Laws of Cricket (2000 Code)

Changes affecting Players and Captains

Introduction
The 2000 Code makes changes to almost all the 42 Laws, although many are technical and relate to the duties of umpires and scorers. The powers and responsibilities of umpires have been considerably increased. This document provides a brief summary of the main changes that will affect club cricketers. It is not a complete list of all the changes and the precise wording used in the Laws will always apply during a match. All Laws apply to players and officials of either gender.

Captains
The 'Spirit of Cricket', which forms the Preamble to the Laws, defines the responsibilities of captains, who "are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the Spirit of the Game as well as within the Laws."
Captains will be reported to the relevant authority if they or any of their players breach the Spirit of the Game. Five penalty runs are to be awarded (in some cases after one or two warnings) in specific circumstances including:
Changing the condition of the ball
Distraction and/or obstruction of the striker - Time wasting by either side
Damage to the pitch -fielders or batsmen Illegal fielding
Stealing a run and deliberate short run.
Duties of captains now include:
Nominate their team in writing to an umpire before the toss
Toss not earlier than 30 minutes or later than 15 minutes before the start
Agree any necessary changes to intervals with the other captain and the umpires
Captains are no longer involved in:
Decision to allow a substitute
Decision to play in conditions the umpires consider unreasonable or dangerous
Agreeing and accepting the scores -now agreed by umpires and scorers only.

All Players
Changes to Methods of Dismissal
Batsman can be out Bowled even if he has completed his stroke provided no other player or umpire has touched the ball Incoming batsman not in position to take guard, or his partner to receive the next ball, within 3 minutes of the fall of the previous wicket will be Timed out on appeal
Batsman can be caught off any 12art of the glove on a hand holding the bat
A catch is made when the catcher has complete control over both the ball and his own movement -he can leave the field of play and return to complete the catch provided that he does not have contact with the ball outside the field of play
Under the new definition of the boundary a catch is invalid if there is any contact with a fence, wall, line or rope marking the boundary whilst the fielder is in contact with the ball and before he has control of the ball and his own movement -6 runs are scored
In deciding if the ball would have hit the wicket when answering an LBW appeal the umpire must assume that the path of the ball would have continued after its interception by the striker even if it might have pitched subsequently
Either batsman can be Run out by a fielder from a No ball even if not attempting a run -the wicket-keeper can effect a Run out from a No ball only if the batsman is attempting a run or another fielder has intervened
The bowler can only Run out the non-striker before he enters his delivery stride -once his back foot has landed in the delivery stride the batsman cannot be run out until after the ball is delivered.

Fair and Unfair Play
Umpires are the sole judges of fair and unfair play, and can intervene at any time
Match ball- players can only dry a wet ball on a towel (no use of sawdust) and cannot rub the ball on the ground for any reason Mud to be removed from the ball under supervision of the umpire
Ball to be given to the umpire at the fall of any wicket, the start of any interval and at any interruption of play
Unfair for any member of the fielding side deliberately to attempt to distract the striker while he is preparing to receive or receiving a delivery
Any ball bouncing over head height of the striker standing upright at the crease is unfair and shall be called No ball (not Wide ball)
Any full pitched delivery, other than a slow paced one, above waist height is dangerous and unfair and will be called No ball, with a warning to the bowler
Any slow full pitched delivery above shoulder height is dangerous and unfair and will be called No ball, with a warning to the bowler
If there is any breach of the Spirit of the Game by a player the umpire will inform the other umpire and the captain, instructing the captain to take action and telling him that the occurrence will be reported.

No Ball and Wide Ball
Instant award of penalty -if the 1 run penalty produces a result to the match any subsequent event (runs scored or batsman dismissed) does not count
A properly delivered ball bouncing more than twice or rolling along the ground before reaching the popping crease is a No ball provided it has not touched the bat or the striker
A ball coming to rest in front of the line of the striker's wicket and not having touched the bat or the striker is a No ball and a Dead ball- striker no longer has the option to hit it
Wide ball defined as one which the batsman cannot hit with his bat by means of a normal cricket stroke, both from where he is standing and from a normal guard position.

General
Umpires to be informed of absences and of requests to leave or return to the field.
Player returning without permission and touching the ball in play -5 penalty runs
Player absent from the field for 15 minutes or more (including absent at the start) cannot bowl until he has been on the field for at least that length of playing time that he was absent -time lost for unscheduled interruptions count as playing time
Player absent from the field to change boots, shirt etc. and no substitute is allowed
No batting or bowling practice on the pitch or the adjacent strips at any time
Any practice on the square must cease at least 30 minutes before start of play
Penalty for illegal practice -offender not allowed to bowl until 5 complete overs have been bowled by his side
Trial run-ups allowed unless umpire considers that time will be wasted
'Protected area' now starts 5 feet in front of the popping crease instead of 4 feet
Bowler must not run on the 'protected area' after delivering the ball -bowler will be suspended immediately after a third warning during an innings
Sight-screens now always outside the boundary, wherever placed
Inside edge (nearer pitch) of boundary marking (line, rope, base of fence or wall) becomes the boundary -anything marking the boundary is outside the boundary
6 runs scored if ball after being hit lands full pitch on a boundary rope, line, wall or fence marking the boundary
If batsmen cross for a 5th run (or more) before the ball crosses the boundary the runs replace the boundary allowance and the batsmen remain at the ends they were nearest when the ball crossed the boundary
Significant movement by wicket-keeper or fielders after ball comes into play is unfair -umpire to call and signal Dead ball.

MCC and ECB Cricket Department Issued March 2001