🏏 Cricket rules explained
Two teams of 11 take turns to bat and bowl. The batting side scores runs; the fielding side tries to take 10 wickets. Formats include Tests, One-Day Internationals (50 overs) and T20 (20 overs).
How scoring works
- Runs: batters run between the wickets
- Boundary: 4 runs if the ball reaches the rope after bouncing, 6 if it clears it on the full
- Extras: wides, no-balls, byes and leg-byes
- Most runs wins in limited-overs cricket
Key rules
- Over
- An over is six legal deliveries bowled from one end.
- LBW
- Leg before wicket: out if the ball would have hit the stumps but struck the batter's body first (with conditions on where it pitched and hit).
- Ways to be out
- Bowled, caught, LBW, run out, stumped, hit wicket and a few rare others.
- No-ball
- Usually overstepping the crease; it adds a run and, in limited-overs cricket, a free hit follows.
- Powerplay
- In white-ball cricket, fielding restrictions apply in the early overs.
- DRS
- The Decision Review System lets teams challenge umpire decisions using ball-tracking and replays.
Learn it, then test yourself
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FAQ
How many balls are in an over?
Six legal deliveries.
What is LBW?
Leg before wicket: the batter is out if the ball would have hit the stumps but hit their body first, subject to conditions.
How long is a T20 match?
Each side bats for up to 20 overs, usually about three hours total.
AI-generated, checked against the official rulebook (MCC Laws of Cricket). Competitions can vary; the governing body's laws are the final word. Last updated October 16, 2026. Spot a mistake? Report an error.