Women's Cricket Rules and Differences: Ball Weight, Formats, WPL vs IPL Explained
The rules specific to women's cricket — ball weight difference vs men's, format differences, scoring, WPL vs IPL comparison, and how the women's game differs from the men's.
Women's cricket follows the same Laws of Cricket as the men's game, with several specific modifications that reflect physiological differences and the women's game's historical development. These differences are smaller than many fans assume — the core rules of batting, bowling, fielding, and scoring are identical — but the specific variations in ball weight, pitch length (for junior competitions), and format structure are worth understanding for anyone who follows both forms of the game.
The Cricket Ball: Women's vs Men's
The most fundamental equipment difference between the men's and women's international game is the ball weight. A women's international cricket ball weighs between 140 and 151 grams, compared to between 155.9 and 163 grams for the men's game. The women's ball is approximately 5-8% lighter and correspondingly slightly smaller in circumference. Despite this difference, the same Dukes, Kookaburra, or SG ball manufacturers supply both, and the playing dynamics — swing, seam, spin — are substantially similar. At junior levels, pitch lengths are also adjusted, but international women's cricket uses the same 22-yard (20.12-metre) pitch as men's.
Format Differences: Tests, ODIs and T20s
Women's international cricket features Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, matching the three formats of the men's game. Women's Tests are currently played over four days rather than five — a structural difference that critics argue reduces the significance of the format and the time available for either team to force a result. Women's ODIs are 50 overs per side (identical to men's), and Women's T20Is follow the same 20-over format as the men's game. Women's Test cricket has historically been played far less frequently than the men's game, though the ICC has moved to increase the number of Tests in recent Future Tours Programmes.
WPL vs IPL: The Women's Franchise Revolution
The Women's Premier League (WPL), launched in 2023, is India's franchise T20 competition for women — modelled closely on the Indian Premier League. The WPL uses the same auction system, city-based franchise structure, and broadcast model as the IPL, but with important differences: the WPL season is shorter (fewer matches), the player salaries, while vastly higher than any previous women's cricket contracts, are significantly lower than IPL equivalents, and the competition has five teams compared to the IPL's ten. The WPL has been transformative for women's player salaries globally — creating a new upper tier of earnings that has influenced negotiations in Australia (WBBL), England, and beyond.
- Women's international ball weight: 140-151 grams (men's: 155.9-163 grams)
- Women's Tests: 4 days (men's: 5 days)
- Women's ODIs and T20Is: same format as men's game
- WPL: 5 franchises, launched 2023, first champions were Mumbai Indians Women
- WBBL: 8 franchises, launched 2015, Australia's premier women's T20 competition
- ICC Women's World Cup: held every four years in ODI format
Growing Broadcast and Viewership Parity
One of the most significant recent developments in women's cricket has been broadcast investment. The 2023 WPL secured broadcast rights for INR 951 crore (approximately USD 116 million) for five years — an unprecedented sum for women's cricket. The WBBL in Australia is broadcast on free-to-air television alongside the men's BBL. England's Hundred competition features men's and women's matches on the same venues on the same days, creating shared audience development. These changes mean women's cricketers are increasingly visible to mainstream audiences who previously had limited access to the game.
Frequently asked questions
How is the women's cricket ball different from the men's?
The women's international cricket ball is lighter and slightly smaller than the men's ball. A women's ball weighs between 140 and 151 grams, compared to 155.9-163 grams for the men's game. The circumference of a women's ball is between 21 and 22.5 cm, compared to 22.4-22.9 cm for the men's. Despite these differences, the same properties of swing, seam, and spin apply, and the women's game at international level uses the same pitch dimensions as the men's game.
How many days is a women's Test match?
Women's Test matches are played over four days, compared to five days for men's Tests. This has been a standard difference for several decades. Critics argue that four days is insufficient to force a result on many pitches, leading to a high proportion of drawn Tests in the women's game. The ICC has discussed the possibility of moving to five-day women's Tests but has not yet implemented the change as of 2024.
What is the Women's Premier League (WPL) and how does it compare to the IPL?
The Women's Premier League is India's women's T20 franchise cricket competition, launched in 2023. It features five city-based franchises (Mumbai Indians Women, Delhi Capitals Women, Royal Challengers Bangalore Women, UP Warriorz, and Gujarat Giants) using the same auction and broadcast model as the IPL. The WPL season is shorter than the IPL, player salaries are lower (though historically high for women's cricket), and there are five rather than ten teams. The WPL has significantly raised the commercial profile of women's cricket in India and globally.