Cricket Rules & Regulations

Cricket is a game popularly played in various parts of the world, but is most popular in countries such as England, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, the West Indies, Pakistan and India. Cricket is a team sport with two teams comprising of 11 active players and one designated substitute. It is similar to baseball with the objective of the game being to get the most runs in order to win. This sport is played in a circular- or oval-shaped field. Most of the action happens in the center of the field, which is called the pitch.

Batsmen

Batsmen are members of the cricket team responsible for scoring a run during a game. Teams can choose as many batsmen as they want. However, there are usually six to seven batsmen assigned. Two of them position themselves at the opposite ends of the pitch. The bowlers roll the ball to one side of the pitch and the batsman tries to hit the ball and run to the other side. When this occurs, it is considered as a run.

Bowlers

Usually, there are four to five bowlers in a team. They are the players who are designated to pitch the ball and try to get the batsmen out. The legal limit for the pitch is six balls, after which the bowler has to stop and throw another set from the opposite end of the pitch.

Fielders

All players in a team are considered fielders. With the exception of the wicket keeper or the catcher, they can be spread out anywhere in the field. The wicket keeper has to catch the ball and guard the wicket.

Runs

Runs are scored in several ways. A single run is when a batsman hits the ball and the batsmen are able to run across each other once before the ball is returned to the wickets. Double or triple runs are similar to single runs, but they are able to cross two to three times before the ball is returned to the wickets. Four runs occur when the batsman is able to make the ball roll past the boundary. It can also occur if the batsmen are able to run across four times before the ball is returned to the wickets. The maximum number of runs that can be made per ball is six. This can be done when the batsman hits the ball over the boundary, which is equivalent to a home run. If the ball is rolled to beyond the designated playing zone, the result is that an additional run is added to the total. The pitch is then repeated. If the bowler rolls the ball over the prescribed height or it crosses the limits, an additional run is also added and the pitch repeated.

Umpire

The umpires, who are tasked to maintain the game, are the ones to declare if there is an out or a runout. A runout is when the ball hits wickets before the batsmen trying to make the runs reach the safety zone. Another function of the umpire is that he can decide when the game will begin and when there can be a break.