Rules of the Game
A brief overview of the rules of the game
18 Nov 2025
An Overview of the Rules of Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players each. The objective is for one team to score more runs than the other. The game is highly strategic and involves two main phases: batting and fielding/bowling.
1. The Field and Equipment
The game is played on a large oval or circular grass field with a central, rectangular area called the pitch (22 yards/20 meters long).
- Wickets: At each end of the pitch stand the wickets, which are the targets of the game. Each wicket consists of three wooden stumps topped by two small pieces of wood called bails.
- The Ball: A hard, leather-covered ball, slightly smaller than a baseball.
- The Bat: A flat-fronted wooden paddle used by the batsmen.
2. Gameplay and Innings
The game is divided into innings. In each innings, one team bats while the other team bowls and fields.
Team Role Objective Players on the field
Batting Team Score as many runs as possible. Two batsmen (one "striker" facing the bowler, one "non-striker" at the opposite end).
Fielding/Bowling Team Get the batsmen out (take "wickets") and limit the runs scored. Eleven players: 1 Bowler, 1 Wicketkeeper (behind the striker's wicket), and 9 Fielders.
Once 10 of the 11 batsmen are out (meaning the team is "all out"), the innings ends, and the teams swap roles. The team that scores the highest total number of runs across all innings wins the match.
3. Scoring Runs
Runs can be scored in two primary ways:
A. Running Between the Wickets
The striker hits the ball and then the two batsmen run from their respective ends of the pitch to the other. Each time both batsmen successfully cross and reach the popping crease (the line in front of the wicket), one run is scored. They can run multiple times on a single hit if the fielding team hasn't stopped the ball.
B. Boundaries
If the batsman hits the ball hard enough to reach the edge of the field, known as the boundary:
Four Runs: The ball touches the ground inside the field before crossing the boundary line.
Six Runs: The ball crosses the boundary line without touching the ground (a "six").
4. Overs and Bowling
Over: The bowler delivers the ball six times to the batsman. This set of six legal deliveries is called an "over."
After an over is completed, a different bowler takes over from the opposite end of the pitch, and the batsmen stay at their new ends.
5. Dismissals (Getting a Batsman Out)
The fielding team gets a batsman out by taking a "wicket." There are many ways to dismiss a batsman, but the four most common are:
Bowled: The bowler's delivery hits the stumps and dislodges one or both bails.
Caught: The batsman hits the ball, and a fielder catches it before it touches the ground.
Run Out: While the batsmen are running between the wickets, a fielder throws the ball and hits or breaks the wicket before the running batsman has reached the safety of the popping crease.
Leg Before Wicket (LBW): The bowler hits the batsman's leg or pad with the ball, and the umpire determines that the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps if the leg had not been in the way.
6. Cricket Formats (Match Length)
The rules are largely the same, but the game duration changes based on the format:
Once 10 of the 11 batsmen are out (meaning the team is "all out"), the innings ends, and the teams swap roles. The team that scores the highest total number of runs across all innings wins the match.
3. Scoring Runs
Runs can be scored in two primary ways:
A. Running Between the Wickets
The striker hits the ball and then the two batsmen run from their respective ends of the pitch to the other. Each time both batsmen successfully cross and reach the popping crease (the line in front of the wicket), one run is scored. They can run multiple times on a single hit if the fielding team hasn't stopped the ball.
B. Boundaries
If the batsman hits the ball hard enough to reach the edge of the field, known as the boundary:
- Four Runs: The ball touches the ground inside the field before crossing the boundary line.
- Six Runs: The ball crosses the boundary line without touching the ground (a "six").
4. Overs and Bowling
- Over: The bowler delivers the ball six times to the batsman. This set of six legal deliveries is called an "over."
- After an over is completed, a different bowler takes over from the opposite end of the pitch, and the batsmen stay at their new ends.
5. Dismissals (Getting a Batsman Out)
The fielding team gets a batsman out by taking a "wicket." There are many ways to dismiss a batsman, but the four most common are:
- Bowled: The bowler's delivery hits the stumps and dislodges one or both bails.
- Caught: The batsman hits the ball, and a fielder catches it before it touches the ground.
- Run Out: While the batsmen are running between the wickets, a fielder throws the ball and hits or breaks the wicket before the running batsman has reached the safety of the popping crease.
- Leg Before Wicket (LBW): The bowler hits the batsman's leg or pad with the ball, and the umpire determines that the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps if the leg had not been in the way.
6. Cricket Formats (Match Length)
The rules are largely the same, but the game duration changes based on the format:
Once 10 of the 11 batsmen are out (meaning the team is "all out"), the innings ends, and the teams swap roles. The team that scores the highest total number of runs across all innings wins the match.
3. Scoring Runs
Runs can be scored in two primary ways:
A. Running Between the Wickets
The striker hits the ball and then the two batsmen run from their respective ends of the pitch to the other. Each time both batsmen successfully cross and reach the popping crease (the line in front of the wicket), one run is scored. They can run multiple times on a single hit if the fielding team hasn't stopped the ball.
B. Boundaries
If the batsman hits the ball hard enough to reach the edge of the field, known as the boundary:
- Four Runs: The ball touches the ground inside the field before crossing the boundary line.
- Six Runs: The ball crosses the boundary line without touching the ground (a "six").
4. Overs and Bowling
- Over: The bowler delivers the ball six times to the batsman. This set of six legal deliveries is called an "over."
- After an over is completed, a different bowler takes over from the opposite end of the pitch, and the batsmen stay at their new ends.
5. Dismissals (Getting a Batsman Out)
The fielding team gets a batsman out by taking a "wicket." There are many ways to dismiss a batsman, but the four most common are:
- Bowled: The bowler's delivery hits the stumps and dislodges one or both bails.
- Caught: The batsman hits the ball, and a fielder catches it before it touches the ground.
- Run Out: While the batsmen are running between the wickets, a fielder throws the ball and hits or breaks the wicket before the running batsman has reached the safety of the popping crease.
- Leg Before Wicket (LBW): The bowler hits the batsman's leg or pad with the ball, and the umpire determines that the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps if the leg had not been in the way.
