The Complete List of New Cricket Rules Introduced by the ICC

The new set of rules suggested by the MCC will be put into effect from 28 September.

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Once the new ICC rules come into effect on Thursday, players can be sent off in cricket for serious misconduct.

As well as giving umpires the power to send a player off for the rest of the match for a serious offense, the new rules published by the International Cricket Council say a bowler who bowls a deliberate front-foot no ball is guilty of "unfair play" and isn't allowed to bowl again for the rest of the innings.

The ICC has also introduced new limits to the size of bats, will allow the decision review system to be used in Twenty20 games, and changed a law so that batsmen will be given out if they are caught after the ball strikes a wicketkeeper or fielder's helmet.

Players can be sent off for level four offenses, which are the most serious under the ICC code of conduct. Those offenses include assaulting or threatening to assault another player, an umpire, the match referee or a spectator, or any act of violence on the field of play.

The new laws will be in use for the first time on Thursday in the first Test between South Africa and Bangladesh and the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Below is the complete list of new rules introduced by the ICC.

The Players

In Tests: Number of named substitutes increased to 6 (formerly 4).

The Bat’s Size

In All Formats: Restriction have been put in place on the size of the edge and thickness of bats.

The permitted size of the bat is now defined, with the width and length unchanged, but with added restrictions on the thickness of the edges (40mm) and the overall depth (67mm).

Umpires will be issued with a new bat gauge, which they can use to check a bat’s legality

Tethered Bails

In All Formats: In response to injuries sustained by wicket-keepers in particular, the use of specially designed mechanisms which tether the bails to the stumps, thereby restricting the distance that they can fly off the stumps, but without limiting their ability to be dislodged. Decision as to whether such wickets are used lies with the host Board.

Intervals

In ODIs: An interval will be taken immediately if a wicket falls within 3 minutes of the interval (formerly 2 minutes).

Bowlers’ Quota in a Truncated Match

In T20Is: In an interrupted match, the quota for a bowler in an innings reduced to 10 overs or less shall not be less than 2 overs.

Boundaries

In All Formats: All airborne fielders making their first contact with the ball will need to have taken off from within the boundary, otherwise a boundary is scored.

A boundary will be scored if a fielder in contact with the ball makes contact with any object grounded beyond the boundary, including another fielder.

New Addition to “Dead Ball” Rule

In All Formats: The rule now incorporates the old Law for “Lost Ball”, which has been removed.

No Ball

Ball bouncing more than once: It will be a No ball if the ball bounces more than once before reaching the popping crease (formerly more than twice).

Not landing on the pitch: When a ball lands off the pitch then No ball will be called and signalled immediately.

Fielder intercepts the ball: No ball and Dead ball are to be called immediately if a fielder intercepts a delivery before it reaches the striker.

Bye and Leg Byes

Byes and Leg Byes scored off a No ball will now be scored separately. The bowler will be debited with one No ball, and additional runs will be scored as Byes or Leg Byes. Previously any Byes or Leg Byes scored off a No ball were all scored as No balls

Update in Run Out Rules

Bouncing Bat: If the batsman grounds the bat (held by the hand) or another part of his/her person within his/her ground (the elbow when diving, for example), and provided that the batsman has continued forward momentum through running or diving, and subsequently inadvertently loses this contact with the ground, or contact between the bat and the person when the wicket is put down, the batsman will be protected from being Run out.

In addition, the same protection will apply to a striker diving back into his/her ground to avoid being Stumped.

Appeals

An appeal can now be withdrawn or the umpires recall a batsman at any time before the ball comes into play for next delivery, not once the batsman has left the field as before.

Read: Confusion in Kolkata: Caught? Run Out? Pandya Still Given Not Out

Catches

Boundary Catches: Any fielder making contact with the ball must either be grounded within the boundary, or his/her last contact with the ground before first touching the ball must have been within the boundary.

Caught off a fielder’s / wicket keeper’s helmet: The ball can now be caught after it strikes a helmet which is being worn by a fielder or the wicket-keeper.

Obstructing The Field

Now incorporates the old Law for “Handled the Ball”, which has been removed

Stumped and Run Out

Stumped or Run Out of a fielder’s/wicket keeper’s helmet. A batsman can now be Out Stumped or Run Out if the ball bounces off the helmet worn by a fielder or wicket-keeper.

Unfair Play

Deliberate distraction, deception or obstruction of batsman: It is unfair to try and deceive the batsman after he/she has received the ball. Examples such as mock fielding, or any other action that is designed to deceive the batting side are now able to be penalised.

Bowling a deliberate front-foot No ball: This is now considered unfair play, and the bowler will be removed from the attack for the rest of the innings.

Batsman taking strike in the protected area: Just as a bowler is not allowed to repeatedly run in the protected area, it is now considered unfair for a batsman to take strike in the protected area.

Unfair actions: A catch-all Law has now been introduced to give umpires the power to deal with any conduct they believe is unfair that is not covered elsewhere in the Laws

Players’ Conduct

A player can be sent off: A player can now be sent from the field for the rest of a match for serious misconduct. This will apply to most Level 4 offences, with Level 1-3 offences continuing to be dealt with under the ICC Code of Conduct.

Decision Review System

Across All Formats: Not losing a review on Umpire’s Call. Any decision that remains unchanged, solely as a result of an Umpire’s Call, will not result in a Review being lost.

In Tests: No more top-up reviews after 80 overs. Each team will have 2 unsuccessful reviews available each innings.

In T20Is: DRS can now be used in T20Is. One unsuccessful review per team per innings. Third umpire to be a host Board appointment.

(With inputs from AP)