Understanding Cricket: Rules, Positions, Scoring & More

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Everything you need to know to follow and enjoy a cricket match
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In much of the world, cricket is a popular pastime. Much like baseball, it's a game that involves hitting a ball with a bat. It's also a game that can be pretty hard to make sense of if you don't understand the rules to begin with—but don't worry, we've got you covered! Read on to learn everything you need to know to follow a cricket match.

Cricket Objective

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played by 2 teams of 11 players. One side bats and runs to the other end of the pitch to score. The other team bowls (pitches) and tries to break the wicket (goal) for extra points or to get the batters out. The team with the highest score after a set number of innings wins the match.

Section 1 of 7:

Overview of the Game of Cricket

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  1. A cricket field is typically a large oval or round field with a line going straight down the middle. At each end of the line is a wicket, a set of 3 posts ("stumps") with 2 wooden bars ("bails") sitting on top. [1]
    • The area between the 2 wickets, known as the pitch, is an area of short, dense grass. Two additional lines in front of the wicket, known as popping creases, set off the safe zone for the batters (the players hitting the ball or running).
    • Generally, a batter is safe as long as they are behind the popping crease. Once they step forward (as when they run to the other wicket), they're vulnerable to being put out until they reach safety on the other end.
  2. Cricket is played by 2 teams of 11. All players essentially play the whole match . Every player also will take at least 1 turn as batter throughout the course of the match. [2]
    • Each team has a captain that typically makes all decisions on behalf of the team.
    • When fielding, the team includes a wicketkeeper , a bowler, and 9 fielders. The bowler switches after every 6 deliveries of the ball. Fielders don't have set positions and can play anywhere in the field.
    • Teams are technically allowed to have 12 official members. The 12th player acts as a substitute in the event of an injury, and can't bowl or bat while acting as a substitute. [3]
    • There are far more than 9 names for the different fielder's positions. While some fielders may feel more comfortable playing in a particular part of the field, they don't have permanent positions like baseball players do.
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  3. Like many similar sports, a match begins with a coin flip to determine which team starts where. The fielding team takes the field with 1 person at a wicket as bowler and 1 person at the other wicket as catcher. Two players from the batting team take the field as well, 1 at each wicket. [4]
    • The bowler bowls the ball toward the wicket and the batter tries to hit the ball away from the wicket.
    • At any time while the ball is in play, the 2 batters can run to the other wicket. Once they've swapped places and are both safely behind the popping crease on the other side, their team scores 1 run.
    • Each batter continues batting until they're put out in some way—for example, if the bowler hits the wicket or a fielder catches a ball the batter hit. The out batter is replaced with the next player on the team and the innings continues.
    • When 10 players from the batting team have been put out, that's the end of the innings. The teams switch sides and it's the fielding team's turn to bat.
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Section 2 of 7:

Batting in Cricket

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  1. The batting team starts the innings with 2 batters, one at each wicket. The bowler bowls the ball toward the wicket opposite them and that batter tries to hit the ball away. A batter's main goal is to hit the ball and score runs. They score runs by running back and forth from one wicket to the other while the ball is in play. [5]
    • Whenever one batter runs to the opposite wicket, the other batter must do the same. They only score a run if both of them make it back past the popping crease to the wicket.
    • After 6 deliveries of the ball (called an "over"), the fielding team chooses a different player to bowl and switches to the other wicket. The batters don't move. The fielding team switches position like this after every over.
    • Batters stay in the match until they're put out. The most common ways for a batter to get put out include getting bowled out (the bowler broke the wicket), run out (the wicket was broken while the batter was running), or caught out (a fielder catches a ball hit by the batter in the air).
    • Batters must hit the ball with their bat. If the ball hits a batter's leg or any other part of their body, they risk a "leg before wicket" (LBW) out. [6]
    • When a batter is put out, they can rest for the remainder of that innings. The next player in the lineup will be called up to take their place.
  2. The bowler delivers the ball toward the wicket opposite them, attempting to hit one of the stumps and knock off a bail. The batter stands with their bat between the bowler and the wicket and swings their bat to try to knock the ball away from the wicket. [7]
    • If the batter misses and the bowler breaks the wicket, the batter is out. Otherwise, the batter takes another delivery.
    • If the wicketkeeper or another fielder breaks the wicket while the batter is running to the other wicket, the batter might also be out.
  3. Any time a batter thinks they can get to the other wicket, they're free to make the attempt as long as the ball isn't dead. They have to make sure their teammate will be able to make it as well, since both of them have to succeed to earn a run. [8]
    • Unlike baseball, cricket doesn't have the concept of a "foul" ball—if a batter hits the cricket ball with their bat, it's playable.
    • Batters are also free to run back and forth as many times as they can while the ball is still in play. Not for boundary hits, though— over the boundary is an automatic 6 runs and hitting, bouncing, or rolling over the boundary is an automatic 4—no running required.
    • Unlike baseball players, cricket batters don't have to run when they hit the ball. As soon as they leave their box they risk getting put out, so if they decide it's too risky, they can stay behind the crease and wait for the next delivery.
    • Even though both players have to make it past the crease for a run, the player who actually hit the ball is the one who gets the credit for the run.
  4. The batting team has 2 batters on the field at any time, but only one of those batters actually faces the bowler (called the "striker"). The other batter (the "non-striker") still has to run though, which means it's possible for them to be run out even if they're not actually the one facing the bowler. [9]
    • If the 2 runners haven't crossed paths yet when the wicket is broken, the runner closest to the broken wicket is out.
    • If the 2 runners have crossed paths when the wicket is broken, the runner furthest away from the broken wicket is out. [10]
    • While it's technically possible for both runners to be run out if they both happen to be out of their boxes and the same distances from the popping creases at the same time, but that's super rare. It's almost always the case that one of them is going to be closer than the other. [11]
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Section 3 of 7:

Fielding in Cricket

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  1. All 11 members of the fielding team take the field, but 2 of them are posted near each of the wickets—the bowler and the wicketkeeper. While nothing in the rules requires a team to designate a wicketkeeper, most teams do. [12]
    • There will typically be several players on a team who specialize as bowlers and rotate bowling duties during the match. There are also different types of bowlers depending on their relative skill sets.
    • Wicketkeepers are agile and capable of making quick, snappy catches. They also advise bowlers on the length to bowl and field placements, similar to the relationship between a catcher and a pitcher in baseball.
  2. A bowler can bowl as many overs as they want (or as the captain wants), technically—but they can't bowl 2 overs in a row. This rule means that they have to swap out with another fielder at the end of every over. [13]
    • Teams typically have several players on the team who are bowlers. The captain chooses to play them for overs that will best maximize their strengths. [14]
  3. The ultimate goal of a fielder is to stop the opposing team from scoring runs. To do this, they run in the direction the ball is hit in an attempt to catch it or stop it and return the ball to the wicket as quickly as possible. [15]
    • Fielders can be anywhere on the field, except when the ball is being batted. At that time, they can't be over the wicket or touching any part of the wicket.
    • There are far more than 9 names of field positions and players can play in different positions over the course of the match—although there will always be players whose skills are best suited to a particular position or part of the field.
  4. Generally, substitutions aren't allowed in cricket. But what if someone gets injured on the field? The team is allowed to sub them out with another player, but the substitute player is only allowed to field—they can't bowl or bat (if the team has any innings left). [16]
    • A concussion rule introduced in 2019 allows teams to substitute a player like-for-like if they suffer a concussion during a match.
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Section 4 of 7:

Keeping Score in Cricket

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  1. A player's primary objective during their turn at bat is to score runs. Every time a player and their teammate cross the opposite popping crease, they're awarded 1 run. [17]
    • Players only get credit for runs scored while they're batting—not while they're in a partnership with another teammate who is batting.
    • If the team is awarded an extra run, the player doesn't get credit for that run—it's added in later with the extras (the scorer keeps track of each type of extra point awarded).
  2. Bowlers get credit for the wickets they bowl. The wicketkeeper or other fielders might get credit for a wicket as well if they break one in the course of play—although if a batter is run out, the bowler doesn't get credit for that wicket. [18]
    • At any point during the match, knowing how many wickets have been taken can give you some idea of where you are in the match. For example, if a team is currently 120 for 9 wickets, you know that they only have 1 wicket remaining before their innings is over. Depending on the score, things could get pretty intense!
    • Knowing a bowler's record also gives you an idea of how good they are and how they're fairing against this particular team (assuming you know what good stats look like).
  3. The score for a cricket match is reported as the number of runs "for" the number of wickets the side has given up. The total number of runs for a side includes the runs earned by each batter plus any extra runs awarded for other reasons. [19]
    • For example, if a team's score for their first innings is listed as 140 for 8, that means they scored 140 runs and gave up 8 wickets.
    • In test matches as well as other variations, scorers also keep track of how many overs each batter plays. [20]
  4. Even though scorers keep all of these other statistics, the team that has scored the most runs at the end of the match is the winner. But not all matches completely end! For a match to end, both teams must complete their innings by retiring their side. [21]
    • The teams agree on the game times and progression of the match in advance. If the teams haven't completed their innings by the end of the agreed-upon time, the match simply ends in a draw.
    • Because cricket teams would rather win than draw, a captain has the power to "declare" the team's innings over even if they still have several team members who haven't been dismissed yet.
    • A captain can also forfeit an innings before it starts, which they might do if they were already ahead in runs and the opposing team had just completed their second innings.
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Section 5 of 7:

Officials at a Cricket Match

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  1. Umpires are responsible for enforcing the rules and making all of the final gameplay decisions. They switch between 2 positions after every over and are considered to have equal authority. They also check the condition of the field before and during the match and take care of any maintenance issues. [22]
    • International matches typically have 3 umpires, but the third umpire doesn't rotate positions with the 2 official umpires and can't make a decision unless the other 2 umpires ask them to. [23]
    • Umpires typically use two-way radios so that they can always be in direct contact with each other while the match is ongoing. [24]
  2. The umpire standing behind the stumps on the bowler's end of the pitch is somewhat comparable to the umpire at home plate in baseball. But since the bowler switches wickets after every over, the umpires switch roles as well. [25]
    • When behind the stumps on the bowler's end of the pitch, the umpire decides on no-balls, wides, leg byes, and LBW appeals.
  3. The umpire who isn't standing behind the bowler stands out in the field, in line with the popping crease where the batter is standing. When in this position, the umpire makes the final calls on stumpings (when the wicketkeeper breaks a wicket while the batter is out of the crease) and run outs. [26]
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Section 6 of 7:

Variations of Cricket

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  1. In the original form of cricket, each side has 2 innings, which means a match isn't over until both sides have had 10 players dismissed—twice. It's easy to see how two well-matched teams could play seemingly forever, given that an innings isn't over until all but one team member has been dismissed. But in practice, test cricket matches last 5 days at most. [27]
    • It's possible that a test cricket match won't take the full 5 days allotted, but at the highest levels it's unlikely.
    • If both teams haven't completed 2 innings at the end of the allotted time for the match, the match must end in a draw. A team can only win if both teams manage to complete both of their innings.
    • A forfeited or declared innings counts as a complete innings for the purposes of the final score. [28]
  2. ODI represented the first attempt to limit the length of a cricket match. As the name implies, an ODI match is intended to be played in a single day—which is definitely less than 5. In the 21st century, ODI matches are typically limited to 50 overs per side. [29]
    • ODIs might also have more frequent breaks to satisfy television or other requirements.
  3. T20 is a popular short cricket format where teams are limited to just 20 overs. The small number of overs leads to more aggressive batting plays and more intense gameplay. [30]
    • T20 is the recommended cricket format for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
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Section 7 of 7:

Glossary of Cricket Terms

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  1. 1
    Bail The round wooden cross-pieces that sit on top of the 3 stumps. Together with the stumps, they make up the wicket. [31]
    • Knocking one or both bails off of the top of the stumps breaks the wicket, potentially getting one of the opposing players out.
  2. 2
    Ball Can refer to the spherical object used in the game or to a single legal delivery of that spherical object.
    • For example, 6 balls in an over means 6 legal deliveries, not 6 individual objects. [32]
  3. 3
    Bat The wooden implement used to hit the ball—flat on one side and curved on the other, with a handle. A cricket bat is typically made out of willow with a cane handle. [33]
    • Regulation cricket bats can be up to a maximum length of 965 mm (38.0 in) and a maximum width of 108 mm (4.3 in).
  4. 4
    Batter The preferred gender-neutral term for the player in batting position. [34]
    • The term was officially incorporated into the rules in 2021. Before that, the terms "batsman" and "batswoman" were common in addition to "batter."
  5. 5
    Boundary The marked outer perimeter of the playing area. This could be the actual end of the field or just a line, rope, fence, or other barrier that marks the outer bounds of the playing area.
  6. 6
    Crease A line on the cricket field that marks off different areas of the field. The popping creases are the main creases, but there are actually 2 other types. [35]
    • Bowling crease (2): A line on either end of the pitch where the stumps are lined up for the wicket.
    • Popping crease (2): A line on either end of the pitch in front of the wicket that marks the boundary of the batter's box.
    • Return crease (2 on each side): Perpendicular to the popping crease, these lines help determine no-balls.
  7. 7
    Dead ball Once the umpire declares a dead ball, no further runs can be scored and no further wickets can be taken until the ball is put back into play again. [36]
  8. 8
    Deliver/delivery A synonym for "bowl," used to describe the action of a bowler sending the ball toward the wicket at the other end of the pitch.
  9. 9
    Extra A run awarded for any reason other than a batter hitting the ball. There are 4 types: [37]
    • No-ball: The bowler stepped in front of the popping crease before bowling the ball.
    • Wide: The bowler bowled the ball too far to one side of the batter or the other so that it wouldn't be fair to expect them to reach it.
    • Bye: The batter didn't hit the ball but the wicketkeeper didn't catch it so they ran.
    • Leg bye: The batter deflected the ball off of any part of their body after hitting it with their bat, and then ran.
  10. 10
    Innings The period a team has to score runs. In a test match, each team typically has 2 innings. [38]
    • Note that this isn't the same as the baseball term "inning." The term "innings" is the same whether it's singular or plural.
  11. 11
    Out The dismissal of a batter from the batting team. Once a player is out, they are done batting for the remainder of that innings.
    • Bowled out: The batter doesn't hit the ball and the ball breaks the wicket.
    • Caught out: The batter hits the ball and one of the fielders catches it in the air.
    • Run out: The batter is outside the popping crease but further away from the target popping crease than the other batter.
    • Leg before wicket (LBW): before hitting the ball with their bat, the batter hits the ball with any part of their body [39]
  12. 12
    Over 6 balls delivered by one bowler from one side of the pitch. An "over" is also a unit of measurement for gameplay—"they've played 11 overs."
  13. 13
    Pitch The rectangular area in the center of a cricket field consisting of the 2 wickets and the ground between, typically covered in short, dense grass that's been rolled relatively even. [40]
    • Also used as a synonym for "bounce" to describe the way the ball interacts with the surface of the pitch.
  14. 14
    Striker The player for the batting team who is facing the bowler, standing behind the popping crease between the bowler and the wicket.
    • Also non-striker —the player for the batting team who isn't facing the bowler
  15. 15
    Stump One of the 3 wooden posts that stick into the ground at either end of the pitch. Together with the bails on top, they form the wicket.
  16. 16
    Wicket Can refer to the physical wicket (the stumps and bails), the entire box where the wicket stands, or the act of breaking a wicket to get a player out.
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    It says "once a team has lost 1 wicket they are out", but you don't explain how a wicket is lost. Do you mean when a player is knocked out?
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    When the bails are knocked off the wickets, that means you are out or you lost a wicket.
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    Can a bowler bowl from both the sides of the pitch?
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    Yes, they can.
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    What is the large ground on which a cricket match is played called?
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    A cricket stadium.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/hosking/cricket/explanation.htm#basics
      2. ↑ http://www.rulesofcricket.co.uk/the_rules_of_cricket/the_rules_of_cricket_law_1.htm
      3. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/cricket/rules/the_basics/newsid_3795000/3795067.stm
      4. ↑ https://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/hosking/cricket/explanation.htm#basics
      5. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/cricket/rules/the_basics/newsid_3794000/3794981.stm
      6. ↑ https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/leg-before-wicket
      7. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/cricket/rules/the_basics/newsid_3795000/3795067.stm
      8. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/cricket/rules/the_basics/newsid_3795000/3795067.stm
      9. ↑ https://cricamerica.com/understanding-the-tv-screen/
      1. ↑ https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/run-out
      2. ↑ https://www.orchidsinternationalschool.com/blog/run-out-rules-in-cricket
      3. ↑ https://www.olympics.com/en/news/how-many-players-in-cricket
      4. ↑ https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/the-over
      5. ↑ https://www.olympics.com/en/news/how-many-players-in-cricket
      6. ↑ https://www.activesgcircle.gov.sg/learn/cricket/cricket-movement-fielding
      7. ↑ https://www.olympics.com/en/news/how-many-players-in-cricket
      8. ↑ https://cricket.or.jp/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/scoring_guide.pdf
      9. ↑ https://cricamerica.com/understanding-the-tv-screen/
      10. ↑ https://cricamerica.com/understanding-the-tv-screen/
      11. ↑ https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/the-scorers
      12. ↑ https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/declaration-and-forfeiture
      13. ↑ https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/the-umpires
      14. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/rules_and_equipment/4183398.stm
      15. ↑ https://blog.sixescricket.com/rules-and-terminology-of-cricket-for-kids/
      16. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/rules_and_equipment/4183398.stm
      17. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/rules_and_equipment/4183398.stm
      18. ↑ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-16/how-to-understand-test-cricket-ashes-australia-vs-england/100698760
      19. ↑ https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/declaration-and-forfeiture
      20. ↑ https://www.olympics.com/en/sports/cricket/
      21. ↑ https://www.olympics.com/en/sports/cricket/
      22. ↑ https://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/hosking/cricket/explanation.htm#basics
      23. ↑ https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/a-glossary-of-cricket-terms-239756
      24. ↑ https://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/hosking/cricket/explanation.htm#basics
      25. ↑ https://www.lords.org/lords/news-stories/mcc-to-use-the-term-batters-throughout-the-laws-of
      26. ↑ https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/the-creases
      27. ↑ https://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/hosking/cricket/explanation.htm#basics
      28. ↑ https://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/hosking/cricket/explanation.htm#basics
      29. ↑ https://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/hosking/cricket/explanation.htm#basics
      30. ↑ https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/leg-before-wicket
      31. ↑ https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/the-pitch

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To play cricket, you'll need 2 teams of 11 players who bat in successive innings and try to score runs. A player hits the ball and then runs to the opposite wicket, which is a wooden rectangular structure. If they reach the wicket before a fielder, who is on the opposing team and positioned around the field, throws the ball back to the bowler, they score a run. At the end of the game, the team with the most runs wins. For more help on how to understand cricket, including how players get out, read on!

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