Cricket Rules And Regulations

Cricket rules and regulations are important if you are going to partake in this popular pastime or just want to understand the sport. Cricket is a team sport similar to baseball but normally has a large number of runs. Cricket players use an oval shaped area to play the game. The main point of activities is the pitch located in the center of the field. The game has batsmen, bowlers and umpires.

1. The batsman responsibility in a game is to score runs. The members on the team choose who they want to be their batsman and more than one person may hold this title. However, most games only use six or seven batsmen with two batsmen placed on opposite ends of the pitch. The batsman's role is to hit the ball when the bowler rolls the ball in the center (pitch), running to the other side creating a run for his team.
2. Bowlers consist of three or four members. Their duty is to pitch the ball and get the batsman out of the game. They have a limit of six balls. After that six-ball limit, he has to throw the ball another six times on the opposite end of the pitch.
3. Runs are the objective of the game and the batsman has to make sure there is sufficient time to score runs without getting run out. Cricket rules and regulations allow the batsman to acquire runs using different methods. A single run occurs when the batsman hits the ball and runs across the other batsman's side and safely returns to his wicket. He can run double or triple times, making sure he reaches back to his wicket before the ball reaches back to his wicket.  
4. Boundary runs happen when the batsman cause the ball to go past the boundary and run across four times prior to the ball reaching back to the wicket, scoring four runs. Six runs are the maximum score a batsman can get when he hits boundary. This occurs when the batsman hits the ball over the boundary and the ball exceeds the playing area.  
5. Cricket rules dictate there are two umpires in a match. The umpire maintains the game and determines if the player is out or runout. The umpire decides when to start the game and when to take a break.
6. A runout occurs in cricket when the batsman does not make it to the pitch area prior to the ball hitting the wicket. A batsman can be out of the game as well if one of the fielders catches the ball after the batsman hits the cricket ball.
7. A common terminology in cricket is fielders. This a term used to describe all players except the catcher/wicket keeper. The responsibility of the wicket keeper is to guard the wicket and catch the ball.
8. Innings is a common term in cricket. This occurs when each side takes alternate turns to bat. An innings is over when all the batsmen in the game are out, injured or the captain of the team declares the innings is over. The team consists of bowlers, batsman and fielders.
9. Cricket scorers also follow rules and regulations of the game. They respond to the cricket umpire’s signals and scores the match.
10. Cricket rules and regulations governing the twelfth player (substitute) dictate that the individual only plays when a player become injured. The injured player has the option of returning to the game and the substitute player has to exit the game.