MID-ATLANTIC CRICKET CONFERENCE (MACC)
2002 LEAGUE RULES AND REGULATIONS
The 2000 Code of the Laws of Cricket will be the default regulations governing play in the MACC on any points not covered by the following League regulations. ICC regulations for International Test Matches and ODIs do not apply to MACC matches unless specifically given below. Important changes in the 2000 Code that apply to MACC play are noted in Appendix A at the end of these regulations.
2. Exceptions to new Laws in the 2000 Code
2.1 Five-run penalties: The following five-run penalties will be enforced in the MACC:
2.1a Illegal fielding (Law 41.2) and ball striking protective helmet or other objects left on field by fielding side (Law 41.3)
2.1b Player returning to field without permission and coming into contact with ball in play (Law 2.6)
2.1c Deliberate attempt to distract striker (Law 42.4)
In the event of any violation of these Laws the umpires shall follow the procedures as laid down in these Laws exactly, including reporting to the Executive Committee after the match. Umpires should not impose five-run penalties without being prepared to follow the Laws precisely and report on the matter.
In the event of any violation of other Laws calling for a five-run penalty, namely Law 18.5(b) (Deliberate short runs), Law 42.3 (Tampering with the ball), Law 42.5 (Distraction or obstruction of batsmen in running), Laws 42.9 and 42.10 (Time wasting), Laws 42.13 and 42.14 (Damaging the pitch), and Law 42.16 (Batsmen stealing a run), the umpires shall follow the procedures laid down in those Laws except for the imposition of the five-run penalty.
2.2 The 2000 Code of the Laws of Cricket includes more stringent regulations against unfair gloves used by the wicket-keeper. Of particular importance is a new requirement that the webbing between thumb and index finger be for support only and not form a pouch when the hand is extended that might unfairly assist in making a catch. Recognising the cost of gear, the MACC will not enforce this rule for MACC play in the 2003 season. Enforcement will begin at a later time. Teams are expected to bear this new Law in mind when purchasing new equipment and to prepare for the future time when this Law will be enforced.
2.3 The new Laws do not allow the marking of a boundary with objects at separated points like flags or cones. The markers should be a continuous item like a rope, a line painted on the ground, or a fence or board, or some combination of these. Flags or cones will still be allowed in the MACC until further notice. However, it must be remembered that the boundary is now an invisible line at the base of the marker, and thus the remainder of the marker above ground level is over the boundary. In particular, a ball struck so that it first lands on a boundary cone or flag above the ground will be a boundary six. See also Appendix A, Section 8.
2.4 The new Laws require the use of two scorers at all times. While this is highly desirable and to be encouraged (see Section 7.1), the MACC requires only one scorer.
2.5 Underarm bowling is not allowed. A delivery shall be considered underarm if when the ball is released from the bowler's hand it is below the level of the shoulder. In the event of an underarm delivery the umpire shall call and signal No ball under Law 24.1(a).
3. The Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Disciplinary Committee
3.1 The Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the MACC are constituted as specified in the Constitution and By-Laws of the MACC. If any reports are received requiring the attention of a Disciplinary Committee, one will be appointed by the Executive Committee as described in that document and in the League's written policies. These governing bodies and committees are responsible for ensuring that the conduct of all participants in MACC matches adheres both to the letter of the Laws and regulations and to the Spirit of the Game.
4. The Umpire(s) -- See also Appendix B
4.1 The League will name one neutral umpire or specify a team that must provide a neutral umpire for each match, to the extent possible. The neutral umpire will stand at the bowler's end throughout the match unless the captains agree otherwise before the toss for innings. An umpire at the striker's end will normally be provided by the batting side, but the captains may agree upon a second neutral umpire if one is available.
4.2 If the League is able to supply two neutral umpires for a match they will normally alternate ends between overs unless the umpires and the captains agree otherwise before the toss for innings.
4.3 Throughout these regulations, unless the context makes it clear otherwise, the word "umpire" in the singular will refer to the neutral umpire. If there should be two neutral umpires in a match it refers to the two of them acting in consultation. The word "umpire(s)" refers to any umpires participating in a match.
4.4 The umpire(s) are responsible for ensuring that the conduct of the match is strictly in accordance with the Laws and these regulations. They shall be the sole judges of fair and unfair play.
4.5 The neutral umpire will be the judge of the fitness of ground, weather and light for play, as prescribed in Law 3, Sections 8-10, of the Laws of Cricket.
4.6 When no neutral umpire appears for a match, the captains are expected to arrange between them for officiating the match. It is expected that with good will and common sense in the Spirit of the Game it will be possible to play the match and arrive at a result. In questions of the fitness of ground, weather and light the captains will use a common-sense approach and agree between them on the proper course of action. If the captains are unable to reach agreement on any matter of importance it may be necessary to refer the matter to the Executive Committee, but the first priority of the captains should be to complete the match and reach a result on the field whenever possible.
The captains are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the Spirit of the Game as well as within the Laws. Players serving as captains must understand that they are responsible both for their own actions and for those of their teams. While captains may on occasion find it necessary to discuss matters of concern with the umpire during play, they should ensure that the other members of their side do not do so, except as allowed by the Laws of Cricket and these regulations.
6.1 Each captain shall write down a list of his eleven (or fewer) players before the toss for innings and bring that list to the pre-match conference for the inspection of the other captain and the umpire. This list cannot be changed after the conference without the consent of the other captain. After the conference the list should be given to the scorer to assist him in his duties.
6.2 A player not on the list provided by his captain may not bat, bowl, or keep wicket during the match, although he may otherwise substitute for a missing player as allowed by the Laws of Cricket.
6.4 A player who is
a member of an MACC club may change his membership to another club, but cannot
thereafter return to his original club in the same season. A player who is a
member of one club may not be one of the 11 nominated players in a match for
another club without changing his membership. A player who is a member of one
club may not be a substitute for another club without the consent of the
opposing captain.
6.6 It is highly desirable for players to wear traditional cricket whites
or whatever approximation of whites is available to them. However, there is no
League dress requirement. If in the opinion of the umpire the dress of a bowler
unfairly disadvantages the striker's ability to see the ball, the umpire shall
instruct the captain of the bowler's side not to use that bowler until the
problem is corrected to the umpire's satisfaction.
7.1 Each club shall provide or arrange for a scorer to keep score at least during their own innings. If each side can provide a scorer for the entire match that is preferable, and in that case the two scorers should sit together and consult frequently to ensure that their scores agree.
Each club in the League shall supply the League with current contact information (telephone and email address) for at least one member (preferably the captain) who can be contacted in the week before a match by the other side to make arrangements for the match. This contact information will be maintained on the MACC website and should always be kept current. It is essential that teams be able to contact each other before a match and that the contact person take the responsibility for keeping contact open if he must leave town or otherwise be unavailable.
9.1 League matches will normally begin at 10:30 a.m. The captains may agree to change the starting time of a match; if this is done before arrival at the field the umpire should be notified of the change in starting time so that he can time his arrival accordingly. Matches should not be scheduled so late in the day that there is a foreseeable danger of failing light at the end of play; if a match is so scheduled anyway the umpire should take this agreement into consideration when considering the fitness of light for play. Matches may be re-scheduled by agreement for a different day of the same weekend if there is a field available for play. Matches may not be re-scheduled for a different weekend without the prior agreement of the Executive Committee that compelling reasons exist for the re-scheduling.
Matches will consist of one innings per side and each innings will be limited to 30 six-ball overs. This number of overs required for a complete match may not be reduced, except as is permitted in Section 24.5. No bowler shall bowl more than 6 overs in an innings. Declarations will not be allowed.
Balls used for League matches must be of 4-piece construction and be of regulation size and weight as stated in the Laws of Cricket. Each captain must present the ball his side intends to bowl at the pre-match conference. Teams should bring spare balls in varying conditions to matches so that in the event of a ball becoming lost or unfit for play a suitable replacement can be made without wasting time.
12. Preparation of the Pitch, Outfield, and Boundaries
12.1 It is the responsibility of the home team to ensure that the pitch, outfield, and boundaries are prepared before the time scheduled for the start of the match. This should normally be done before the toss for innings, although marking of the boundary may have to await agreement between the captains as to where the boundary lines are. When two home teams share the same field the teams should agree on responsibilities before the day of the match. Pitches must conform to the standards established by the League:
12.1b If a concrete
base is used, it should provide even bounce and be covered with carpeting or
matting for play.
12.2 It is the
responsibility of the umpire to ensure that the creases are properly marked and
the wickets properly pitched.
13.1 The umpire and captains will meet for a conference on the pitch no later than 15 minutes before the time agreed upon for the match to start. If the start of the match is delayed because of the unfitness of ground, weather or light, or because of the late arrival of players, the conference shall take place no later than 15 minutes before the time play is expected to begin. The absence of the captain should not delay this conference if a deputy is available to act for him.
13.3 After the toss for innings the captain winning the toss shall notify
the other Captain within 5 minutes of his intention to bat or bowl.
14.1 Captains, players, and umpires should always make serious efforts to begin a match on time. However, it is also expected that each captain will adhere to the Spirit of the Laws and be willing to make reasonable accommodations when the other side is not ready to play at the appointed time. We are not professionals and sometimes things happen. If a team fails to be prepared to begin a match at the scheduled time, that is time-wasting and can be reported as illegal time-wasting by the Umpire, as described in Section 15.1, even if that team starts play in time to avoid a forfeit.
14.3 If a delay in
the arrival of players from one or both sides causes both captains to agree to
delay the beginning of the match, it shall be delayed as long as both captains
agree, and the umpire will respect that agreement.
15. Forfeiture before the Start of Play
15.1 It is expected that in the Spirit of the Game teams will always prefer to play a match and achieve a result through play than to claim a forfeit. Actions contrary to the Spirit of the Game are always subject to review by a Disciplinary Committee. However, a team that is ready to play cannot be expected to wait forever for the other side to be ready to play, and after a reasonable period of time the League must allow the team captain to appeal to the umpire to compel the other side either to forfeit the match or to play with the players they have available. The umpire shall not award a forfeit or compel a side to play except upon appeal after the appropriate time has expired. In situations short of forfeiture, however, the umpire may elect to report a side for time wasting, if he considers unreasonable their delay in preparing to play.
15.2 An appeal can be made for a forfeit against a local team after a delay of 45 minutes from the starting time, as agreed or re-set. When the team is late traveling in from out of town the allowed time before an appeal for forfeit is 90 minutes. If the team making the appeal was not ready to play at the agreed or re-set starting time this time period shall be measured from the time the appealing side notified the umpire that they were ready to play. The umpire may not deny an appeal for forfeit made by a team captain in accordance with these conditions. He shall instruct the other team to play or forfeit. However, he may choose to report appeals he considers contrary to the Spirit of the Game. See 15.1 above.
15.3 If no neutral umpire is present, a captain wishing to claim a forfeit will first request the other captain to acknowledge the forfeit and sign the scorebook to that effect. If the other captain refuses to do so, the captain wishing to claim the forfeit should document carefully the occurrences on which he bases his claim, particularly the time he notified the other captain he was ready to play, the time he requested the other captain to play or forfeit, and the number of nominated players present for both sides, and submit a report to the Executive Committee requesting that a forfeit be awarded. The Executive Committee will appoint a Disciplinary Committee to hear both sides and make a decision.
15.4 In the event of weather conditions that will cause delays in travel or in the start of a match, but may allow a later start time, the captains and umpire may agree by email or phone to set a later start time. The umpire also has the power to re-set the starting time because of unfavorable conditions. In no case will a forfeit be awarded during the time that beginning the match would be impossible anyway because of conditions of ground, weather or light.
15.5 When a team has successfully appealed and the umpire informs the other team that they must either play or forfeit, the team appealed against may avoid forfeit by playing with the players they have, even if there are less than seven of them present.
15.6 If a team notifies the opposing captain or umpire in advance that they will not be able to attend a match, a forfeit can be awarded without requiring the other side to be present and ready to play. However, see Section 15.8.
15.7 If teams have agreed before the beginning of the match that no play will be possible, as described in Section 9.2, no forfeit can be claimed.
15.8 If a team forfeits a match it is immediately and automatically upon suspension from League play until that suspension is lifted by a Disciplinary Committee. Lifting the suspension requires positive action by the team to present reasons why the suspension should be lifted. Teams may also be suspended by action of the Disciplinary Committee for other reasons. A suspended team forfeits all its matches until the suspension is lifted, and the other team is not required to be present and ready to play to claim the forfeit in a match with a suspended team.
15.9 By participating in MCC League play a club makes a commitment to playing in all matches as scheduled by the League. A team forfeiting 2 matches in one season for any reason shall be expelled from the League and forfeit all of their matches for that season, played or unplayed. That team may not apply for readmission to the League until they have been out of the League for one full season in addition to the one in which they were expelled.
15.10 If a team forfeits matches after achieving results in earlier matches, but remains in the League, the points awarded for the earlier matches still stand. If a team withdraws or is expelled from the League, each team scheduled to play against them during the season will receive 6 points for each such scheduled match, whether or not the match has already been played to a result.
16.1 Drinks intervals will be taken after overs 12 and 24 of each innings unless the captains agree otherwise. Such agreement can take place at any time during the match. The batsmen on the field can deputize for their captain in making this agreement. If a wicket falls or there is any other interruption of play during over 12 or 24 drinks will be taken immediately and the over completed after the interval. Drinks intervals should be as quick as possible and should not in any case exceed 10 minutes.
16.2 Lunch will normally be taken between the two innings of play. Whenever it is taken, this interval will last no longer than 45 minutes, although the captains may agree to a shorter lunch interval. In the event of an interruption of play for conditions of ground, weather or light during the first innings, the umpire may suggest in the interest of saving time that the lunch interval be brought forward. If the captains agree this shall be done. If the first innings is unusually short the captains may agree to forego lunch between the innings. If lunch is not taken between the innings the interval between innings shall be no longer than 30 minutes.
17. Interruptions for Unfitness of Ground, Weather or Light
17.1 Play will be interrupted for unfitness of ground, weather or light, and resumed when possible, as prescribed in the Laws of Cricket, Law 3, Sections 8-10.
17.2 A match should not normally be abandoned for unfit ground, weather or light until after all interruptions for unfit conditions have totaled 1 hour. Even after one hour of interruptions the captains can agree to wait longer if they consider that there is still a prospect of achieving a result for the match.
17.3 When common sense makes it clear that conditions are not going to improve enough to allow resumption of play, as when the field of play is completely under water or the sun has set, the match may be abandoned by agreement of the captains, with the approval of the umpire, without waiting 1 hour; the 1 hour waiting period is set as a reasonable guideline under most circumstances but not a requirement under all circumstances. However, if a match is abandoned after less than 1 hour the Executive Committee must be satisfied that there has been no collusion that adversely affects other teams in the League.
17.4 A game that is washed out or otherwise abandoned either before it starts or during play will not be completed or rescheduled unless it can be replayed to the satisfaction of both teams on the same weekend.
18.1 Time wasting is unfair play. If upon the conclusion of a match the Umpire judges that time wasting by one side affected the result of the match he will report that judgement to the Executive Committee, who will appoint a Disciplinary Committee to investigate whether any disciplinary action should be taken, including possibly changing the result of the match. The Umpire is entitled to act under Law 42, Sections 9 and 10, except that a five-run penalty may not be awarded, and he is encouraged to do so if he judges that either side is wasting time. However, he is not required to deliver the warnings specified in Law 42 before taking action under this section to report time wasting to the Executive Committee.
18.2 Requesting excessive stoppages for drinks outside of the scheduled drinks intervals is time wasting. However, it is important that players safeguard their health playing under a hot sun; as a result we must operate under an assumption of sportsmanship and good faith. This implies that the umpire will assume that a request for drinks is genuinely necessary and that he will allow drinks when requested. However, the umpire is still entitled to make his own judgement of time wasting and to act under Law 42 if necessary.
18.3 If batsmen must take drinks outside the scheduled drinks intervals they should not take them while an over is in progress, except on the fall of a wicket or other interruption. If fielders must take drinks outside the scheduled drinks intervals they should take them on the edge of the field without interrupting play.
A bowler wishing to make a trial runup should notify the umpires and the batsmen. The umpire is entitled to act against excessive trial runups by treating them as time wasting under Law 42.
20.1 If the ball in play strikes any object left on the field by the fielding side, Sections 2-4 of Law 41 apply, the ball is dead, and five penalty runs are scored in addition to any already run or crossed for. See Section 2.1.
20.2 Batsmen should not leave any objects on the field, as it is difficult to make a fair ruling if any of these objects interfere with play.
20.3 A Batsman may call for a helmet to be brought out to him at any time. He must then wear or carry it personally all the time while play is in progress, or he can have it taken off the field at the fall of a wicket, or at the end of an over, or at any drinks interval. In all cases, no actions involving helmets are to waste playing time. Umpires are not to hold helmets nor to be asked to hold other objects other than in the customary accommodation to the bowlers.
20.4 Cell phones are not allowed on the field of play while play is in progress. Umpires should not be asked to hold cell phones for players.
21. Wide Bowling -- Judging a Wide
Wide balls will be called according to the definitions given in Law 25 of the 2000 Code of the Laws of Cricket: The umpire shall adjudge a ball a wide "unless it is sufficiently within the striker's reach for him to be able to hit it with his bat by means of a normal cricket stroke." For a delivery to be a wide the umpire must judge that the ball passes wide of the striker both from where he is standing and also from a normal guard position. If the umpire considers that a bowler is bowling down the leg side as a negative tactic, the umpire is entitled to call legside deliveries with even greater stringency: under these circumstances a ball delivered on the leg side and landing clearly outside the leg stump going further away may be called wide, and this may be used as a guide for other legside deliveries. In keeping with the 2000 Code of the Laws of Cricket, the one-run penalty for a wide will be added to any other runs scored on the ball (see Appendix A).
22.1 If a short-pitched ball passes or would have passed above the shoulder height of the striker standing upright at the crease, the umpire at the bowler's end shall call and signal "no ball". This umpire will normally consult the umpire at the striker's end if he is in any doubt about the call, but the call of "no ball" should be made only by the umpire at the bowler's end. The umpire at the striker's end should not give the "no ball" signal; if consulted by the other umpire he should indicate the height of the ball.
22.2 If the umpire at the bowler's end further judges that the bowler is deliberately delivering fast short-pitched balls that by their repetition, and taking into account their length, height and
direction, are likely to inflict physical injury on the Striker, irrespective of the protective equipment he may be wearing, he shall adopt the procedures of warning, final warning and removal of the bowler described in Law 42.7 of the Laws of Cricket. The relative skill of the striker shall also be taken into consideration.
23.1 If a full-pitched delivery (regardless of its pace) passes or would have passed above waist height of the striker standing upright at his crease, the umpire at the bowler's end shall call and signal "no ball". This may be in consultation with the umpire at the striker's end, as described in Section 22.1, but the call of "no ball" should be made only by the umpire at the bowler's end.
23.2 If the umpire at the bowler's end further judges that the high full-pitched delivery is fast, he shall adopt the procedure of warning, final warning and removal of the bowler described in Law 42.7 of the Laws of Cricket.
23.3 If the umpire at the bowler's end further judges that the fast high full-pitched delivery has been bowled deliberately at the striker he shall call and signal "no ball" and direct the captain of the fielding side to take the bowler off forthwith without adopting the procedure of caution and final warning.
24.1 A completed match will be either a win for one side (by runs or wickets) or a tie. In case of a tie these regulations make no provision for a tiebreaker.
24.2 If a team abandons a match in progress when the umpire has not decided that the match should be abandoned for unfit playing conditions, they agree that the match shall be awarded to the other side as a forfeit during play. In addition, they agree to the following:
(a) That they shall be suspended as in Section 15.8 until review by a Disciplinary Committee, as provided in that Section;
(b) That they will receive no points for the match;
(c) If their abandonment takes place during the second innings of the match, that the net run rate (see Section 26.2) will be calculated for that match, as follows:
(i) If the team abandoning the match is batting in the second innings, their own run rate shall be calculated on the basis of 30 overs, as though they had been all out, and the run rate of the other team shall be calculated in the usual way.
(ii) If the team abandoning the match is fielding in the second innings, their own run rate shall be calculated in the usual way, and the run rate of the other team shall be calculated based on the actual number of runs scored and overs batted at the time of the abandonment.
If no neutral umpire is present, matches should be abandoned only by mutual consent of the captains for unfit playing conditions; teams are expected to complete matches in which they play whenever possible. When no neutral umpire is present and one team abandons play without the consent of the other team the provisions above in this Section shall apply.
24.3 A forfeit during play shall be treated the same as a forfeit before the start of play for the purposes of enforcing Sections 15.9 and 15.10 of these Regulations and for awarding points according to Section 25.
24.4 An incomplete match in which fewer than 25 overs were bowled in the second innings is a draw, unless Section 24.2 applies. This includes games not played at all because of unfitness of ground, weather or light.
24.5 An incomplete match in which 25 or more overs were bowled in the second innings will be decided by comparing the run rates of the teams, unless Section 24.2 applies. The team with the higher run rate per over will be declared the winner. If the side batting first were all out in less than 30 overs their run rate will be calculated on the basis of 30 overs and not on the number of overs in which the team was dismissed. (If the resulting run rates per over for each side are exactly equal the result is a tie.)
24.6 Both captains and the umpire should sign both score books after each match and check the result for correctness. Should there be any dispute of the result the signed score sheets will be used to settle the argument.
24.7 Results must be submitted to the League secretary by the winning captain by email no later than the Wednesday after the game has been played. This report must include (1) the result of the match, (2) the total score for each teams, (3) the number of overs faced by each team, and (4) whether either team was all out in fewer than 30 overs.
24.8 Results should also be reported to the League website using the entry page provided there. All players nominated as part of each team should be listed in the report; if they did not bat they should be listed as "DNB".
The League Secretary will compile the match results to produce an updated points table based on the following awards to each team:
6 Points for a Win or Forfeit Win
4 Points for a Tie or Draw
2 Points for a Loss
0 Points for a Forfeit
In addition any MACC club scheduled to provide an umpire for a match and failing to do so will lose 2 points for each such match. Hardship cases should be referred to the Executive Committee for consideration.
The updated points table will be available on the MACC webpage and will be distributed by other means if necessary.
26.1 Eight teams will qualify for the playoffs. These will be the eight highest-ranking teams by point totals at the end of the season. Ties in point totals will be broken by computation of net run rates.
26.2 A team's net run rate is calculated by deducting, from the average runs per over scored by that team throughout the competition, the average runs per over scored against that team throughout the competition. In the event of a team being all out in a match in less than 30 overs, the calculation of its net run rate shall be based on 30 overs for that match and not on the number of overs in which the team was dismissed. In a match declared a draw or forfeit, run rate is not applicable, except when Section 24.2(c) is applicable.
26.3 Seedings for the playoffs will be decided by point totals, with ties broken by net run rates. Playoff matches will be played on the home field of the higher-seeded team, unless both teams agree otherwise.
26.4 A win or tie in the playoffs will be determined in the same way as in the regular season, according to Section 24 of these regulations. If there is a tie in a completed playoff match the team advancing to the next round will be the team losing the fewest wickets in the match, and if this number for both sides is equal the higher seed shall advance. If the result of an incomplete match is a tie by run-rate calculation, the team that has lost the fewer wickets per over played shall advance, and if this number for both sides is equal the higher seed shall advance.
26.5 Reserve days will be provided in the playoff schedule in case the result of a match is a draw, as defined in Section 24.4. In case of a draw the match will be completely replayed on a reserve day. If all available reserve days are used and the only result is still a draw, the higher seed shall advance to the next round.
IMPORTANT CHANGES IN THE 2000 CODE OF THE LAWS OF
CRICKET APPLYING TO MACC PLAY
1. No-balls and wides carry a one-run penalty that is scored in addition to any other runs scored on the delivery.
1a. If additional runs are made on a no-ball off the bat, then one run is scored as a no-ball and the runs resulting from the hit are scored to the batsman.
1b. If additional runs are made on a no-ball not off the bat, then all runs scored are scored as no-balls. The umpire will give the bye signal after giving the no-ball signal, even if the delivery would have normally been considered a leg-bye or a wide. The bye signal is no reflection on the keeper; it means only that the ball did not touch the bat and all runs are to be scored as no-balls.
1c. If additional runs are made on a wide ball that is not a no-ball the runs made and the penalty run are scored as wides.
2. The Laws now specifically say that the umpire at the bowler's end may regard the ball as dead "when it is clear ... that the fielding side and both batsmen at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play." This will relieve the umpires of any difficult that might arise if some mishap occurs (such as losing the ball over the boundary line or catching it in a fielder's cap) when everybody regards the ball as in play but it technically is still alive. Previously certain specific things had to happen before the ball was considered dead, and it could be technically alive even though everybody thought it was dead, except at the end of an over. What was true before only at the end of an over is now true after every ball.
3. Wides are judged if the delivery does not allow the striker "to be able to hit it with his bat by means of a normal cricket stroke." As explained in the new Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, "The phrase in the Law 'a normal cricket stroke' does not imply that the umpire has to judge 'he could square-cut that', 'he could leg-glance that'. It simply requires that the striker could comfortably get his bat to it, and hit it in a reasonable sort of way."
4. There are five new official signals listed for the Umpires, and the list of signals also makes it clear which are to be given when the ball is in play and which after the ball is dead. Only three of the new signals might occur in MACC play:
New ball: by holding the ball above the head (Duh!)
Revoke last signal: by touching both shoulders, each with the opposite hand.
Five penalty runs awarded to the batting side: by repeated tapping of one shoulder with the other hand.
5. The rule before on appealing against conditions of play was that it could not be done. The decision was entirely for the umpires to make. The one exception was that the batting side could appeal against the light, once the umpires had offered them the light and been declined. Then they could appeal later and have their appeal granted if the light had gotten even worse. Now it is also possible for either side to appeal against ground and weather conditions, but only under similar circumstances: once the umpires have offered to stop play and the sides have agreed to continue play nevertheless. After that either side may appeal against the ground or weather (and the batting side against the light, as before), and now the appeal will be granted if the conditions are the same as or worse than when the initial offer was declined. Umpires still have the power to suspend play, whether or not the players agree, if the conditions are more than "unfit" but are in fact "unreasonable or dangerous" (such as a thunderstorm, for example).
6. The striker may now be out, caught, off any part of the glove (of a hand holding the bat, of course), regardless of whether it is below the wrist or not. The umpire no longer has to guess where the wrist is under the glove.
7. Umpires are instructed that when a player is hit full toss on an LBW appeal, they are no longer to consider whether the ball might have turned after pitching. They are to take the line of the ball that it was already on before hitting the pad. This is a slight erosion of the benefit of the doubt normally given to the striker previously.
8. Boundary fences (or boards) and boundary ropes (or lines) are no longer treated differently. The boundary is the innermost part of the rope or line, or the bottom edge of the boundary fence or board. If a player comes into contact with a boundary fence or board in fielding the ball this is now treated the same as coming into contact with a boundary rope was treated before; that is, a boundary will be awarded. Players may no longer lean against a fence in taking a catch. This change applies most obviously to the Charlotte ground at Reedy Creek Park: if a ball there strikes the black plastic fence on the full, above the ground, this will now be a boundary 6; the same would be true of the concrete stands on the other side of the field.
9. The throwing Law reverses the benefit of the doubt. Instead of the former language about how the umpire must be absolutely satisfied of the complete fairness of the delivery, the new Law instructs that "no ball" will be called and signaled "If, in the opinion of either umpire, the ball has been thrown". Oddly enough, for foot faults the umpire is still instructed to call and signal "no ball" if he is "not satisfied" that the delivery is fair.
10. There is a new no-ball for the ball bouncing more than twice or rolling along the ground before it reaches the popping crease, "providing it has not touched the bat or person of the striker". This has been an ICC rule for some time, but not in the Laws of Cricket. It will now be a part of the MACC rules since it is now in the Laws of Cricket (Law 24.6).
11. If a ball comes to rest completely before reaching the line of the striker's wicket, without having been touched by the bat or person of the striker, there is no longer the chance for a "free hit" that there was under the old Laws. The umpire is instructed to call first "no ball", under the rule described in 10 above, and then to immediately call "dead ball". It is not a wide ball.
12. When owing to windy conditions it has been agreed to play without bails, the wicket is to be considered down if the ball or other appropriate object strikes it. The umpires are not to consider whether the striking was sufficient to dislodge a bail. As before, but now spelled out, is that this is true even if the wicket has been broken, as long as the ball or other object strikes a stump or stumps still in the ground. The umpire is not to consider whether the bails would have been off from the previous breaking.
13. Although a wide ball is not called until it passes the striker's wicket, it shall "be considered to have been a Wide from the instant of delivery" (new Law 25.3). The one-run penalty for a no-ball or wide, which is now mandatory regardless of whether other runs are scored, is scored instantly on the call. If "wide ball" or "no ball" were called at the end of a match with one run needed for victory, the match would be instantly over and nothing that happened further on the
delivery would be a part of the score.
14. It is now legal for a catch to be made at the boundary as long as the fielder is never out of bounds and in contact with the ball at the same time. Thus it is possible for a fielder who finds himself going over the boundary with the ball to throw the ball up into the air before he leaves the field, leave the field, return to the field of play, and complete a legal catch once he is back on the field of play. It is still the case that if his momentum from running for the catch or taking the catch causes him to run over the boundary with the ball in his hand it is a six and not a catch, even though he may have established control over the ball before leaving the field. A catch is not completed until the fielder is in control of the ball and also in control of his own body enough to stay on the field.
15. The ball is to be given to the umpire at the fall of each wicket, as well as at the start of any interval or interruption.
16. The striker can now be run out off a no ball under any circumstances. He does not have to be attempting a run. He still cannot be stumped from a no-ball, which would mean that he cannot be run out by the wicketkeeper acting alone unless he is attempting a run. If he is not attempting a run, and the wicketkeeper receives no help from other fieldsmen, it is a potential stumping, not a potential runout, and therefore if it is a no-ball he cannot be run out. But if he, say, hangs around outside his crease without attempting a run he can be run out by a the fielding side, even though he was not attempting a run.
17. The rule about significant movement by a fieldsman while the striker is receiving delivery, which previously has been a part of the ICC regulations and our own MACC rules, is now a part of the Laws of Cricket, resulting in the deletion of our old rule 20. Please note, however, that this is, as it has always been, a DEAD BALL and not a no ball. Here is the exact wording of the Law (41.7): "Any significant movement by any fielder after the ball comes into play and before the ball reaches the striker is unfair. In the event of such unfair movement, either umpire shall call and signal Dead ball." Note that the movement must be significant; this does not affect the normal practice of "walking in" as practiced by fieldsmen away from the wicket. The umpire must determine that the movement is "significant". As a guide, the movement of a wicket-keeper standing back who moves up to the stumps would be regarded as significant, whereas the movement forward by a wicket keeper of a couple of paces for a slower delivery or in taking his normal stance would not be regarded as significant. The same provision will apply to a slip fieldsman who takes only a couple of steps forward. The umpire has to make a judgement taking all the circumstances into account. See the new Laws 40.4, 41.7 and 41.8.
18. Opposing captains now have no right of objection to a substitute whatsoever. Previously they had no right to object to a substitution due to illness or injury, but did have the right to object to substitutions for other reasons. This is now entirely up to the umpire to decide whether to allow or disallow. This does not mean that substitutions can be made willy-nilly: the umpire must determine that the substitution is for "wholly acceptable reasons". But the decision of the umpire on the point is final.
19. There was previously a possible dismissal, although it was considered unsporting to appeal for it, if a batsman picked up the ball in play to return it to the fielding side (Out, Handled the Ball) or used his bat to do so (Out, Hit the Ball Twice). It should continue to be regarded as unsporting to appeal for a dismissal in these cases, but if the batsman is dismissed for either of these in the future under the new Laws he will be Out, Obstructing the Field, not Handled the Ball or Hit the Ball Twice. Of course it is entirely sporting for the fielding side to appeal if such an action does in fact obstruct the field, but not when the batsman is just trying to be helpful on a ball that is pretty much dead. Of course the change noted in 2 above means that when the ball is "pretty much dead" it really is dead, so that provides more protection to the batsmen under these circumstances.
20. The Laws now specifically instruct that the umpires and captains will confer before the toss to agree on (i) the balls to be used during the match, (ii) times and durations of intervals, (iii) boundaries and boundary allowances, and (iv) any special conditions of play, and that the scorers will be informed of these agreements. Of course these practices were always a good idea, but now they are required by the Laws, as noted now in our regulation 13.2.
21. The umpire is now required to call and signal Dead ball whenever "the striker is distracted by any noise or movement or in any other way while he is preparing to receive or receiving a delivery. This shall apply whether the source of the distraction is within the game or outside it." This was probably always a part of good umpire practice, but it is now spelled out in the Laws for the first time.
22. It is now explicit in the Laws what was understood before, that "No member of the fielding side other than the wicket-keeper shall be permitted to wear gloves or external leg guards. In addition, protection for the hand or fingers may be worn [by fielders] only with the consent of the umpires."
23. Fieldsmen may no longer dry a wet ball with sawdust, which also eliminates the use of other dubious substances such as dirt carried in the bowler's pocket. Polishing the ball is still allowed as long as no artificial substance is used and there is no time-wasting. Removing mud from the ball must be done under the supervision of the umpire. A wet ball may be dried on a towel only. The ball should not be rubbed on the ground (unless, I suppose this is done under the supervision of the umpire to remove mud). All other alteration of the condition of the ball is explicitly forbidden.
24. If the bowler attempts to run out the non-striker in the course of his runup this must be done before entering his delivery stride. Runs may no longer result from an unsuccessful mankad attempt; the umpire calls and signals Dead ball immediately after the attempt. If the bowler were to enter his delivery stride and then turn and attempt the runout the umpire would call and signal Dead ball immediately, because it is too late to allow the attempt once the bowler enters his delivery stride. The ball still does not count in the over. It is not a no-ball either; it just isn't a ball, even though a wicket may fall if the attempt is successful. (If this occurs at the start of an over the over has begun for the purposes of counting bowlers' overs if there is a substitute bowler due to injury or suspension, even though there have been no legal deliveries in the over.)
25. Players leaving the field of play and being absent for longer than 15 minutes have always been barred from bowling after they have come back until they have been on the field for as long as they were absent. However, under the 1980 Code this did not apply when a player was late at the start of the match. Under the 2000 Code it does, so if a player is late arriving for a match more than 15 minutes the same restriction on bowling applies. Do note, however, that we do not have the restrictions on batting that exist in the ICC; these are special ICC regulations, not part of the Laws of Cricket.
THE ROLE OF THE UMPIRES IN THE MACC
1. Our long-term goal as a League is to have two trained umpires at each match who are not affiliated with either of the teams playing. Our immediate goal is to have one neutral umpire at each match who will stand at the bowlers' end, with the other umpire being arranged by the teams playing. Sometimes it is unfortunately necessary for both umpires to be arranged by the teams playing. Common sense dictates that in some aspects it will be necessary to manage matches
differently in these three different situations.
2. The Laws of Cricket and MACC Rules and Regulations give three kinds of power to umpires:
a. The power for one umpire to make certain decisions, within his legal jurisdiction, on his own. Examples of such powers include:
i. Counting the balls of the over
ii. Signalling to the scorers
iii. Calling "time" and "play"
iv. Calling short runs
v. Awarding boundaries
vi. Calling dead balls, wide balls and no balls
vii. Signalling byes, leg byes, disallowing legbyes
viii. Answering appeals for dismissals
ix. Taking action against dangerous and unfair bowling
x. Awarding five-run penalties after suitable warning
b. The power for an umpire to voluntarily consult with another on any matter that is actually within his own jurisdiction, when he thinks the other umpire may be in a better position to observe a point of fact. (In our League an umpire might also consult another who has a better knowledge of the Laws applying to a particular situation.)
c. The power to make decisions only after consultation between the two umpires has reached agreement between them. One umpire is not normally allowed to make these decisions by himself. Examples of these decisions include:
i. Making pre-match agreements with the captains on the conditions of play
ii. Determining the course of action of a team is late in arriving: whether to wait longer or forfeit the match
iii. Determining whether to allow a substitute or runner for a player
iv. Determining when conditions are unsuitable or dangerous for play
v. Inspecting the condition of the ball and determining when it needs to be replaced
vi. Checking the accuracy of the score with the scorers
3. All umpires in MACC matches, regardless of their training or team affiliation, have the powers listed in 2(a) above, provided that the decision is within their individual jurisdictions and the procedures required by the Laws and Regulations are followed. As long as the teams have agreed on using the umpire they must accept his decisions on these matters.
a. Some common sense should be used by the umpires; there certainly may be times when asserting their powers to the fullest would be unwise. An example of this might be no-balling a bowler for throwing. Although this is within the powers of any umpire it must be recognized that such a call will cause significant problems within our friendly League and that in almost all cases it would be wiser to report the matter for further study than to call it on the field.
b. There are also times when the umpire is not required to consult with the other umpire but would do well to do so; this is especially noteworthy in matters of judgement such as dangerous and unfair bowling, time-wasting, distraction of batsmen or interference with fielders. Many of the five-run penalties fall within this advisory; in addition, five-run penalties should not be imposed by umpires without an exact understanding of the procedures for them prescribed by the Laws, and these procedures must be followed exactly, including all required warnings and notifications.
4. For matters listed in 2(c), and similar matters requiring consultation between the two umpires, umpires and captains should handle these matters differently, depending on the nature of the umpiring for that match.
a. When there are two umpires who are unaffiliated with either team umpiring the match, they shall have the full powers given to them by the Laws and Regulations to act in consultation with each other and to issue a joint decision.
b. When there is only one such umpire and the other umpire is supplied by the teams, the one independent umpire shall have the final decision in any matters normally requiring consultation between two umpires, but whenever it is appropriate he should consult with the appropriate captains and ascertain their wishes and attempt to bring the captains to agreement, issuing his own ruling only when the captains cannot agree. For some matters, such as allowing a substitute or runner, it may be more reasonable to consult only the opposing captain. This is urged as the common-sense best way to minimize disagreements and avoid forcing a single umpire to make a decision that would normally be made by two umpires in consultation. Nevertheless, when there is only one umpire available, and a decision is necessary, that one umpire shall have the power to make it.
c. When there are two umpires furnished by the teams playing and no independent umpire, the umpires shall not have the power to decide the matters in 2(c); these must be determined by agreement between the captains. Captains are expected to be fair and unbiased in discussing these matters and always to be motivated to complete and decide a match on the field of play whenever possible. Although this is difficult to do, it is the only alternative when there are no independent umpires present. In case of irreconcilable differences the matter should be referred to the Executive Council.
5. a. All judgement decisions made by all umpires must be accepted on the field of play, and players showing dissent or refusing to follow the instructions of an umpire should be reported to the Executive Committee for appropriate action. That the umpire is a member of a playing side or that he has made the wrong decision will not be accepted as extenuating circumstances for improper behavior. Judgement decisions made by the umpires are not subject to review.
b. If an umpire has failed to follow the proper procedures specified in the Laws or the MACC Regulations, say in imposing a five-run penalty, the captains are entitled to discuss that with the umpire in a reasonable manner without the participation of the other players in an attempt to correct the matter during the match, and to refer the matter to the Executive Committee after the match if necessary.
c. Even though an umpiring decision made during a match may not be changed, the Executive Committee and Umpiring Committee should be informed of umpires who seem to be overly incompetent or biased, so that a review can be made of whether that umpire should be used again in the future.