ICC Laws of Cricket

The Laws of Cricket were written by the Marylebone Cricket Club which was the governing body for cricket until the International Cricket Council (ICC) took over the role in 1993. The rules were originally written in 1787 and the Marylebone Cricket Club still hold the copyright to these laws. It is the only club allowed to change these rules, although changes are now done in conjunction with the ICC. The latest rules were written in 2010.

  1. Players

    • The Laws of Cricket state there must be 11 players in each team, including one captain. The captain must provide the umpire with a list of the players' names before the match begins. Substitutes may only be used as a fielder (who is responsible for retrieving the ball and returning it to the wickets) in the game or as a runner (who is responsible for scoring runs) for a batsmen (a player attempting to hit the ball), who has been injured during the match. The captain is responsible for his players' behavior and to ensure they play in a sportsmanlike manner following the game's regulations.

    Umpires

    • There are two umpires in a match who stand at either end of the cricket pitch. They are responsible for liaising with the players regarding the game's regulations. Umpires must also ensure the wickets (the posts behind the batsmen) are checked, and creases (the lines where the batters stand) are marked correctly. The umpires decide whether the sunlight is bright enough for play to continue and whether the ground is in an acceptable state--there must be no holes or other hazards which may cause injury to players. The umpires must change positions with each other after both teams have played one innings.

    Equipment

    • The ball must weigh no more than 5¾ ounces and its circumference must not exceed 9 inches. Captains may ask for a new ball at the beginning of each innings as long as both teams agree to this request. The bat may be no longer than 38 inches and no wider than 4¼ inches. The laws of cricket state the three wickets must be 28 high and 9 inches wide. The bails, which are small rounded pieces of wood that lay on top of the wickets, must not project more than ½ inch from the top of the wicket.

    Runs

    • A run is scored when both batsmen have passed each other and run to the opposite end of the pitch. Runs can also be scored when a player hits the ball to the playing fields boundary. If the ball travels over the boundary line, four runs are scored (unless it does not hit the ground before crossing the line, in which case six runs are scored).

    Batsmen Dismissals

    • A batsman is out if the bowler hits the wicket with the ball. If the batsmen hits the ball and it is caught by an opposing player without bouncing the batsmen is also out. The batsman must not hit the ball twice with his bat or touch the ball with his hands as the player is then declared "out" and must leave the field and the next batter must play. The batsman must ensure his leg is not in the way of the wicket when the bowler is throwing the ball--this is called "leg before wicket" and rules the batsmen out. Both players must reach the opposite end of the running pitch before the ball is thrown to the wickets by a fielder. Otherwise the player is "run out".