SRCL League 2021 Rule Book

I.General

1. This is ‘Hard Tennis ball’ cricket tournament conducted by SRCL organization to promote the cultural and Sports activities of community. It is expected of every player to play the game in the highest tradition of sportsman spirit and enjoy the game while having a healthy competition.
2. The Captain of the team is responsible for his players’ behavior on and off the field of play. It is the duty of the Captain of a team to resolve all problems on the field in an amicable manner. The umpires are required to have high moral grounds in doing their officiating duties. Personal prejudices or their own team benefits should never come into play in any of their decisions. There needs to be a basic trust in the umpires and their decisions by both the teams on the field. Fielding teams should resist from excessive appealing and the batsmen should resist from trying to show up the umpire in case of a mistaken decision.
3. During the tournament all participants are expected to behave professionally. On the field, avoid

1. We encourage bringing your families to the ground. Parents will be responsible for looking after their kids on field.
2. All the games in the tournament follow the general cricket rules. Rule updates in this document will supersede the generic rules. If there are any question on game play, on field umpires/organizing committee decision will be final.
3. Our main moto is to give as many as matches to teams so please don’t encourage any walk overs to opposite teams. The team who giving walk over will be panelized by 1 point from their winning pool.
4. Each team can have up to 20 players in their roaster. Once the tournament starts, no changes can be done to 20 player lists. The playing 11 should be from those 20 players. No exceptions. However captain is responsible to verify the opposite team final 11 to make sure they are part of roaster before match starts. Once the match is started no complaints are valid on team roaster.

II.Tournament Format and Schedule

1. We have 3 groups A, B & C in total are created. We will have maximum 9 teams with in the group. Each team will play 7 league matches with in the group teams.  

1. Once after all matches top 4 ranked teams from each group in total 12 teams will qualify for knock outs. Out of those 12 teams the top one team from each group will directly qualify for quarter finals and out of remaining 9 teams the top ranked team will be the 4th quarter finalist and bottom 8 ranked teams will play Pre-Quarter final for the remaining 4 quarter final spots. From there Quarter finals, Semifinals & Grand Finale follows. 

1. Semi Finals are with below format

1. Grand Final is :  F1 vs F2

III.Umpires and Scoring.

1. For all league games batting team is supposed to do both umpiring.
2. During the knock out stage, one member from each team has to do umpiring for the right before of their match or right after their match depends on timings. For the final match, Organizers will arrange the umpiring.  
3. The umpire should go through the rule book thoroughly and get familiar before the match itself.
4. The umpires should reach the ground before 15mins of match start time.
5. Batting team will be responsible to do the live scoring. Please make sure to check the login before game starts on your smart phones. Fielding team will be responsible to keep check the score cards.
6. Both the playing teams are responsible to arrange the boundary & inner cones.
7. The Umpires are required to check the creases, wickets, boundary cones and other implements of the game before the toss for innings.
8. All through the tournament, field umpires can consult each other or with the tournament committee to make any decisions. Umpires decision is final. No arguments on that.
9. Once main umpire took the decision he can always rethink about his decision by coordinating with leg umpire but eventually main umpire will do decision making.

IV.Pre-Match Regulations

1. Each team’s Captain/Coordinator is responsible for informing all his teammates about their team’s match schedule and venue and make sure team is present at ground 15 mins before Game start.
2. Toss supposed to happen 15 minutes before the match scheduled time. Both team representatives have to be present for the toss. The first ball of the match should be bowled at scheduled time.
3. Playing-XI list should be submitted to on field umpires at the time of toss by the team captain.
4. Minimum of 8 players per team must be present during time of the toss. Otherwise the team with less number of players (<8) will forfeit the match. We have a very tight schedule to complete matches and no delayed starts are allowed.
5. Teams not reporting in time will be disqualified and their opponents will get a bye. At least 8 players should be there to start the game.
6. Players will be allowed to join the team till after 15mins from the game start time, after that each team will have to play with the existing number of players.
7. The fielding team late comers have to field for at least 2 overs before they can bowl.
8. The batting team late comers have to wait for at least 2 overs before they can bat.
9. The fielder who taking a break from the field will not be allowed to bowl immediately and he needs to wait at least 2 overs once he comes back from the break.
10. Example timelines for match with 9:30 AM start time.

V.Match Regulations

1. All team captains are responsible to collect their 8 balls from organizers before start of the tournament. Teams/players should bring in their team and personal gear like bats, gloves, balls, cones & one set of Base Stumps. If any team misses to carry/manage either of the balls, cones or base stumps and if the game cannot start/continue, corresponding team has to give walk over to opposite team. SRCL League will not be responsible for loss or damages to your personal cricket gear and as well as cones & balls. Teams are always responsible to carry sufficient balls with them and organizers are not responsible to provide the balls if any team is ran out of balls in the middle of the game.
2. Every team will get 8 balls altogether for their league games to finish and teams are expecting to buy on their own if they ran out of balls for any reason. For knock out games Organizers will provide the balls to those teams on knock out playing days.
3. A new tennis hard ball shall be used at the start of each innings. In any event, if a ball is damaged or lost, it supposed to be replaced with another ball. In this case if it’s less than 5 overs it will be replaced with new ball otherwise it will be replaced with one innings used ball. If the used ball is not available we have to use the new ball. There is no rule of providing the new ball or old ball depends on how opposite team ran into a situation of used them.
4. PENALTY: Fielding/Batting teams have to stick to completing respective innings on time. Any team causing unnecessary delays will be penalized by increase/decrease of score for that innings as per the umpires/ org committee’s judgment.
   • Fielding team’s delay of each 5 minute interval will add 5 runs to the batting team.
   • Batting team’s delay of each 5 minute interval will reduce 5 runs from the batting team’s score.

VI.Gameplay rules

1. All the matches will have 15 overs per innings. Each bowler will get to bowl a maximum of 3 overs per innings. Each fielding team must complete bowling their 15 over quota in less than 65 minutes. There will be a 5 minute break between innings for all matches. There will be NO strategic break at midway thru each innings.
2. Each winning team will get maximum of 4 points and NRR will be calculated as regular as below.

1. In case of a tie, each team will get 1 point during league stage and during knock out time we will have super over with the same as international rules like below.
   • The team batting second in the main match will bat first in the Super Over.
   • The loss of two wickets ends the team's innings.
   • In the event of the scores being level in the Super Over, there will be another Super Over
   • If super over can’t played due to playing ground conditions, the winner will be decided by Toss.
2. No Power Play
3. Bowling Guard is umpire responsibility to check with bowlers and shouldn’t call as no-ball if bowler fails to inform him about Guard

1. Rain hitting games:  

1. During the league stage: No matches will be cancelled upfront because of rain. Irrespective of rain forecast predictions teams are always expected to be on the ground otherwise “IV. Pre-Match Regulations” section will apply to the teams. However Organizers will reach out to the captains in extreme conditions to cancel the game upfront and will communicate to both the teams. Once the match is started if it’s washed-out due to rain or cannot be completed due to unseen circumstances on the same day DuckWorth Lewis rule will apply to find out the winner as long as the second innings finished by 6 overs already otherwise it’s considered as a no-result game. In these rain hitting no resulted games, points will be split among the teams if both of them are effecting first time otherwise so called game will be rescheduled with full/reducing overs.
2. During the knock out stage DuckWorth Lewis rule will apply to find out the winner as long as the second innings finished by 6 overs already. Otherwise games will be reschedule either the full or shortened match based on ground availability. 

1. There are NO LBWs (Leg before Wicket) and there are NO Leg byes. However, byes and overthrows are allowed in all matches.
2. Any time 4 fielders except bowler & keeper should be inside circle.
3. An active Wicket Keeper is required while playing an innings.
4. Wide Ball: A ball bowled shall be deemed a wide by the umpire, at a point it crosses the batsman (in normal batting stance and has not touched the ball).

1. A batsman can be stumped/ run-out off a wide ball.
2. No Ball: A ball shall be deemed a no-ball if

• The bowler has over-stepped the popping crease

• The ball is a full-toss above the waist height of the batsman - in normal stance.

1. If a batsman makes contact with a ball that is even above his head, it cannot be a 'wide'. And as bowler has not been warned for 1 bouncer per over (i.e. it is the first ball of the over which is over the shoulder height), it can't be declared as 'no ball' for height. So, it would be a legal delivery.
2. A batsman can be run-out off a no-ball. Chucking is considered as No Ball when confirmed by both main & the leg umpire (refer “Chucking” section).
3. Free Hit: No Free Hit of any kind is allowed in the match.
4. Extras:  Each Wide/ No Ball will concede 1 extra run to the batting team. Any runs (byes) scored off the Wide Ball or No Balls (byes, runs off the bat) will be credited as well. A batsman can be stumped off a wide ball, or run-out off a wide and/or a no-ball. However, a Wide/No Ball will not be counted as a legal delivery.
5. Dead Ball: A ball shall be deemed a dead ball if the ball is pitches 2 times before the batting-end’s crease. Also the ball bowled outside of the pitch considered as Dead ball. An extra ball shall be bowled with no extras.
6. Substitute Fielder: A substitute fielder, from the same team, shall be permitted throughout the fielding innings, for a player who is injured during the current match (Injuries sustained before the match will not count). The substitute fielder cannot bowl or bat. If a player from the fielding team retires in the middle of the match for some overs, then the player is required to spend minimum TWO overs on the field before the player can return to bowl. Captains can mutually discuss and agree in case they want to substitute players with prior injuries before the match begins.
7. By Runner: If both umpires and opposition captain agree an injured player (Injuries sustained before the match will not count) can be allowed to have a runner when batting. A player acting as a runner for a batsman should be in the playing 11. If possible, the by runner should have already completed batting in that innings. The regular run out/stumping rules are applicable to the player acting as a runner.
8. Run Out: In a situation where the stumps are knocked down and the batsmen are looking to run an extra run (in an over throw situation), if there is a possibility of a run-out again - the fielders have to fix the stumps back in an upright normal position and then knock the stumps down again (just follow the international rule).
9. Hit-Wicket: If a batsman, while playing a shot with bat, unintentionally hits the stumps and knock out the bails/wickets, he will be considered out.
10. Fielders: At any point of time there can be only a maximum of 5 fielders on leg side excluding bowler & Keeper. Otherwise it’s a no ball and umpires will reward the batting team by 1 run extra. Batting team allows to advise the umpires on finding this count and umpire judgement is final.
11. Wicket Keeper:  Wicket keeper can bowl at any time of match. No restrictions.
12. Retiring from Batting: A batsman (batting end/non-striker end) can retire any time but he can only allow to play back as a last player, if two or more players retired then they can come up back for the batting in any order out of them. 
13. Chucking: Only the batsman can initiate his concern to his umpires if he feels that the bowler is chucking. Then both the main & leg umpire would notice the bowler’s action. If the bowler is found chucking then he will not be allowed to bowl any more in that match and the particular delivery will be deemed to be a No Ball.
14. Mankading: Bowlers will be allowed to run out a non-striker backing up unfairly before releasing the ball and provided he has not completed his usual delivery swing. An initial warning from on field umpire is necessary to run out a non-striker in this fashion.
15.  DELAYED OR INTERRUPTED MATCHES DUE TO GROUND, WEATHER OR LIGHT CONDITIONS:  Both captains & umpires can discuss and can reduce the maximum number of overs per side before start of the game. The calculation of the number of overs to be reduced shall be based on an average rate of 5 minutes per over, in the total time lost for play. If a reduction of the number of overs is required, any recalculation must not cause the match to be rescheduled. Number of overs per bowler in a delayed or interrupted match where overs are reduced for both teams or the team bowling second, no bowler may bowl more than one-fifth of the total overs allowed (unless such number has been exceeded before the interruption).  A team shall not be permitted to declare its innings closed.

c.Players’ Code of Conduct and Enforcement

• All teams are expected to be prompt and ready to play. Any deliberate delay in the start of a game will result in the guilty team being penalized overs or, ultimately, disqualification from the competition.

• Decisions by the umpires on the field of play are final. Any player showing unreasonable dissent in the opinion of the umpires/adjudicator shall be disqualified from further play in the tournament following due and fair warning from the said officials.

• Fielders and bowlers also are prohibited from shouting anything from the instant the bowler starts the bowling stride to the instant the ball is either played or crosses the normal batting position of the batsmen.

• The Tournament Committee reserves the right to amend the Rules at any time if it considers such action to be in the best interests of the competition. Committee holds the right to cancel any team for mis-conduct (entry fees will not be refundable)

• The Tournament organizer Committee reserves the right to reschedule any game any time depends on ground availability.

• As far as the cricketing code of conduct is concerned; the teams are here to have fun and to sigh a bit of relief during the weekends. So we expect to see a sense of camaraderie and sportsmanship. Sledging is strictly prohibited. But the difference between encouraging one’s own teammate and sledging can sometimes get unclear. Under such circumstances, the umpire will have the say in deciding what a tolerable limit is. If the umpires find things exceeding the limit, they might recommend expulsion of player(s) or disqualification of the team. The final decision will lie with the organizers.

• All teams participating must sign a waiver indicating that any damaged caused to the Ground property or neighboring personal property of any one while playing is their responsibility and that SRCL will not be held responsible for that.

• By paying the registration fee, all teams are confirming that they agree to all these rules and regulations of tournament and registration fee will not be returned at any cause.