Rules

General Rules and Tournament Rules for the Lawyers' Cricket World Cup.

1.    The Laws of Cricket apply, as published by the Marylebone Cricket Club and/or the International Cricket Council.  A copy of these rules can be found at www.lords.org/mcc/laws-of-cricket/laws.

2.    In addition to the Laws of Cricket applying, the International Lawyers’ Cricket World Cup Rules also apply and to the extent that there is a conflict between the two, the International Lawyers’ Cricket World Cup Rules below shall prevail.

3.    A Tournament Director has been appointed to:

  1. Scrutinise team lists prior to each game;
  2. Explain rules, if needed;
  3. Decide whether and when a match is ready to start or to resume; and
  4. Resolve other minor matters, to make sure games are played smoothly and harmoniously.

4.    A Tribunal has been appointed to deal with any disputes that escalate .

5.    Team Rules

  1. No player with 1st class experience can play until they have had their 42nd birthday;
  2. No more than 5 persons under 32 years of age can play in any one game in a team;
  3. Each nation must submit the following information for each player by 1 November 2015  to the Australian Lawyers’ Cricket Council;
  4. A photocopy of the passport page that contains the photograph, full name and date of birth of each participant; and
  5. A photocopy of the document that evidences the license to practise law for each player;
  6. There is to be a maximum of 17 players in each country’s first squad;
  7. There is to be no transferring between teams except to make up the Commonwealth team and the West Indies team if required unless with the prior approval of the International Committee; and
  8. There is to be 11 players per side which will be named prior to the toss and signed by both captains and umpires on the team sheet.

6.    Playing Hours

  1. The innings of the team batting first will begin at 9:30am and extend for 35 overs unless the team is dismissed beforehand or three hours is reached;
  2. The innings of the team batting second will begin prior to lunch if the team batting first is dismissed up to 30 minutes prior to the scheduled finish.  The team batting second will bat until the scheduled lunch interval.  Lunch will then be taken with play resuming no later than 45 minutes after lunch commences;
  3. The day’s play will conclude after three hours of playing time after the commencement of the innings of the team batting second as long as it has received its 35 overs.  Should the team batting second not receive its entitlement of 35 overs in the allotted time, play will continue until the team batting second receives the entitlement, passes the score or is dismissed; and
  4. Drinks may be taken on the field after each one hour of play, or evenly split if less time is scheduled for the innings.

7.    Match Ball

  1. One Kookaburra 156g 4 piece ball (white) will be provided to each team for their bowling innings; and
  2. A replacement ball will only be allowed when deemed fit by the umpires and will be chosen by the umpires.

8.    No Ball

  1. The penalty for a ‘No Ball’ is one run, plus any runs scored from the delivery; and
  2. Furthermore, the umpire at the bowler’s end will call and signal ‘No Ball’ if the ball, which the umpire considers to have been delivered: 
    1. Bounced more than twice prior to reaching the striker in his normal stance; or
    2. Rolls along the ground; or
    3. Comes to rest before it reaches the striker or if not otherwise played by the striker.

9.    Short Pitched Deliveries

  1. A short pitched delivery is delivered as a ball that passes or would have passed, after having bounced on the pitch, over the shoulder height of the batsman standing upright at the crease; and
  2. A bowler is limited to one short pitched delivery per over.  Further short pitched deliveries will be called ‘No Ball’ and a warning  will be given to the bowler.

10.    Full Pitched Deliveries

A full pitched delivery by either a fast or slow bowler, is defined as a ball that passes or would have passed, on the full, above the waist height of a batsman standing upright at the crease.  Such a delivery is to be called ‘No Ball’, and if the ball is determined to be dangerous, a warning will be given to the bowler.

11.    Free Hit

  1. The delivery following a No Ball (any No Ball) is a free hit for whichever batsman is facing it.  If the delivery for the free hit is not a legitimate delivery (any kind of No Ball or a Wide ball), then the next delivery will become a free hit for whichever batsman is facing it; and
  2. For any free hit, the striker can only be dismissed under the circumstances that apply for a No Ball even if the delivery for the free hit is called a Wide.  Changes to fielding positions are only permitted if a different batsman is on strike for the free hit delivery. 

12.    Wides

  1. Any off side delivery that in the opinion of the umpire does not give the batsman a reasonable opportunity to score will be called a Wide;
  2. Any ball passing down the leg side will be called a Wide; and
  3. The penalty for a wide is one run, plus any runs scored from the delivery.

13.    Bowling Restrictions

A maximum of 7 overs per bowler per game.

14.    Fielding Restrictions

  1. At the instant of delivery there is to be no more than five fielders on the leg side;
  2. A 30m circle will be present on all playing fields;
  3. Overs 1 to 10 – No more than 2 fielders are allowed outside of the 30m circle when the ball is bowled;
  4. Overs 11 to 25 – No more than 4 fielders are allowed outside of the 30m circle when the ball is bowled;
  5. Overs 26 to 35 – No more than 5 fielders are allowed outside of the 30m circle when the ball is bowled; and
  6. If the fielding side does not adhere to the field restrictions listed above, ‘No Ball’ will be called by the umpire.

15.    Game Delays

If the start of play is delayed for any legitimate reason, the number of minutes lost will be divided by seven (7) to determine the number of overs that the game will be reduced for each team.  If the number of overs remaining included a fraction, then this is to be rounded up.

16.    Procedure for One1 Eliminator

  1. In matches in which the scores are equal at the end of the allotted or adjusted number of overs for the team batting second, the result will be determined through a tiebreaker based on the ICC One Over Per Side Eliminator “One1 Eliminator”.
  2. The “One1 Eliminator” occurs as follows: 
  1. Subject to weather conditions, the One1 Eliminator will commence 5 minutes after the conclusion of the match;
  2. The One1 Eliminator will take place on the pitch allocated for the match with the sides batting in the same order.  The umpires do not change ends.  The fielding side to choose from which end to bowl;
  3. Prior to the commencement of the One1 Eliminator each team selects three batsmen and one bowler;
  4. The selected players are given in writing to the umpires;
  5. Each team’s over is played with the same fielding restrictions as those that are in place for the last over of a match;
  6. The same ball (or a ball of a similar age if the original ball is out of shape) as used at the end of the team’s innings will be used for the “extra” over;
  7. The loss of two wickets in the over ends the team’s one over innings;
  8. The break between the first and second batting innings shall be 5 minutes; and
  9. In the event that the result is still a Tie after the One1 Eliminator above has been applied, the One1 Eliminator will be repeated until a winner is obtained. 

17.    Game Result

  1. The winning team for each match will be the team with the higher score at the completion of the fixture.  If the team batting second passes the score of the team batting first before the completion of its allotted overs, the game can continue with the agreement of both team captains.  However, no statistical calculations will apply from this time.
  2. For a result to be reached, at least 15 overs must be completed in each innings unless one or both teams are dismissed beforehand.  If this is not possible, then the game will be declared a draw;
  3. If the 35 overs are not completed for any reason (ie wet weather), the Duckworth Lewis Method will be used.  This program will be in operation at each ground on an iPad provided by the host country; and
  4. Scorebooks must show the batting team’s total score for each over.

18.    Net Run Rate

  1. Net run rate for each team will be calculated throughout the tournament.  This will help separate teams after pool matches who are on the same number of points; and
  2. A team’s net run rate is calculated by subtracting the average runs per over scored for, by the average runs per over scored against, throughout the competition.  An example is below:

    Team A – Scores 1200 runs in 200 overs (batting innings).  Concedes 800 runs in 200 overs (bowling innings (1200/200)   (800/200) = 6 4 = 2

    Therefore, Team A has a net run rate of +2 runs/over for the competition

  3. In the event of a team being all out in less than its full quota of overs, the calculation of its net run rate is based on the full quota of overs to which it would have been entitled and not on the number of overs in which the team was dismissed. 

19.    Points System

  1. 4 points for a win;
  2. 2 points for a tie/draw; and
  3. 0 points for loss.

We, the lawyers of the Commonwealth, in order to promote friendship between those who play cricket and their well-wishers, to promote the rule of law in all countries do establish the following rules for a Lawyers Cricket World Cup.

ARTICLE I

Following the successful first Lawyers Cricket World Cup held in the year 2007-08, it is decided that such further tournaments should be held every two years, give or take six months for the necessities imposed by the seasons in the different hemispheres. There is no rule as to which country shall be host in any particular year, but the same shall be decided at the end of each world cup by the Committee.

ARTICLE II

All powers to direct such a tournament shall be vested in the Lawyers Cricket World Cup Committee (the Committee).

ARTICLE III

The Committee shall be composed of members representing each participating country or region at the next World Cup, each member to be put forward and adopted according to the rules as may be set up in each participating country or region by its own Team Committee. Each country or region shall be represented by one member on the Committee.

The Committee shall be chaired by the member whose country or region is to host the next world cup.

Members will participate in an unpaid capacity.

Each country or region shall form its own Team Committee subject to its own rules, which Committee shall organise a team of players for the following World Cup and, if hosting the event, shall propose a format for the following world cup for consideration and approval by the Committee, and shall be responsible for organising the world Cup in its own Country or Region. The Chairmen of the Team Committees shall declare themselves in writing to the Committee at the time of accepting invitations to play and the chairmen shall be liable for the actions of their Committees so far as those actions concern the organisation of any World Cup.

ARTICLE IV

The Committee shall have powers to arrange its own rules as may from time to time suit the necessities of the moment. The Committee shall meet as and when it deems convenient. Bearing in mind the distances involved, the principle means of communication shall be by email or, by agreement, video link.

The Committee may be aligned with or otherwise work in conjunction with other bodies, but shall be in the last resort be responsible for its own actions and be beholden to no other power.

ARTICLE V

The teams shall consist of lawyers who have been called to the Bar or admitted as solicitors or otherwise qualified to practise law in any country. Employed lawyers employed to carry out legal duties and Judges, Magistrates, Coroners, Presidents of Tribunals or other bodies exercising judicial functions may be selected for a team. The exception to this rule is that a male lawyer, otherwise qualified as above, shall not play for a team if he shall have had ‘first class professional experience’ (which term shall be decided by the Committee in cases of dispute) unless he be aged forty two (42) or more on the day of the first game in the World Cup in which he is to play.

Each team shall be drawn from a pool of not more than 17 players.

In order to preserve the spirit of the World Cup as evidenced in the first world cup, every team of eleven players that shall be chosen to play in any of the matches in any series of the world cup shall have no more than five of their number aged below 32 as on the day of the first match of the World Cup in which they are to play.

Substitutes of any age may be allowed in the event that a player, whose name has been declared as forming part of the team in the next match, becomes injured or falls ill so that he cannot reasonably be expected to continue to play in that match.

Any team that contains a non-lawyer as defined in accordance with the above definition shall be disqualified from playing in the finals or from winning the World Cup in that year but may, at the discretion of the host country or region’s Team Committee, continue to play if to withdraw would upset the format of the world cup then being played or for any other good reason.

ARTICLE VI

The format for each world cup shall depend on the number of teams participating which number may be limited by the Committee if it so thinks fit. At the discretion of the host country or region, a Country may have two teams playing in any World Cup. The Team Committee shall propose a format, which shall include the ’draw’ of any pools or order of play in outline suitable for the proposed numbers and to local considerations (accommodation, availability of pitches, likely cost, weather etc. which list is non-exhaustive) and the Committee shall approve and adopt this or an alternative format thirteen months before the date of the next proposed World Cup.

The general rule is that the World Cup should be structured so as to provide at least five games for each team against as many other teams as possible.

The host country or region’s Team Committee shall as soon as practicable and not later than thirteen months before the proposed date of the following World Cup inform all other Team Committees of the proposed format and likely costs and issue invitations to the same. Such invitations shall be considered as invitations from the Committee and shall not be issued without prior approval of the same.

Each Team Committee shall reply within one month of receiving such invitation.

Any qualifying Country or Region may request at any time to participate in the World Cup.

ARTICLE VII

In recognition of the importance of finance in the World Cup, the following rules are established:

It shall be appropriate for any team to raise finance in any lawful way.

The Committee may by diplomatic request ask Team Committees to provide for a contribution towards such costs as may be unavoidable in the general running of the World Cup.

In recognition of the fact that that the generosity displayed by the host Country on the occasion of the first World Cup is unlikely to be repeated, all Team Committees are to be aware that participation in any World Cup is likely to require funding at least to some extent from its own resources.

In the event that the host country or region’s Team Committee shall have been put to reasonable expense in organising a World Cup and in the event that a team, having accepted an invitation to participate, withdraws from that World Cup, The Team Committee of the host country or region may request reasonable recompense from the Team Committee that may have withdrawn if there are unavoidable wasted costs incurred by the withdrawal. If the matter cannot be decided amicably, the involved Team Committees shall request the Committee to make a ruling which ruling shall be final without appeal.

ARTICLE VIII

Disputes under these rules will be decided by the Committee.

These rules are not meant to be restrict or frustrate the objective of holding a Lawyers Cricket World Cup in any way that is agreeable to the countries and regions so concerned and the Committee, if called upon so to do, shall resolve any dispute in a spirit of equity and fairness.

“Cricket for friendship”

 

Version 1/7/08