Reviews and Umpire's Call: The Decision Review System
The Decision Review System allows players to challenge on-field umpiring decisions using Hawkeye, Snickometer, and Hot Spot technology in Test and limited-overs cricket.
Read explainerThe Square Leg Umpire in Cricket: Role and Responsibilities
The square leg umpire stands at square leg to judge run-outs, stumpings from that end, and assists the main umpire with various on-field decisions.
Read explainerHow the TV Umpire Review Process Works in Cricket
The TV umpire review process — from a team requesting a review to the on-field umpire announcing the final decision — follows a strict protocol that ensures fairness and consistency.
Read explainerThe Dew Factor in Night Cricket: How It Changes the Game
Dew settles on the outfield and ball in evening matches, making the ball harder to grip, difficult to swing, and the outfield faster — significantly affecting team strategy.
Read explainerExtras in Cricket: Wides, No-Balls, Byes, Leg Byes and Penalty Runs
Extras are runs added to a team's total that are not scored off the bat — understanding each type helps batters, fielders, and fans follow the game accurately.
Read explainerByes and Leg Byes in Cricket: Rules and Scoring Explained
Byes and leg byes are extras charged to the fielding side rather than the bowler — knowing when they are (and are not) awarded clears up one of cricket's most confused scoring rules.
Read explainerWides in Cricket: When Is a Delivery Called Wide?
A wide is called when the ball passes the batter outside the designated markers — but the rules differ between Test and limited-overs cricket.
Read explainerNo-Ball in Cricket: Types, Penalties and Free Hits
A no-ball is one of cricket's most impactful infringements — it adds a run, must be re-bowled, and in limited-overs cricket triggers a free hit on the next delivery.
Read explainerOverthrows in Cricket: When Fielding Errors Give Extra Runs
Overthrows occur when a fielder's return throw misses the stumps and travels to the boundary — understanding how they are scored clears up a common scoreboard puzzle.
Read explainerLost Ball in Cricket: What Happens When the Ball Cannot Be Found
The lost ball law is one of cricket's rarest provisions — it exists for situations where the ball cannot be recovered during play, and has specific scoring consequences.
Read explainerRetiring Hurt in Cricket: Rules and Return Conditions
A batter who is injured or becomes unwell during an innings may retire hurt — understanding the rule clarifies when they can return and how it affects the innings.
Read explainerRetired Out in Cricket: The Voluntary Retirement Dismissal
Retiring out is a rarely used but legitimate way for a batter to end their innings voluntarily — it counts as a dismissal and requires the opposing captain's consent to reverse.
Read explainerDeclaring an Innings in Cricket: When and Why Captains Declare
A declaration allows a captain to end their team's innings voluntarily — it is a strategic tool used to set up a result in Test cricket and, rarely, in other formats.
Read explainerForfeiting an Innings in Cricket: How and Why It Happens
An innings forfeiture allows a team to concede an entire innings without batting — it is the ultimate act of sporting agreement to generate a result from a match heading for a draw.
Read explainerRain Delays in Cricket: How Play Is Suspended and Resumed
Rain is cricket's most common interruption — understanding how delays are managed, when overs are reduced, and how the DLS method works helps fans follow every weather-affected match.
Read explainerAnti-Doping in Cricket: ICC Rules and Testing
Cricket operates under a comprehensive anti-doping programme governed by the ICC and WADA — understanding the rules, testing process, and consequences helps players protect their careers.
Read explainerICC Code of Conduct: Player Behaviour Rules in International Cricket
The ICC Code of Conduct governs player and team official behaviour in international cricket — covering everything from dissent and verbal abuse to pitch tampering and match-fixing.
Read explainerThe Spirit of Cricket: Preamble to the Laws Explained
The Spirit of Cricket is not just a phrase — it is a formal preamble to the Laws of Cricket that defines the ethical foundation the game is built on.
Read explainerThe Mankad Debate: Law vs Spirit in Cricket
Running out the non-striker backing up — long known as a Mankad — is now formally a run out under the Laws but remains one of cricket's most debated actions in the context of the Spirit of Cricket.
Read explainerCricket Umpiring Basics: How to Umpire a Club Cricket Match
Good umpiring is essential for the enjoyment of cricket at all levels. This guide covers the fundamental decisions, signals and protocols an umpire needs for a club cricket match.
Read explainerDRS in Cricket: How the Decision Review System Works
The Decision Review System (DRS) has transformed cricket umpiring. This guide explains how DRS works, what technologies it uses, and how teams should use their reviews strategically.
Read explainerStumped Out in Cricket: When Is a Batter Stumped?
Stumping is a wicketkeeper dismissal that occurs when a batter moves out of their crease and the keeper breaks the stumps. This guide explains the Law, common scenarios and how it differs from a run-out.
Read explainerObstructing the Field in Cricket: Law 37 Explained
Obstructing the field is a rare but significant dismissal in cricket. This guide explains what constitutes obstruction, famous examples, and how the Law interacts with the retired hurt rule.
Read explainerCricket Bat Rules: Size, Weight and Material Specifications
Cricket bats are governed by Laws that specify maximum dimensions and permitted materials. This guide explains the legal specifications for a cricket bat, why they exist, and what happens when bats break the rules.
Read explainerCricket Helmet Rules: Protection Standards and Safety Requirements
Protective helmets are now mandatory at many levels of cricket. This guide explains current helmet safety standards, when helmets must be worn, and how helmet technology has evolved to protect cricketers.
Read explainerCricket Pitch Dimensions: Size, Markings and Regulations
The cricket pitch's exact dimensions are specified by the Laws of Cricket. This guide covers pitch length, width, crease markings, and the regulations that govern how a pitch must be prepared.
Read explainerOver Rate in Cricket: The Law, Penalties, and Its Impact on Play
Teams must bowl a minimum number of overs per day in Test cricket — the over-rate law prevents teams from slowing the game down deliberately and carries real penalties for non-compliance.
Read explainerDuck in Cricket: Types of Ducks and Their Significance
A duck — scoring zero — is one of cricket's most notable failures. This guide explains the different types of ducks, their impact on batting averages, and famous ducks in cricket history.
Read explainerCentury in Cricket: Scoring 100 Runs and Its Significance
A century — scoring 100 or more runs in a single innings — is the benchmark milestone in batting. This guide explains what a century means, records around it, and how it differs across formats.
Read explainerFollow-On in Test Cricket: When and Why to Enforce It
The follow-on allows a team with a large first-innings lead to ask their opponents to bat again immediately. This guide explains the rule, the strategic debate and famous follow-on results.
Read explainerCricket Umpiring Technology: Tools Modern Umpires Use
Technology has transformed cricket umpiring. This guide covers the full toolkit modern umpires use — from light meters and stump microphones to DRS ball tracking — and how these tools assist decision-making.
Read explainerLBW, Umpire's Call and DRS Reviews: A Practical Guide
LBW reviews in the DRS era require understanding 'umpire's call'. This guide explains when a review for LBW succeeds, when it fails despite looking out, and how to read DRS ball-tracking graphics.
Read explainerCricket Fielding Restrictions and Powerplay Rules Explained
A clear guide to cricket fielding circles, powerplay rules in ODIs and T20s, and how fielding restrictions shape limited-overs tactics.
Read explainerCricket Pitch Preparation and Curation: How Groundsmen Shape Matches
A detailed look at how cricket pitches are prepared, what makes a fast or spin-friendly surface, and the role of the groundsman in shaping match outcomes.
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.
← Back to all cricket guides · Cricket Glossary (1,900+ terms) · Test your knowledge →