Cricket Rules Explained
Cricket looks complicated, but the core idea is simple: one team bats and tries to score as many runs as possible, while the other bowls and fields to get 10 batters out. Then the roles swap, and the team with more runs wins.
This guide walks you through the basics step by step. It also covers the newest changes: the MCC’s 2026 edition of the Laws of Cricket and the ICC’s updated playing conditions for international matches, both effective from 1 October 2026.
1. The Basics
The toss: Before the match, the two captains toss a coin. The winner chooses whether to bat or bowl first.
An innings: A team’s turn to bat. It ends when 10 batters are out, the overs run out, or (in Tests) the captain declares.
An over: Six legal deliveries bowled by one bowler. After each over, a different bowler bowls from the other end, and one bowler cannot bowl two overs in a row.
2. The Three Main Formats
| Format | Length | Overs per innings | Bowler’s limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test | Up to 5 days | Unlimited (2 innings per team) | No limit |
| ODI (One Day International) | About 7-8 hours | 50 overs | 10 overs |
| T20 / T20I | About 3 hours | 20 overs | 4 overs |
Who wins? In limited-overs cricket, the team that scores more runs wins. In a Test, a team must score more runs than the opponent and bowl them out twice, otherwise the match is a draw or tie. A match is “tied” only when the scores are exactly level; in knockout white-ball games a Super Over usually breaks the tie.
3. How Runs Are Scored
- Running: Batters hit the ball and run between the wickets. Each time both reach the opposite crease, that is 1 run.
- Four: The ball reaches the boundary after touching the ground. 4 runs.
- Six: The ball crosses the boundary on the full (without bouncing). 6 runs.
- Short run: If a batter does not complete a run by grounding the bat or body behind the crease, that run is not counted.
4. Ways a Batter Can Be Out
| Dismissal | What it means |
|---|---|
| Bowled | The bowler’s delivery hits the stumps and dislodges a bail. |
| Caught | A fielder catches the ball cleanly before it bounces, after it touches the bat or gloves. |
| LBW (Leg Before Wicket) | The ball hits the batter’s body (usually the pad) and would have hit the stumps. It must pitch in line or on the off side, and generally hit in line. |
| Run out | A fielder breaks the wicket with the ball while a batter is out of the crease during a run. |
| Stumped | The wicketkeeper breaks the wicket while the batter is out of the crease and not attempting a run. |
| Hit wicket | The batter breaks their own stumps with the bat or body while playing a shot or setting off for a run. |
| Hit the ball twice | The batter deliberately hits the ball a second time, except to protect the wicket. |
| Obstructing the field | The batter deliberately blocks a fielder or handles the ball without the fielder’s consent. |
| Timed out | A new batter does not get ready to face within the time allowed. |
Good to know: Off a no-ball, a batter cannot be out bowled, caught, LBW or stumped. On a free hit, a batter can only be out run out, hit the ball twice or obstructing the field. Also, when a batter is out caught, the new batter takes strike, even if the two batters had crossed.
5. Extras (Runs Not Hit by the Bat)
| Extra | What happens |
|---|---|
| Wide | A delivery too wide for the batter to reach. 1 run to the batting side and the ball is re-bowled. |
| No-ball | An illegal delivery (such as overstepping the crease line, or a dangerous full toss). 1 run, the ball is re-bowled, and in white-ball cricket the next ball is a free hit. |
| Bye | The ball passes the batter and the keeper, and the batters run. |
| Leg bye | The ball hits the batter’s body (not the bat) and the batters run. |
| Penalty runs | 5 runs awarded for certain offences, for example if the ball hits a helmet left on the ground by the fielding side. |
6. Fielding Restrictions and Powerplays
To keep the contest balanced, the number of fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle is restricted in white-ball cricket.
| Format | Phase | Fielders allowed outside the circle |
|---|---|---|
| ODI | Overs 1-10 | Maximum 2 |
| ODI | Overs 11-40 | Maximum 4 |
| ODI | Overs 41-50 | Maximum 5 |
| T20I | Overs 1-6 (Powerplay) | Maximum 2 |
| T20I | Overs 7-20 | Maximum 5 |
If a T20I is shortened by rain, the powerplay is now rounded to the nearest ball rather than the nearest over. In Tests, there are no such restrictions, though a minimum number of fielders must stay in front of square and the legside has limits.
7. The Ball, the Bat and Equipment
- Red ball: Used in Tests and first-class cricket. A new ball is available after 80 overs.
- White ball: Used in ODIs and T20s, generally under floodlights.
- Pink ball: Used in day-night Tests.
- ODI balls: Two new balls are used from the start. After 34 overs, the fielding team chooses one of them for the final 16 overs.
- Protective gear: Helmets, pads, gloves, thigh guards and boxes for batters; keepers wear gloves and pads.
8. The Decision Review System (DRS)
If a player disagrees with an umpire’s decision, the team can ask for a review. The third umpire uses ball-tracking, edge detection (Snicko / UltraEdge) and slow-motion replays.
- Each team gets a limited number of unsuccessful reviews: 2 per innings in Tests and 1 per innings in ODIs and T20Is.
- If the original decision is “umpire’s call” (the ball is only clipping the stumps), the team keeps its review.
- The old “soft signal” has been removed, so the on-field umpire no longer gives a preliminary opinion on close catches.
- When both the umpire and a player’s review are involved in the same dismissal, the order of events is checked to decide which decision is given.
9. What Has Changed? Latest Rules (Effective October 2026)
The MCC, which owns the Laws of Cricket, published a new edition with 73 material changes, effective 1 October 2026. The ICC has also approved its remaining changes for international cricket from the same date, with new playing conditions applying to series starting on or after it. Here are the key ones to know.
Previously, if a wicket fell in the last over of a day, play stopped immediately. Now the over will be bowled in full, provided conditions allow. The change removes an advantage for the incoming batter.
Type D laminated bats, once limited to junior cricket, are now legal for adults. The aim is to ease the cost of traditional English willow. Elite cricket is still expected to use traditional bats.
Balls now come in three clear sizes (Size 1, 2 and 3), with Size 1 used in men’s cricket, so that men’s, women’s and junior cricket have consistent specifications.
The definition of when a fielder has control of the ball during catches and run-outs has been made stricter. The Laws also clarify when a ball is “finally settled”, which helps umpires with their decisions.
The overthrow laws have been rewritten for clarity, and the short-run wording is updated to match what the ICC already uses.
Under the ICC’s new playing conditions, repeated time-wasting by batters can lead to 5 penalty runs. A fixed 15-minute interval between innings is also set in T20Is.
The Laws no longer use gendered terms such as “batsman” in the official text; “batter” is used instead.
Rules introduced earlier that still apply
- Stop clock: The bowling side must start the next over within 60 seconds of the previous one ending. In white-ball cricket, the fielding side gets two warnings and then a 5-run penalty for each further breach. The stop clock has also been added in Tests, with two warnings per 80-over block and then 5 penalty runs for each further breach.
- Boundary catches: A fielder who touches the ball in the air beyond the boundary must land back inside the field of play to complete a legal catch.
- Concussion substitutes: Teams must nominate concussion replacements in advance.
10. Basic Cricket Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Crease | White lines marking where batters and bowlers must stay. |
| Maiden | An over with no runs scored off the bat. |
| Duck | A batter dismissed for zero. A “golden duck” means out on the first ball. |
| Century | 100 runs scored by a batter in one innings. |
| Hat-trick | A bowler taking three wickets in three consecutive balls. |
| Follow-on | In Tests, the side batting second can be asked to bat again if it trails by 200 or more runs in a five-day match. |
| Declaration | A captain ends their team’s innings voluntarily (Tests). |
| DLS method | The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method sets revised targets in rain-affected white-ball games. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way for a beginner to follow a cricket match?
Focus on three things: the score (runs/wickets), the overs bowled, and what the batting team needs to win. Start with a T20 match, since it is short and fast.
How many players are on the field at a time?
13 people: 11 fielders (the fielding side), including the bowler and wicketkeeper, and 2 batters. Two umpires are also on the field.
What is the difference between a wide and a no-ball?
A wide is a delivery too far from the batter to play. A no-ball is an illegal delivery, such as overstepping the line. Both give the batting team 1 extra run and must be re-bowled; a no-ball in white-ball cricket also gives a free hit.
When do the new 2026 rules start?
The MCC’s new edition of the Laws comes into force on 1 October 2026. The ICC has adopted its related changes for international series that begin on or after that date, and series already under way continue under the previous conditions.
Do these rules apply to every level of cricket?
The Laws apply worldwide, but leagues and boards add their own playing conditions (such as overs per bowler and powerplays). Always check the local rules for the competition you are playing or watching.
Sources: MCC Laws of Cricket (2026 edition) and ICC Playing Conditions announcements. Rules vary by competition, so check the official MCC and ICC sites for the full text.
