THE LAWS OF CRICKET 2017 CODE (2nd edition – 2019)

© Marylebone Cricket Club

APPENDIX A

DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATIONS OF WORDS OR PHRASES NOT DEFINED IN THE TEXT

A1 The match

A1.1 The game is used in these Laws as a general term meaning the Game of Cricket.

A1.2 A match is a single encounter (or contest) between two sides (or teams), played under the Laws of Cricket.

A1.3 The toss is the toss for choice of innings.

A1.4 Before the toss is at any time before the toss on the day the match is expected to start or, in the case of a one-day match, on the day the match is due to take place.

A1.5 Before the match is at any time before the toss, not restricted to the day on which the toss is to take place.

A1.6 During the match is at any time after the toss until the conclusion of the match, whether play is in progress or not.

A1.7 Playing time is any time between the call of Play and the call of Time. See Laws 12.1 (Call of Play) and 12.2 (Call of Time).

A1.8 Conduct of the match includes any action relevant to the match at any time on any day of the match.

A2 Implements and equipment

A2.1 Implements used in the match are the bat, the ball, the stumps and bails.

A2.2 External protective equipment is any visible item of apparel worn for protection against external blows.

For a batsman, items permitted are a protective helmet, external leg guards (batting pads), batting gloves and, if visible, forearm guards.

For a fielder, only a protective helmet is permitted, except in the case of a wicket- keeper, for whom wicket-keeping pads and gloves are also permitted.

A2.3 A protective helmet is headwear made of hard material and designed to protect the head or the face or both. For the purposes of interpreting these Laws of Cricket, such  a description will include faceguards.

A2.4 Equipment – a batsman’s equipment is his/her bat as defined above, together with any external protective equipment he/she is wearing.

A fielder’s equipment is any external protective equipment that he/she is wearing.

A2.5 The bat – the following are to be considered as part of the bat:

• the whole of the bat itself.
• the whole of a glove (or gloves) worn on the hand (or hands) holding the bat.
• the hand (or hands) holding the bat, if the batsman is not wearing a glove on that hand
  or on those hands.
  

A2.6  Held  in batsman’s hand. Contact between a batsman’s hand, or glove worn on his/her hand, and any part of the bat shall constitute the bat being held in that hand.

A3 The playing area

A3.1 The field of play is the area contained within the boundary.

A3.2 The square is a specially prepared area of the field of play within which the match pitch is situated.

A3.3 The outfield is that part of the field of play between the square and the boundary.

A4 Positioning

A4.1 Behind the popping crease at one end of the pitch is that area of the field of play, including any other marking, objects and persons therein, that is on that side of the popping crease that does not include the creases at the opposite end of the pitch. Behind, in relation to any other marking, object or person, follows the same principle. See the diagram in A 13.

A4.2 In front of the popping crease at one end of the pitch is that area of the field of play, including any other marking, objects and persons therein, that is on that side of the popping crease that includes the creases at the opposite end of the pitch. In front of,  in relation to any other marking, object or person, follows the same principle. See the diagram in A 13.

A4.3 The striker’s end is the place where the striker stands to receive a delivery from the bowler only insofar as it identifies, independently of where the striker may subsequently move, one end of the pitch.

A4.4 The bowler’s end is the end from which the bowler delivers the ball. It is the other end of the pitch from the striker’s end and identifies that end of the pitch that is not the striker’s end as described in A4.3.

A4.5 The wicket-keeper’s end is the same as the striker’s end as described in A4.3.

A4.6 In front of the line of the striker’s wicket is in the area of the field of play in front of the imaginary line joining the fronts of the stumps at the striker’s end; this line to be considered extended in both directions to the boundary. See A4.2.

A4.7 Behind the wicket is in the area of the field of play behind the imaginary line joining the backs of the stumps at the appropriate end; this line to be considered extended in both directions to the boundary. See A4.1.

A4.8 Behind the wicket-keeper is behind the wicket at the striker’s end, as defined above, but in line with both sets of stumps and further from the stumps than the wicket-keeper.

A4.9 Off side/on side – see diagram in A13

A4.10 Inside edge is the edge on the same side as the nearer wicket.

A5 Umpires

A5.1 Umpire – where the description the umpire is used on its own, it always means ‘the bowler’s end umpire’ though this full description is sometimes used for emphasis or clarity. Similarly the umpires always means both umpires. An umpire and umpires are generalised terms. Otherwise, a fuller description indicates which one of the umpires is specifically intended. Each umpire will be bowler’s end umpire and striker’s end umpire in alternate overs.

A5.2 Bowler’s end umpire is the umpire who is standing at the bowler’s end (see A4.4) for the current delivery.

A5.3 Striker’s end umpire is the umpire who is standing at the striker’s end (see A4.3), to one side of the pitch or the other, depending on his/her choice, for the current delivery.

A5.4 Umpires together agree applies to decisions which the umpires are to make jointly, independently of the players.

A6 Batsmen

A6.1 Batting side is the side currently batting, whether or not play is in progress.

A6.2 Member of the batting side is one of the players nominated by the captain of the batting side, or any authorised replacement for such nominated player.

A6.3 A batsman’s ground – at each end of the pitch, the whole area of the field of play behind the popping crease is the ground at that end for a batsman.

A6.4 Original end is the end where a batsman was when the ball came into play for that delivery.

A6.5 Wicket he/she has left is the wicket at the end where a batsman was at the start of the run in progress.

A6.6 Guard position is the position and posture adopted by the striker to receive a ball delivered by the bowler

A6.7 For the purposes of these Laws, waist height is defined as the point at which the top of the batsman’s trousers would conventionally be when he/she is standing upright at the popping crease.

A7 Fielders

A7.1 Fielding side is the side currently fielding, whether or not play is in progress.

A7.2 Member of the fielding side is one of the players nominated by the captain of the fielding side, or any authorised replacement or substitute for such nominated player.

A7.3 Fielder is one of the 11 or fewer players who together represent the fielding side on the field of play. This definition includes not only both the bowler and the wicket-keeper but also nominated players who are legitimately on the field of play, together with players legitimately acting as substitutes for absent nominated players. It excludes any nominated player who is absent from the field of play, or who has been absent from the field of play and who has not yet obtained the umpire’s permission to return.

A player going briefly outside the boundary in the course of discharging his/her duties as a fielder is not absent from the field of play nor, for the purposes of Law 24.2 (Fielder absent or leaving the field of play), is he/she to be regarded as having left the field of play.

A8 Substitutes, Replacements and Runners

A8.1 A Substitute is a player who takes the place of a fielder on the field of play, but does not replace the player for whom he/she substitutes on that side’s list of nominated players. A substitute’s activities are limited to fielding.

A8.2 A Replacement is a player who takes the place of a nominated player and who, thereby, becomes a nominated player. A replacement’s activities on the field of play  are no more limited than those of any other nominated player.

A8.3 A Runner is a nominated player who runs for another nominated player of his/her own side who is batting and is unable to run.

A9 Bowlers

A9.1 Over the wicket / round the wicket – If, as the bowler runs up between the wicket and the return crease, the wicket is on the same side as his/her bowling arm, he/she is bowling over the wicket. If the return crease is on the same side as his/her bowling arm, he/she is bowling round the wicket.

A9.2 Delivery swing is the motion of the bowler’s arm during which he/she normally releases the ball for a delivery.

A9.3 Delivery stride is the stride during which the delivery swing is made, whether the ball is released or not. It starts when the bowler’s back foot lands for that stride and ends when the front foot lands in the same stride. The stride after the delivery stride is completed when the next foot lands, i.e. when the back foot of the delivery stride lands again.

A10 The ball

A10.1 The ball is struck/strikes the ball unless specifically defined otherwise, mean ‘the ball is struck by the bat’/‘strikes the ball with the bat’.

A10.2 Rebounds directly/strikes directly and similar phrases mean ‘without contact with any fielder’ but do not exclude contact with the ground.

A10.3 Full-pitch describes a ball delivered by the bowler that reaches or passes the striker without having touched the ground. Sometimes described as non-pitching.

A11 Runs

A11.1 A run to be disallowed is one that in Law should not have been taken. It is not only  to be cancelled but the batsmen are to be returned to their original ends.

A11.2 A run not to be scored is one that is not illegal, but is not recognised as a properly executed run. It is not a run that has been made, so the question of cancellation does not arise. The loss of the run so attempted is not a disallowance and the batsmen will not be returned to their original ends on that account.

A12 The person

A12.1 Person; A player’s person is his/her physical person (flesh and blood) together with any clothing or legitimate external protective equipment that he/she is wearing except, in the case of a batsman, his/her bat.

A hand, whether gloved or not, that is not holding the bat is part of the batsman’s person.

No item of clothing or equipment is part of the player’s person unless it is attached to him/her.

For a batsman, a glove being held but not worn is part of his/her person.

For a fielder, an item of clothing or equipment he/she is holding in his/her hand or hands is not part of his/her person.

A12.2 Clothing – anything that a player is wearing, including such items as spectacles or jewellery, that is not classed as external protective equipment is classed as clothing, even though he/she may be wearing some items of apparel, which are not visible, for protection. A bat being carried by a batsman does not come within this definition of clothing.

A12.3 Hand for batsman or wicket-keeper shall include both the hand itself and the whole of a glove worn on the hand.

A13 Off side/on side; in front of / behind the popping crease.