Cricket Umpiring Rules

All cricket matches, however informal, have umpires. At the top, test matches between countries have four, a back-up third umpire for emergencies and a fourth to monitor the television replays on tight calls. At the other end of the scale, teams provide their own umpires, making decisions on their own players. Rule Three in the Laws of Cricket covers umpire conduct, and it is important that you understand a few tips on how to apply it.

  1. Application

    • As an umpire you should be at the ground 45 minutes before the scheduled start. Inspect the prepared pitch and, using your own tape measure, ensure the creases are correctly marked and the wickets properly set in the ground. Check the boundaries and the ball(s) to be used. Ensure both captains know the breaks in play. Umpires are the final judges of ground and light fitness, when to suspend play and when to resume. You will need a thorough knowledge of law three and how batsmen may appeal against bad light and conditions.

      When you stand at the bowler's end, you should be directly in line with the stumps, but not impeding the bowler's run up. Usually this is within two feet of the stumps. Some bowlers ask umpires to stand back another yard to give them room. The striker's end umpire will stand behind the batsman, square of the wicket. He may change sides, with permission from the fielding side captain, for example when the sun is low.

      After making a signal, for example for a boundary four runs, you must wait for scorers to acknowledge you before letting play carry on.

    Making progress

    • To be a test umpire, you will rise through the ranks. You will probably be a former player, maybe one of some note, which might gain you accelerated progress to first-class level. At every step there are classes, exams and assessments to pass.

      A typical progress will be a year or two at the basic club level within your district, then your bid for first-class status. Make contact with your local district and be prepared for study and practice; there are 42 laws to learn to apply.

      In the lower grades the batting side usually provides the umpires. Typically, batsmen waiting their turn or those who have batted already will take the job, until others relieve them. Although they are not neutral they are in a position of trust to give a fair decision. Practice and success at this level often encourages players to take the next step and become qualified umpires.

    Enjoy

    • There is no rule that says you must be stiff and boring out in the middle. One of New Zealand's finest umpires, Billy Bowden, became a crowd-pleaser with his extravagant, theatrical signals and his crooked finger signaling "out". The signal for "out" is the umpire's extended index finger at eye-level. Bowden found arthritis in his hands stopped him extending his index finger so he developed his hook-like signal. He developed his other signals as stretches to clear arthritic stiffness. They became his trademark. Bowden rose quickly to the top level, not because he was showy, but because he was a very good umpire. Flamboyance was a bonus.