Wheel Chair Cricket Competition Rules Table of Contents Wheelchair Cricket – Concept ................................................................................................................. 3 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Rules .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Teams .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Equipment & Playing Area .................................................................................................................. 4 The Game Format ............................................................................................................................... 5 Batting ................................................................................................................................................. 5 Scoring runs......................................................................................................................................... 6 Fielding ................................................................................................................................................ 6 Dismissals/ Getting Out ...................................................................................................................... 6 Competition Format ............................................................................................................................ 7 Eligibility Format ................................................................................................................................. 7 Special Laws ........................................................................................................................................ 7 Dead Ball ......................................................................................................................................... 7 Dangerous Bowling ......................................................................................................................... 8 Kit Bag ................................................................................................................................................. 8 Page | 2 Wheel Chair Cricket - Competition Rules - Revision 2 - 20/3/16 Wheelchair Cricket – Concept Introduction Form the records that we have for competitive disability cricket and based on the players within the game that have been disability sport profiled, we have a very small amount of players who use wheelchairs. Based on the current numbers wheelchair players make up just 1.7%. In order to understand why this should be so, a number of questions raise their head. Is it because people’s perception of cricket means that players in wheelchairs feel that they cannot play, or if they can, they may feel that the experience of trying to manoeuvre a chair around a cricket field may prove too difficult whilst at the same time the cricketing experience is less than expected. It may also be that wheelchair players feel marginalised by other disabled players insomuch as non- wheelchair players may have a perception that wheelchair players are not able to contribute to a game in the same way as ambulant disabled people. Whatever the reason are, it is felt that there is a huge potential to provide an opportunity for wheelchair players to adopt and play a format specifically designed for them. This format is played in wheelchairs and is played indoors. It has been designed to be a fast and exciting game and allows people of all ages and both sexes to take part. The game involves the basic principles and skill of traditional cricket, with a difference! Wheelchair Cricket has some great benefits, such as minimal commitment, games are never rained off, you can play socially or more competitively if you wish, it allows you to keep active and can be played all year round. The game will improve your fitness and will have a positive effect on your health and wellbeing. All players bat and bowl for an equal amount of overs which means everyone gets to play their part in the teams’ victories and every player is guaranteed involvement – no more fielding on the boundary! In the following pages the rules of such a game are explained. Page | 3 Wheel Chair Cricket - Competition Rules - Revision 2 - 20/3/16 Rules Teams 1. Each team will consist of 6 players. 2. On match days, teams can name 9 players with two of those players acting as a substitute 3. Substitute players are not able to bat, however, if a substitute is in the field they will be able to bowl in rotation should the need arise 4. All players must have a medical reason for using a wheelchair or have mobility problems 5. Further rules regarding classification and points on the pitch systems will be appropriate in time Equipment & Playing Area 6. Stumps – Coloured plastic ‘Kwik Cricket’ stumps are used for this game 7. Ball – The ball used will be a compound rubber ball specifically for wheelchair cricket 8. Bat – The cricket bat used in this game is a shorter version of a standard cricket bat. The handle will be such that it will suit both one handed and two handed batsmen. The bat is also light weight and will again enhance the degree of difficulty for the batsmen to score runs. 9. Playing Area – The playing area is based on a full size indoor basketball court. 10. The length of the wicket – The batting crease is located on the base line (A) of the basketball court. 11. The Bowling Crease – is located within the centre circle (B) of the basketball court 12. Fielders – are not allowed inside the free throw line (C) of the court whilst the bowler bowls. 13. Target Areas – The hall will be zoned as the diagram below and the runs indicated will be scored by the batsmen as indicated. Runs are scored based on target areas. The court should be set up as follows: 1 Run 2 Runs 3 Runs A B 4 Runs 6 Runs 1 Run C 1 Run 2 Runs 3 Runs Page | 4 Wheel Chair Cricket - Competition Rules - Revision 2 - 20/3/16 The Game Format 14. Each team will consist of 6 players. A substitute may be named, however the substitute player will be unable to bat but may bowl depending on the circumstances at the time. 15. Every game will consist of 12 x 6 ball overs per team 16. Each bowler will be allowed to bowl a total of 3 overs per game. 17. Batsmen bat in order with two batsman at the crease at any one time. 18. Batsmen must retire on reaching 25 runs but will be able to resume their innings if all wickets have been lost 19. Retiring batsmen must resume their innings in the order of retirement 20. If a bowler bowls a wide (any ball delivered down the leg side or any ball delivered sufficiently wide on the offside as deemed by the umpire, then 2 runs will be added to the batting total and no extra ball will be bowled (except in the last over of each innings – see details below) 21. A no-ball will be signalled if the ball bounces more than once before reaching the batsman. 22. A no-ball will be signalled if a ball reaches the batsman on the full and its height is deemed above 'wheel' height. 23. No-balls will not result in an extra ball being bowled but two extra runs will be added to the batting total (except in the last over f each innings – see below) 24. In the last over of each innings, no balls and wides as described above will realise 1 run extra, however, extra balls will need to be bowled, until six legitimate deliveries have been made. Batting 25. A batting order will be created for each team and batsmen bat in order through their team 26. The batting order can be altered depending on the game situation, however, retired batsmen cannot resume their innings unless all other wickets have been lost or other batsmen have retired 27. The ‘back wall’ will realise 4 runs if hit direct (i.e. not deflecting from another wall) and making contact with the ground on its way to the wall. 6 runs will be scored should the ball hit the ‘back wall’ providing the ball does not make contact with the ground or a side wall after leaving the bat. 28. Batsmen do not have to run to score, however they can do. A run is scored when both batsmen cross and each reach the crease area at the opposing end. Runs scored in this manner will count double and are in addition to those that may have been scored as a result of hitting the walls. 29. When running, batsmen can be run out if they do not have part of their chair or body inside the relevant popping creases. 30. All batting takes place from one end. At the end of each over, the batsmen swap ends. Page | 5 Wheel Chair Cricket - Competition Rules - Revision 2 - 20/3/16 Scoring runs 31. Runs are scored as follows: 32. The indoor hall is divided up into zones and each zone is worth a set number of runs as shown in diagram 1 above 33. The wall behind the wicketkeeper will attract 1 run (either if hit by the batsman or as an extra (bye) 34. The side wall will be divided up into zones with different values depending in where the ball strikes. The umpire will be the final arbiter of runs scored 35. The furthest wall will attract a score of 4 runs if hit direct by the ball and where the ball makes contact with the ground. 36. The furthest wall will attract 6 runs if hit direct by the ball where the ball makes no contact with ground between leaving the bat and striking the wall. 37.