No Official Umpire Guide Introduction: This booklet is intended as a guide to umpiring in the lower grades where an official Umpire is not available. It does not cover the Laws of cricket in any detail, but rather is intended to give an introduction to the basic techniques of what to do; and what not to do on a cricket field from an Umpire s perspective. The more frequent unusual incidents where you might wonder - what happens now? are described. Ideally, all those interested in umpiring cricket should attend a course on the Laws of Cricket which are run by the local Umpire s Association, from time to time. Additionally, the NSW Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association runs these courses twice a year or you can check out their website for the Laws of Cricket, quizzes and on-line tutorials. While the laws and local regulations of the competition should be enforced with complete impartiality, it is just as important to provide an atmosphere of enjoyment for all participants of the game. Where no Umpire is available, all terms of Umpire in the Laws should be interpreted as Captains. This means that where joint decisions are to be made, both Captains will make those decisions. The result of the decision will only be upheld if both Captains agree. It is already within the Laws that when play is in progress, the batsmen at the wicket may deputise for their captain. Note that the Lower Clarence Cricket Association plays its One Innings matches under the MCC code of the Laws of Cricket. This is similar to Test match cricket and should not be confused with a Limited Overs One Day match, similar to our 6-A-Side competition. Any feedback or questions please direct them to me. Thanks Rob Pye November 2010 1
Chapter 1: Terminology and Definitions The following are taken from the 2010 Edition of the laws of Cricket (2000 Code 4 th Edition). During the match is at any time after the toss until the conclusion of the match, whether play is in progress or not. Conduct of the game includes any action relevant to the match at any time on any day of the match. Fielding positions: Over the wicket/round the wicket If, as the bowler runs up between the wicket and the return crease, the wicket is on the same side as his bowling arm, he is bowling over the wicket. If the return crease is on the same side as his bowling arm, he is bowling round the wicket. Delivery swing is the motion of the bowler s arm during which he normally releases the ball for a delivery. Delivery stride is the stride during which the delivery swing is made, whether the ball is released or not. It starts when the bowler s back foot lands for that stride and ends when the front foot lands in the same stride. The field of play is the area contained within the boundary edge. Fielder is one of the 11 or fewer players who together compose the fielding side. This definition includes not only both the bowler and the wicket-keeper but also nominated players who are legitimately on the field of play, together with players legitimately acting as substitutes for absent nominated players. It excludes any nominated player who is absent from the field of play, or who has been absent from the field of play and who has not yet obtained the umpire s permission to return. A player going briefly outside the boundary in the course of discharging his duties as a fielder is not absent from the field of play nor, for the purposes of Law 2.5 (Fielder absent or leaving the field), is he to be regarded as having left the field of play. The bat the following are to be considered as part of the bat. the whole of the bat itself. the whole of a glove (or gloves) worn on the hand (or hands) holding the bat. the hand (or hands) holding the bat, if the batsman is not wearing a glove on that hand or on those hands. Popping Crease where the batsman pops his bat. Where the bowler must have some part of his front foot behind that line. Considered to be unlimited in length. Return Crease the line coming at 90 o back from the Popping Crease. Considered to be unlimited in length. Bowling Crease the line in which the stumps are placed. Intersects with the Return Crease. 2
Chapter 2: Match Day. It is the responsibility of umpires to ensure that they are familiar with their environment. That is, where the actual boundaries are, is there anything in front of the boundary (covers, trees), and that the stumps are set up properly. Additionally the umpires should know where the scorers are and that they are to acknowledge all your signals. Similarly, the umpires should know when drinks are to be taken and what rules (MCC & local) are to apply or what the captain s have agreed to if applicable. e.g. a tractor on the field near boundary and that it will be 4 runs if struck on the bounce and 6 runs if hit on the full etc. What to take onto the ground: The right relaxed attitude with a friendly disposition. Everyone is here to enjoy the game. A counter, it should allow counting of not only balls in the over but also the overs as well. Optional: A notebook to write the overs bowled by individuals, and Bowling marker. Ready to Play: Ensure there are no more than 11 members of fielding side on the field. When at the bowlers end, find out if the bowler if right or left arm and whether bowling over or around the wicket. See definitions above. Give striker their guard. Without getting technical, giving guard is based on you standing behind the stumps and providing the striker with the position of their bat Off stump, Centre, Leg stump, Middle & Leg etc from your position. Using voice and hand signals tell the batsman to move their bat towards or away from him until the stump is covered e.g. Centre thanks Ump. Means Centre stump will be covered by the bat. Let the batsman know they have their guard That s Middle or You ve got Middle and Leg. Position yourself far enough back from the stumps so that you can still check for foot no ball & see the bowlers arm out of the corner of your eye. Most umpires as a start point position themselves with the top of the bails lining up with the popping crease. Sometimes it may be necessary to move back or forward depending on the bowlers delivery stride. The closer they bowl to the stumps the further you may need to get back so you don t bet collected in the follow through. Check scorers are ready. I normally wave and call out. Check with square leg, fielding captain and striker. Turn to bowler to ensure he s ready and then turn back and say to no one in particular Let s play. 3
Chapter 3: Taking it one ball at a time. It is important to remember that you only worry about the ball that is about to be bowled, not any of the previous ones nor, should you try to forecast what is about to happen. Here are some suggestions around the routines or habits to adopt. When at the Bowler s End. As the bowler approaches his delivery stride, take a breath and be prepared to call No Ball if required. Any time you make a call. No Ball, Short Run, Wide etc, it should be loud enough for your fellow umpire and all players to hear. As the bowler delivers the ball, try not to move your head, instead flick your eyes up, from checking for a front foot no ball, and follow the ball as it travels towards the batsman and all the way onto the wicketkeeper or into the field. Do this even if you have called No Ball or Wide as the ball is not dead and there is still plenty of action that can occur run outs, stumpings etc. Once the ball is dead, then repeat your call and signals to the scorers. If the ball is played into the field, it may be necessary to move to a position which allows you to better judge further play, such as a run out. The easy rule of thumb is to move to the same side to which the ball has been played. Using this method allows you to watch the ball as it comes into contact with a fielder and then turning in time to watch the action at your stumps. The exception to this rule, which is going to the opposite side for close in fielding as per the diagram below. The shaded area being where the ball has been played. Striker If the ball is played into a shaded triangle the bowler s end umpire would move to the opposite side. As you move away from the stumps keep an eye on the ball. It will be necessary to glance towards the approaching batsman to ensure you don t interfere with him making his ground and thus allowing you to adjudge a run out if the bat or batsman has not grounded behind the crease on the line is out. If you believe you may actually impede play by moving to the same side as the ball, then move to what you believe will be the best possible position for you to the action. It may be necessary to confer with your fellow umpire if you have not been able to view the breaking of a wicket for a run out. The same applies if the ball is returned to your partners end; you may be able to assist if he requests it. After the fourth ball in the over becomes dead, discretely signal to your fellow umpire that there are two balls left in the over. Most umpires do this by placing two fingers facing down against their leg that s why umps wear black. When the ball is dead after the sixth legitimate ball of the over, call Over. Give the bowler back his cap, sunnies etc and move towards the square leg position. Law 23 (b) Dead ball the ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the umpire at the bowler s end that the fielding side and both batsmen at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play. 4
The following information is provided to assist you with the interpretation on the Laws of cricket as they were written. No Ball: At the call of No Ball the ball is still very much alive, that is, it is not dead. Therefore you must nevertheless watch play until the ball does become dead. When the ball does become dead, then you repeat your No Ball signal to the scorers. A No Ball does not count as a legitimate ball in the over and must be re-bowled. A No Ball overrides a Wide. That is why if the ball is bowled on the edge or outside a gabba wicket a call of No Ball should be called in lieu of Wide as the ball may return back towards the bowler & their stumps. Fair Delivery The Feet. To meet this, the bowler s back foot must not touch the return crease and the front foot must land with some part of the foot, grounded or raised, behind the popping crease. Having met both these conditions, it is permissible for the front foot to slide past the popping crease. No balls for height have been modified for the 2010/11 season By-Law 21m has been adapted so that a No Ball is only applicable if the ball goes over the head of the batsman in their normal upright stance. A full toss above the waist remains the same for a quick bowler; MCC Law 42 assists further by advising that a full toss slow delivery over the shoulder is illegal & the umpire is to consider the speed of the delivery and not the type of bowler when determining a fair delivery over the waist. To assist you with this it is helpful to pick a spot behind the batsman when at the bowlers end or square leg in line with their waist & head to help with your calls. By-Law 21m also advises that either umpire can call a no ball when there is no official umpire present. When only one official umpire is present they will normally discuss with the captains what they require from the stand in square leg umpire. Wide: This is the most miss-called delivery and can be attributed to the confusion between a Limited Overs (One Day) match and a One Innings (One Day match). Consistency in your calls is the key. A ball is called a Wide if the striker cannot reach the delivery with a normal cricket shot from where he is standing AND the ball also would have been out of his reach if he had stayed in a normal guard position. This means that if you improve your position to try and strike the ball it would be necessary for the ball to be outside your new position. Also understand that a batsman can t move so as to create a wide. As with No Balls, a Wide does not count as one in the over and must be re-bowled. Again, the ball is not treated as dead on the call of a Wide. A 1 run Wide is scored at the instant of the call, which is called once it has passed the batsman and any runs scored after the call of Wide are recorded as Wides. Note that the striker can still be given out after the call of Wide by being Stumped, Hit Wicket, Handled the Ball or Obstructing the Field. Additionally, either batsman can be Run Out. The MCC has recently updated this rule to include the Switch-Hit. This is where the batsman changes their stance from left hander to right hander or vice versa. The simplest way to understand the new rule is that whatever guard position the batsman takes at the start of the bowlers run up is applied. Remember as stated above, the batsman can t move to create a WIDE, so consider this together with appeals for LBW & balls pitching outside leg stump (see LBW below). 5
Dead Ball: The following table provides the instances that a ball becomes Dead. Whether played at or not, traps between bat & batsman or between items of his clothing or equipment. Whether played at or not, lodges in clothing or equipment of batsman or umpire. Lost Ball is called: (A fielder may call lost ball if it can t be found or recovered. The ball becomes Dead and batsmen return to wicket they just left at the call. Runs scored No Ball or Wide if applicable, plus either: (i) the runs completed, together with run in progress if crossed at instant of call, or (ii) 6 runs, whichever is greater. A boundary is scored. Batsman is dismissed. Umpire calls over or time. Ball finally settled in keeper or bowlers hands. Contravention of Laws applicable to: Fielding the ball. Protective Helmets. Player returning without permission. Lodges in a protective helmet being worn by fielding side. Mankad: The bowler can only run out the non-striker before he has entered his delivery stride, that is, before his back foot lands when he would normally let go of the ball. Therefore if he removes the bails after his back foot lands in the delivery stride and the non-striker is backing up out of their crease, on appeal the call will be Not Out. Batsmen stealing a run: It is unfair for either batsman to attempt to steal a run during the bowler s run up. This law also encompasses the nonstriker leaving the crease before the bowler has bowled the ball. However if the fielding side do not try and run the batsmen out, call Dead Ball as soon as the batsmen cross. Return batsmen to their original ends. No runs scored. LCCA By-Law 47 advises that MCC Law 42 (Fair and Unfair Play Penalty Runs) are only applied when there is an official appointed Umpire. Therefore, any perceived acts of Misconduct are to be managed by the captains in accordance with LCCA By-Law 12 Misconduct. Ball hitting a helmet on the ground: MCC Law 41-3. If a protective helmet belonging to the fielding side is on the ground within the field of play, and the ball while in play strikes it, the ball shall become DEAD, and 5 penalty runs shall be awarded to the batting side, in addition to the penalty for a No Ball or a Wide, if applicable. Any runs completed by the batsmen before the ball strikes the helmet shall be scored, together with the run in progress if the batsmen have crossed at the instant the ball strikes the helmet. Ball hitting cap or clothing discarded or thrown away by a fieldsman: In this case the fielder has discarded his cap while he chases after the ball. As the ball is being returned to the wicket it accidentally hits the headgear. In this case 5 penalty runs are awarded to the batting side, but no report is made, as it is deemed as accidental. Apply same logic as above hitting helmet for any additional runs to be awarded. The fielder fielding the ball other than with part of his person: Using a shirt, hat, jumper or discarded keepers glove to catch ball. As this is illegal, the matter should be reported by the captain to the Governing Body. As above for Penalties and any additional runs if applicable. 6
Square Leg Duties Once you have called over and make your way to Square Leg, it s not for a rest, there s still plenty to do. Here are some things for you to consider: Step out about 20 metres for your position, so you are at a similar distance to when at the bowlers end. When the bowler delivers the ball you must ensure that his action is fair (throwing); You must ensure there are no more than two fieldsmen on the leg side behind the line of the popping crease (Behind square leg) at your end at the point of the delivery. And this means any part of a third fielder. Call No Ball when ball delivered. Always observe the ball going through to the keeper. You must also ensure that the striker does not break the wicket at his end as he plays at the ball or sets off for his first run. (Out, Hit Wicket ). You must also be alert for the chance of a stumping, particularly if the wicket-keeper is standing up to the stumps. REMEMBER: If the striker moves forward, look for a stumping; if he moves back look for hit wicket. Watch to make sure that the wicketkeeper remains wholly behind the wicket at the striker s end from the moment the ball comes into play until a delivery touches the striker s bat or person or passes the wicket at the striker s end. Call No Ball as soon as possible after the delivery. Wholly behind covers gloves, cap or equipment. Make sure the running batsman has grounded some part of his bat or foot behind the popping crease. If still running further, then any subsequent total loss of contact with the ground during the continued momentum shall not be interpreted as being out of his ground. During the moments of a catch being taken, you may need to assist your partner in determining whether the ball has been caught fairly. However, your prime responsibility, particularly if the batsmen are running, is to determine whether or not the batsmen have crossed or not at the instant the catch is taken. If they have crossed, the incoming batsman will go to the non-striker s end. Under the laws of cricket, Level is not crossed. Likewise assist by observing how the wicket is broken. Generally be aware of what is going on at all times. If crossing for left and right hand batsmen, anticipate the need to change and begin walking in while the ball is still in play. This will allow you to be in position without having to rush. For Run-Outs & Stumpings, watch the crease not the bat or stumps. Your peripheral vision will show you the wicket being broken. If in any doubt about the wicket being put down, you must confer with the other umpire. After the fourth legitimate ball in the over and the ball is dead, discretely signal to the bowler s end umpire that two remain in the over. After 6 th ball in the over becomes Dead begin to walk towards the new bowler s end. This will assist your partner. It also pays to look for the bowler and get his cap; this will keep the game moving. 7
Chapter 5 Points to Note. Appeals: A batsman may WALK if he knows he is out but an umpire cannot give a batsman out unless there is an appeal. The fielding side may appeal up until the bowler begins his run up for the next ball, or you call Time to start a scheduled break, e.g. drinks or tea. The call of Over does not invalidate an appeal. Breaking the Wicket fairly: For a decision of Bowled, Run Out, or Stumped the fielding side must put the wicket down fairly. This means at least one bail must be completely and permanently removed from the top of the stumps, or a stump is completely knocked out of the ground (not just leaning over). This can be done by using the ball or the arm of the hand holding the ball. For Hit Wicket, the striker s wicket is put down by his bat, his person (e.g. treading on the stumps) or clothing becoming detached (e.g. his helmet or part of his helmet falling onto the stumps). If there are no bails being used, e.g. removed because they keep blowing off, then you only have to be satisfied that the wicket has been struck by the ball, by the striker s bat, person or items of his clothing or equipment. If the wicket has already been broken or put down, a fielder may replace a stump or stumps and a bail or bails in order to have an opportunity of putting the wicket down. Additionally, if one bail is off, it will be sufficient to remove the remaining bail or to strike or pull any of the three stumps from the ground. Batsman protecting Himself from injury: In general, if a batsman is taking action to prevent himself being injured he will not be given out. EG, if he puts a hand up to stop a ball hitting him in the face he cannot be out Handled the Ball, but, in the case of the striker if the hand is holding the bat he still risks being caught. If a batsman has already gained his ground i.e. in his crease and then leaves it to avoid being hit by an incoming ball he cannot be Run Out. Protective helmets worn Fielders: If a ball hit by a striker touches a helmet worn by a fielder, the striker cannot be out caught. Play continues unless the ball has lodged in the fieldsman s helmet, in which case the ball automatically becomes dead. In much the same way, a batsman cannot be run out if the ball rebounds directly from a helmet worn by a fielder, unless the ball is touched by a fielder after it has hit the helmet. If the ball rebounds from a helmet worn by the wicketkeeper the striker cannot be stumped, but he may still be Run Out as above. Substitutes: A fieldsman may have a substitute if he is ill or injured during the match. This is any time after the toss until the end of the game and includes time between days of play, e.g. during the week between a game played over two successive Saturday s. A substitute shall not be allowed to bat, bowl or act as wicketkeeper. The opposing captain shall have no right of objection to any player acting as a substitute on the field, nor as to where the substitute shall field. However, no substitute shall act as wicketkeeper. See By-Law 39 Replacements for matches of greater than One Day s play. Runners: If a batsman is injured and needs a runner then the injured batsman must stay at the wicketkeepers end. If he is not the striker, he is out of the game and can only be out Obstructing the Field or Handled the Ball if he interferes with the fielding side. This means He cannot be run out if he is NOT the striker. If the injured batsman is the striker, he must stay behind the crease at the wicketkeeper s end. If the wicket at that end is put down, first look to see if the injured striker is in his ground. If he isn t, then he is out, regardless of where the other batsmen are. If he is in his ground look to see if the runner or non-striker, as the case may be, is in or out of their ground. 8
Leg Before Wicket (LBW): Ok, the most contentious of all decisions by an umpire. Statistics show that LBW s account for about 60% of all appeals! So here s a guide to assist you with your decision making: Points to Note: 1. Only the FIRST interception on the striker is considered. 2. If a full toss hits the striker, simply consider that the ball has pitched on him rather than the pitch and the same questions then apply. You must then assume the path of the ball will be the same after impact as before. The behaviour of previous balls is not considered, just what you see before you. 3. The striker s stance at the moment the bowler commences his run up for that delivery determines the off side. 4. You cannot be out LBW if the ball pitches outside of leg stump. 9
Chapter 6 Umpires Signals. The official signals used by umpires are shown below. Do not allow the game to continue until all signals are acknowledged by the scorers. If you are required to give multiple signals, do them one at a time waiting for acknowledgement from the scorers for each individual signal. An example of this is to indicate that the runs did not come from the bat A No Ball misses the bat and the striker, it then goes past the keeper and onto the boundary for four (4) runs. The umpire would signal to the scorers as follows: Signal No Ball wait for acknowledgement; Signal Bye indicating no runs to the batsman, wait for acknowledgement; Signal Boundary 4 wait for acknowledgement. This would then be recorded by the scorers as 5 No Balls. One for the No Ball penalty and 4 for the boundary. The more common umpire signals have been provided at left. Ensure when signalling 4 runs that you finish the arm movement across the chest. This will ensure that no confusion exists with a boundary 4 and No Ball in the same group of signals. Also note that scorebook equivalents have been provided, where required, as well. Never signal to the scorers whilst the ball is in play. Confer with the other umpire at the end of an over if there is a possibility that something may have been understood. Check with scorers next time you have the opportunity if you believe there may have been some confusion in your signals or how you wanted them interpreted. 10