15 Rules of Cricket Explained – The Ultimate Cricket Rulebook

15 Rules of Cricket: Cricket is one of the most-followed sports in the world. The sport has witnessed a prolific rise in the past few decades and is played in over 100 countries. It features two teams of 11 players each that compete against each other through batting and bowling in various formats such as T20 Internationals, One-day Internationals and Tests. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the global governing body that regulates the sport including the functioning of teams, tournaments and members associated with it.

Cricket is a highly dominating sport when it comes to its following and viewership in India. The sport has constructed an exceptional fan base with its entertaining and competitive nature in other countries too.

Rules and regulations in cricket

Cricket is characterized by a plethora of rules that are dynamic and have been changing over the years. However, the sport endures some basic yet most important rules that play an integral role in the smooth functioning of any cricket match.

15 Rules of Cricket Explained

Let’s have a look at 15 fundamental rules in the sport of cricket.

1. The match is played on a field consisting of a rectangular pitch which is 22 yards long and 10 feet in width.
2. The batting team features two players (batsmen) who are at the striker’s and non striker’s end respectively. The bowling team, on the other hand needs to have 11 players spread across the field with one bowler at the bowling end.
3.  The batting team scores runs to set/chase a run target. The bowling team prevents the batting team from scoring the runs.
4. The batsman can only be dismissed if- the ball hits the stumps while he is batting, the ball hits the leg of the batsman when the leg is right in front of the wicket (leg before wicket), the batsman’s shot is caught directly by the fielder, the batsman hits the wicket with his bat while batting, the batsman obstructs the field, the batsman is stumped when he is outside the crease after the ball reaches the keeper and lastly, if the batsman fails to cross the crease-line while running for a run between the wickets (run-out).
5. The bowler must ensure that he/she bowls without crossing the crease line completely and the delivery doesn’t reach the batsman directly above the waist height. Failure to do so results in a no-ball which is not counted as a legal delivery, though the runs scored (if any) by the batting team are counted and the batsman is given a free hit where he can only be dismissed by a run-out.
6. If the bowler bowls a no-ball on a free-hit, the latter shall continue until there is a legal delivery.
7. The batting team needs to have two players on both the ends and play either until all their batsmen are dismissed or, they have exhausted their quota of overs which is decided as per the format.
8. The team batting first sets the target of runs which has to be chased by the team batting second (the bowling tea) where both the teams switch between batting and bowling.
9. The bowling team must ensure that it doesn’t exceed the number of overs allocated to the bowlers in the limited formats i.e. T20I and ODIs.
10. The bowling team is allowed to have a substitute fielder that can replace any player but cannot bat or bowl. Also, he/she can only act as a wicket-keeper if he/she has been consented by the umpires.
11. It is mandatory for the bowling team to bowl in with a limited number of fielders outside the 30 yard circle during the powerplay. If the minimum number of players is exceeded, the bowling team is penalized with a no-ball followed by a free-hit on the next ball.
12. The teams are allotted a certain number of successful reviews to challenge the umpire’s decisions. If any team exhausts the maximum permissible reviews in a match, it is not allowed to challenge any decision and the referees’ decision is considered final in such case.
13. Both the teams have to adhere to the code of conduct on the field. Failure in following the rules may lead to match fee penalties or bans.
14. The players are bound to consider the review’s decision as final, and cannot overrule the decision in any circumstances.
15. The team that scores the most number of runs wins the match.