Fair and unfair play
Encyclopedia
Law 42 of the laws
of the sport
of cricket
covers fair and unfair play. This law has developed and expanded over time as various incidents of real life unfair play have been legislated against.
The first section of law 42 makes clear that the captain
s of the two teams have the responsibility for ensuring that play is conducted the spirit and traditions of the game as well as within the Laws. This leads on to a statement that the umpires
are the sole judges of fair and unfair play. It contains an override of the laws of cricket: if either umpire considers an action that is not covered by the laws to be unfair, he intervenes and will call the ball dead if the ball is in play.
is not spherical. It is in two parts stitched together to form a seam. How a ball swings, seams, and spins depends in part on how much air resistance there is to different parts of the ball, and to what degree the ball has deteriorated. A cricket team will normally seek to shine one side of the ball and rough up the other side. The resultant variation in air resistance on the two halves of the ball can then have a marked effect.
Ball tampering has always been a feature of the sport. Players would use objects to rough up one side of the ball, and use resins and substances like Brylcreem to shine the other. This sort of ball tampering is against the spirit of the game and has always been against the rules. Though, as it can be difficult to spot, it has always gone on with limited sanction.
The television age has meant that from the 1990s onwards most international games have been televised. Slow motion replays have highlighted a number of incidents of ball tampering: some of which have been widely reported in the press. The third section of law 42 contains the rules and sanctions against ball tampering and requires the umpires to make frequent and irregular inspections of the ball to counter it. It also contains punitive measures against fielders who do tamper with the ball. Match suspensions may be implemented.
Some acts that may alter the ball are permitted. A fielder
may polish the ball as long as no artificial substance is used, remove mud from the ball under the supervision of the umpire and dry a wet ball on a towel. But no-one may rub the ball on the ground for any reason, interfere with any of the seams or the surface of the ball, use any implement, or take any other action whatsoever which is likely to alter the condition of the ball.
If a fielder illegally changes the condition of the ball, the umpires replace the ball with another one with similar wear to the old ball before the ball tampering. The umpires also award five runs
to the batting team and report the incident to the relevant authorities that the fielder is responsible to. These authorities are then expected to take further disciplinary action against the player as appropriate. If there is a further incidence of ball tampering in the innings, the same procedure is followed, but the bowler of the immediately preceding ball is banned from bowling further in that innings
too.
It is also unfair for a member of the fielding side to deliberately attempt to distract or obstruct either batsman after the striker has received the ball by word or action. If this happens a procedure similar to the procedure for the first instance of ball tampering occurs, although the batting side also scores any runs that they have scored before the attempted (or actual) distraction or obstruction.
The case of a batsman obstructing the fielding side is covered by Law 37
of the laws of cricket
rather than Law 42. A batsman contravening Law 37 may be given out (dismissed) obstructing the field
.
and cautions the bowler. If this happens a third time in an innings, the bowler is barred from bowling again in that innings, and is reported to the authorities he is responsible to for further disciplinary action. Where a delivery, after pitching, passes over the head of the striker, the umpire calls no ball
and includes it in his consideration of whether fast short pitched bowling is unfair, even though such a delivery is not dangerous.
High full pitched balls that pass or would have passed on the full above waist height of the striker are deemed dangerously unfair, except for slow deliveries, where the rule is above shoulder height. The same sanctions apply to high full pitched balls as apply to fast short pitched balls. Such deliveries, which are called beamers, can be incredibly dangerous. Usually they only occur by mistake, when a ball slips in the bowler's hand at the point of delivery and bowlers usually immediately apologise to the batsman for their mistake. If they are bowled deliberately, no ball is immediately called, the bowler is removed and is reported to the authority to which he is responsible for further disciplinary action.
Bowlers must inform the umpire which side of the wickets and what arm they will use. They are also required to inform the umpire of their style of bowling eg. fast pace, leg spin... It is deemed unfair play to change the style of bowling during an over. The umpire will call dead ball
and caution the bowler and captain. If it happens for a second time in the innings, the bowler can be barred from bowling again in the innings.
into a draw rather than a defeat. Time wasting can also be used tactically elsewhere in the game: for instance, to minimise the number of deliveries between a given time and an interval. Law 42 includes rules to counter unfair time wasting.
If the fielding side wastes time, or progresses an over
unnecessarily slowly, it is first warned by the umpire. Any further occurrence, there is a further sanction. If the further occurrence happens otherwise than during an over, the batting side is awarded 5 penalty runs. If the further occurrence happens during an over, the bowler is banned from bowling further in the innings. In both instances the relevant Governing Body is informed so it may consider further disciplinary action.
In normal circumstances the striker should always be ready to take strike when the bowler is ready to start his run up. If he wastes time, in the first instance the batsman is warned by the umpire. That warning applies to the batting team as a whole and each incoming batsman is informed of that warning. If there is further time wasting by any batsman in that innings, the umpires award the fielding side 5 runs and inform the Governing Body so it may consider further disciplinary action.
Due to the nature of modern cricket, televised matches, and instant replays, the chances of being caught match fixing are generally high. Penalties for match fixing may include being banned from playing cricket for life.
Laws of cricket
The laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
of the sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
covers fair and unfair play. This law has developed and expanded over time as various incidents of real life unfair play have been legislated against.
The first section of law 42 makes clear that the captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
s of the two teams have the responsibility for ensuring that play is conducted the spirit and traditions of the game as well as within the Laws. This leads on to a statement that the umpires
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
are the sole judges of fair and unfair play. It contains an override of the laws of cricket: if either umpire considers an action that is not covered by the laws to be unfair, he intervenes and will call the ball dead if the ball is in play.
Ball tampering
The state of the ball has a big effect on how difficult a delivery is for a batsman. A cricket ballCricket ball
A cricket ball is a hard, solid leather ball used to play cricket. Constructed of cork and leather, a cricket ball is heavily regulated by cricket law at first class level...
is not spherical. It is in two parts stitched together to form a seam. How a ball swings, seams, and spins depends in part on how much air resistance there is to different parts of the ball, and to what degree the ball has deteriorated. A cricket team will normally seek to shine one side of the ball and rough up the other side. The resultant variation in air resistance on the two halves of the ball can then have a marked effect.
Ball tampering has always been a feature of the sport. Players would use objects to rough up one side of the ball, and use resins and substances like Brylcreem to shine the other. This sort of ball tampering is against the spirit of the game and has always been against the rules. Though, as it can be difficult to spot, it has always gone on with limited sanction.
The television age has meant that from the 1990s onwards most international games have been televised. Slow motion replays have highlighted a number of incidents of ball tampering: some of which have been widely reported in the press. The third section of law 42 contains the rules and sanctions against ball tampering and requires the umpires to make frequent and irregular inspections of the ball to counter it. It also contains punitive measures against fielders who do tamper with the ball. Match suspensions may be implemented.
Some acts that may alter the ball are permitted. A fielder
Fielding (cricket)
Fielding in the sport of cricket is the action of fielders in collecting the ball after it is struck by the batsman, in such a way as to either limit the number of runs that the batsman scores or get the batsman out by catching the ball in flight or running the batsman out.Cricket fielding position...
may polish the ball as long as no artificial substance is used, remove mud from the ball under the supervision of the umpire and dry a wet ball on a towel. But no-one may rub the ball on the ground for any reason, interfere with any of the seams or the surface of the ball, use any implement, or take any other action whatsoever which is likely to alter the condition of the ball.
If a fielder illegally changes the condition of the ball, the umpires replace the ball with another one with similar wear to the old ball before the ball tampering. The umpires also award five runs
Run (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. Runs are scored by a batsman, and the aggregate of the scores of a team's batsmen constitutes the team's score. A batsman scoring 50 or 100 runs , or any higher multiple of 50 runs, is considered a particular achievement...
to the batting team and report the incident to the relevant authorities that the fielder is responsible to. These authorities are then expected to take further disciplinary action against the player as appropriate. If there is a further incidence of ball tampering in the innings, the same procedure is followed, but the bowler of the immediately preceding ball is banned from bowling further in that innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
too.
Distracting the opposition
If a member of the fielding side deliberately distracts or attempts to distract the batsman on strike while he is preparing to receive or receiving a delivery, the umpire immediately declares the ball to be dead. The umpire also informs the fielding captain of the incident. The batsman may not be dismissed from the delivery, which must be repeated. If this happens again in the innings the same procedure is followed, but the batting team is awarded five penalty runs too.It is also unfair for a member of the fielding side to deliberately attempt to distract or obstruct either batsman after the striker has received the ball by word or action. If this happens a procedure similar to the procedure for the first instance of ball tampering occurs, although the batting side also scores any runs that they have scored before the attempted (or actual) distraction or obstruction.
The case of a batsman obstructing the fielding side is covered by Law 37
Obstructing the field
Obstructing the field is a rare method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 37 of the Laws of cricket provides that:"Either batsman is out Obstructing the field if he wilfully obstructs or distracts the opposing side by word or action...
of the laws of cricket
Laws of cricket
The laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
rather than Law 42. A batsman contravening Law 37 may be given out (dismissed) obstructing the field
Obstructing the field
Obstructing the field is a rare method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 37 of the Laws of cricket provides that:"Either batsman is out Obstructing the field if he wilfully obstructs or distracts the opposing side by word or action...
.
Unfair bowling
The bowling of fast short pitched balls and of high full pitched balls is dangerous and is also considered unfair. Where the umpire considers that there are regular fast short pitched balls, that by their length, height and direction, coupled with the relative skill of the batsman is dangerous, the umpire calls no ballNo ball
In the sport of cricket a no ball is a penalty against the fielding team, usually as a result of an illegal delivery by the bowler. The delivery of a no ball results in one run to be added to the batting team's score, and an additional ball must be bowled...
and cautions the bowler. If this happens a third time in an innings, the bowler is barred from bowling again in that innings, and is reported to the authorities he is responsible to for further disciplinary action. Where a delivery, after pitching, passes over the head of the striker, the umpire calls no ball
No ball
In the sport of cricket a no ball is a penalty against the fielding team, usually as a result of an illegal delivery by the bowler. The delivery of a no ball results in one run to be added to the batting team's score, and an additional ball must be bowled...
and includes it in his consideration of whether fast short pitched bowling is unfair, even though such a delivery is not dangerous.
High full pitched balls that pass or would have passed on the full above waist height of the striker are deemed dangerously unfair, except for slow deliveries, where the rule is above shoulder height. The same sanctions apply to high full pitched balls as apply to fast short pitched balls. Such deliveries, which are called beamers, can be incredibly dangerous. Usually they only occur by mistake, when a ball slips in the bowler's hand at the point of delivery and bowlers usually immediately apologise to the batsman for their mistake. If they are bowled deliberately, no ball is immediately called, the bowler is removed and is reported to the authority to which he is responsible for further disciplinary action.
Bowlers must inform the umpire which side of the wickets and what arm they will use. They are also required to inform the umpire of their style of bowling eg. fast pace, leg spin... It is deemed unfair play to change the style of bowling during an over. The umpire will call dead ball
Dead ball
Dead ball is a phenomenon in many sports in which the ball is deemed temporarily not playable, and no movement may be made with it or the players from their respective positions of significance...
and caution the bowler and captain. If it happens for a second time in the innings, the bowler can be barred from bowling again in the innings.
Time wasting
Time wasting can be used as a deliberate tactic to win a game. If rain is forecast, a side that is in a losing position can play slow, with the hope that rain will save them and turn the resultThe result in cricket
The result in a game of cricket may be a win for one of the two teams playing, a draw or a tie. In the case of a limited overs game, the game can also end with no result...
into a draw rather than a defeat. Time wasting can also be used tactically elsewhere in the game: for instance, to minimise the number of deliveries between a given time and an interval. Law 42 includes rules to counter unfair time wasting.
If the fielding side wastes time, or progresses an over
Over (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, an over is a set of six consecutive balls bowled in succession. An over is normally bowled by a single bowler. However, in the event of injury preventing a bowler from completing an over, it is completed by a teammate....
unnecessarily slowly, it is first warned by the umpire. Any further occurrence, there is a further sanction. If the further occurrence happens otherwise than during an over, the batting side is awarded 5 penalty runs. If the further occurrence happens during an over, the bowler is banned from bowling further in the innings. In both instances the relevant Governing Body is informed so it may consider further disciplinary action.
In normal circumstances the striker should always be ready to take strike when the bowler is ready to start his run up. If he wastes time, in the first instance the batsman is warned by the umpire. That warning applies to the batting team as a whole and each incoming batsman is informed of that warning. If there is further time wasting by any batsman in that innings, the umpires award the fielding side 5 runs and inform the Governing Body so it may consider further disciplinary action.
Match fixing
Match fixing occurs when a player is offered money to lose a match. If the umpire decides that a player deliberately got out, missed catches, or bowled extras, the player shall be banned from taking part in the rest of the match. This also applies to captains who get players on their team to lose. They will then be reported to the governing body of cricket.Due to the nature of modern cricket, televised matches, and instant replays, the chances of being caught match fixing are generally high. Penalties for match fixing may include being banned from playing cricket for life.