1.
Major Law Changes
2018

2.
Fire alarm
Smoking
Mobiles
Timings
Toilets
Domestics

3.
Your seminar team for today
Rob Hales
Steve Beswick

4.
General
Now written in language applying to all persons
regardless of gender
Laws re-numbered and re-ordered
Change to preamble principally to emphasise
positive behaviours that make cricket an exciting
game that encourages leadership, friendship and
teamwork
“To promote positive behaviour rather
than deal with negative behaviour”

5.
Law 1 – The players
Match to continue as long as possible if a side
is reduced to fewer than the original number
of players
Any person associated with the
team can nominate the
players, only a nominated
player may deputise for a
captain at the toss

6.
Law 2 – The umpires
Meeting with captains is now in Law
Intervals and the use of covers to be agreed
at the captains’ meeting
If one umpire thinks
conditions are dangerous or
unreasonable, play should be
suspended
Both must agree that conditions are safe to
resume

7.
Law 5 – The bat
• New restrictions on the
thickness of the edges
of a bat and the overall
depth Law 8 – The wickets
Mechanisms to tether bails to the
stumps are allowed

8.
Law 6 – The pitch
If the pitch is next to an artificial pitch which
is closer than 5 ft from the middle stumps,
the pitch on that side will extend only to the
junction of the two surfaces
Edges of
the pitch

9.
Law 18 – Scoring runs
For deliberate
short runs the
warning has
been removed;
immediate
penalty
If Byes or Leg byes accrue from a No ball,
only the one run penalty is scored as such,
the rest as Byes or Leg byes as appropriate

10.
Law 19 - Boundaries
A sightscreen on the field of play must have
an area marked off within which it can move
so the boundary doesn’t change
Animals or spectators
coming onto the field of
play and making contact
with the ball – umpires
to decide whether or not
a boundary would have
been scored

11.
Law 20 – Dead ball
Lost ball has been removed; umpires should
call and signal ‘Dead ball’
Ball is no longer dead if it is trapped in the
helmet worn by a fielder
Either umpire to call and signal ‘dead ball’
when a possible serious injury to a player or
umpire occurs

12.
Law 21 – No ball
Underarm bowling treated as a
‘throw’
Caution for a clear ‘throw’ removed, now a
first and final warning
No ball for a ball bouncing more than once
before reaching popping crease
A ball landing off the pitch is a
No ball

13.
Law 21 – No ball
If a fielder intercepts the ball before it reaches
the striker; ‘No ball’, ‘Dead ball’
Law now specifies when an umpire should
revoke a call of ‘No ball’ in certain Dead ball
scenarios (distraction, bail off etc.)
Law 22 – Wide ball
A wide is now deemed to have bowled at the
instant the bowler enters his delivery stride

14.
Law 24 – Fielder’s absence, substitutes
A substitute can act as wicket keeper with the
consent of the umpires
A player who is absent whilst his/her side is
fielding will incur Penalty time
Penalty time is not incurred if it is as a result
of an external blow during the match or any
other exceptional circumstance

15.
Penalty time
Any amount of time off the field is added to
Penalty time
Unserved Penalty time is limited to 90
minutes
If a player leaves the field before having
served all of his/her Penalty time, the balance
is carried forward as unserved Penalty time

16.
Penalty time
An unscheduled break counts towards
unserved penalty time if the player was on the
field at the start of the break and returns at
the end of it
The remaining time in an unscheduled break
counts towards unserved penalty time from
the time the player notifies the umpires that
he/she is able to participate on resumption

17.
Penalty time
Unserved Penalty time is carried forward to
subsequent days and innings
Time off the field for suspension is not
counted as Penalty time if the player returns
at the end of the suspension. If he/she doesn’t
the entire absence will be treated as Penalty
time

18.
Penalty time
If a member of the batting side has unserved
Penalty time, he/she can’t bat or act as a
runner until the Penalty time is served unless
his/her side has lost 5 wickets
A batsman’s penalty time is served whilst
waiting to bat, during his/her innings and after
he/she is dismissed

19.
Match starts
Fielder Smith tells
umpires he has
pulled a muscle in
his leg, leaves the
field
Play suspended,
rain
Internal injury so
cannot bowl until
penalty time
served
Time Event Pen Comment
time
12.00
12.15
13.00
0
0
45
Penalty time

20.
Play resumes,
Smith still off the
field
Smith still off the
field
Smith has not told
umpires he can
resume, no
reduction in
penalty time
Maximum penalty
time
Time Event Pen Comment
time
13.20
14.05
45
90
Penalty time

21.
Play suspended,
rain
Smith advises
umpires he is
ready to resume
Play resumes,
Smith on the field
Unscheduled time
is now taken off
penalty time
30 mins since he
told umpires he
would return
Time Event Pen Comment
time
14.15
14.20
14.50
90
90
60
Penalty time

22.
Play suspended,
rain
Tea taken
Play resumes,
Smith informs
umpires injury
has got worse,
not on field
10 min served
Scheduled break
Penalty time not
reduced, further
time off added to
penalty time
Time Event Pen Comment
time
15.00
15.00
15.30
50
50
50
Penalty time

23.
Innings closed
2nd innings starts
5th wicket falls
Further pen time
Smith not allowed
to bat
10 mins still to
serve, but allowed
to bat
Time served
Time Event Pen Comment
time
16.00
16.10
17.20
17.30
80
80
10
0
Penalty time

24.
Law 25 – Further restriction on
runners
• A runner is only allowed if the batsman’s injury
affects their ability to run
• Runs will be disallowed if the runner leaves early,
in a similar way to how illegal leg-byes are treated
• When there is an injured striker, the runner at
square leg must have some part of his/her person
or bat behind the popping crease until the ball
reaches the striker or popping crease

25.
Major Law Changes
2018

26.
Law 26 – Practice on the field
• No practice on the square at all except with the
approval of the umpires and not on the match
pitch at all
• No bowling practice in an area between the
square and the boundary parallel to match pitch
between calls of ‘Play’ and ‘Time
• First offence; warning, subsequent offences; 5
penalty runs & report

27.
Law 30 – Batsman’s ground
• Batsman not considered out of
ground if, when running and
having grounded some part of
his/her person or bat beyond
the popping crease, there is
subsequent loss of contact:
• between the ground and any
part of his/her person or bat or
• between the bat and person
• Provided there’s continued
forward movement

28.
Law 31 - Appeals
‘Batsman leaving the wicket under a
misapprehension’ and ‘Withdrawal of an
appeal’ can now take place up to the point
when the ball becomes live for the next
delivery or, if innings is completed, before the
umpires leave the field

29.
Law 33 - Caught
More than one fielder
involved in a boundary catch,
each must either be
grounded within the
boundary or his/her last
contact with the ground
before touching the ball must
have been within the
boundary

30.
A catch can be
made after the ball
strikes (or is lodged
in) the helmet of a
fielder or wicket
keeper
Law 33 - Caught

31.
Law 37 – Obstructing the field
Now incorporates ‘Handled the ball’
Law 38 – Run out & Law 39 - Stumped
A batsman can now be run out or stumped if
the ball rebounds directly from a fielder’s or
wicket keeper’s helmet onto the stumps

32.
Law 41 – Unfair play
If the umpires consider that the condition of
the ball has been changed unfairly, the
opposing side have the option of the ball
being changed or not
Penalties remain the same except that for a
second offence by the fielding side, the
bowler is suspended for the rest of the match
Law now also covers the possibility of the
batsmen deliberately damaging the ball

33.
Law 41 – Unfair play
• Deliberate attempt to distract the striker.
• First and final warning removed, straight to penalties
• Deliberate distraction or obstruction of batsman has
been extended to include ‘deception’ to cover ‘mock
fielding’ and any other attempt to deceive the batting
side
Mock Fielding Video

34.
“Mock Fielding” example
Umpire to signal 5
Penalty Runs and offer
the batsmen a choice
of ends

35.
Deeec Mock Fielding” example eption or
obstruction of either batsman

36.
Law 41 – Bouncers & Beamers
• The warning sequences
for each of these types of
delivery are now separate
• 1st offence: No ball, first
& final warning
• 2nd offence: No ball,
suspend bowler for
remainder of innings,
report

37.
Law 41 – Bouncers
• For bouncers likely to inflict physical injury, repetition
is no longer a pre-requisite for a delivery to be
considered dangerous
Law 41 – Beamers
• All deliveries, irrespective of speed, above waist
height of the striker standing upright at the crease
are to trigger sanctions

38.
Law 41 – Unfair play
• Bouncers above head height are always a No ball and may be
considered unfair if bowled repeatedly
• The bowling of deliberate front foot no balls is illegal and should be
suspended immediately and reported
• Non striker leaving his ground early – bowler can now attempt a run
out up to the point at which he would be expected to deliver the
ball
•
Sri Lanka’s Senanayake
appeals to the umpire for a
“mankad”-style run-out of Jos
Buttler at the non-striker’s end

39.
Law 41 – Unfair play
• Striker cannot adopt a
stance (or mark his
guard) in the protected
area or so close that
encroachment is
inevitable
• Once a batsman enters
the protected area to
play a shot they must
move out of it as swiftly
as possible

40.
Law 41 – Unfair play
New Law – Unfair actions
If umpire considers any action, not covered by
Law, is unfair;
Dead ball
First & final warning (team)
Subsequent offences; 5 pen runs & report

41.
Law 42 – Players’ conduct
“ To promote positive
behaviour rather than deal
with negative behaviour”
Therefore designed as a deterrent not to be used
as a weapon for dealing with it afterwards!

42.
Law 42 – Players’ conduct
• Offences have been categorised into a series
of Levels, 1 to 4
• Sanctions specified for offences at each Level
• Process that the umpires need to go through
is set out

43.
Law 42 – Players’ conduct
• Level 1 Offences Examples
• Abuse of ground or equipment
• Excessive and/or unreasonable appeals
• Showing dissent by word or action to an umpire’s decision
• Obscene, offensive or insulting language or gestures
Sanctions for Level 1 Offences
If 1st instance of a problem – formal warning
If another level 1 or higher offence has taken place already – 5 penalty runs to the
opposing side

44.
Law 42 – Players’ conduct
• Level 2 Offences
• Inappropriate and Deliberate physical contact
• Throwing the ball at someone
• Obscene language or gestures aimed at someone
• Extreme examples of Level 1 offences
Sanctions for Level 2 Offences
Award 5 penalty runs to the non offending team
Warn Captain that any further L1 offences will result in 5 penalty runs (applies to L3 &
L4 too).

45.
Law 42 – Players’ conduct
• Level 3 Offences Examples
• Intimidating an umpire by language or gesture
• Threatening to assault another player, team official or spectator
Sanctions for Level 3 Offences
The offending player will be removed from the field of play for a
predetermined time
Award 5 penalty runs to the opposition
Signal a level 3 offence to the scorers

46.
Law 42 – Players’ conduct
Direct The Captain to Remove Offending Player
• Limited overs match: for 1/5th of overs allocated at start of the innings.
• No substitutes for offending player allowed
• Offending player can bowl immediately on his return.
• If a bowler removed from field mid over suspension starts at the beginning
of the next over..
• A not out batsmen who is suspended is replaced & can only return at the
fall of a wicket. No other batsmen available innings is closed.
• Offending player is a dismissed batsmen – suspension starts at the start of
next innings. May not act as a runner.
• Any overs remaining to be served are carried forward to next innings

47.
Level 3 Offence Signal Video

48.
Law 42 – Players’ conduct
• Level 4 Offences
• Threatening to assault an umpire
• Making inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with an umpire
• Physically assaulting a player or any other person
• Committing any other act of violence.
Sanctions for Level 4 Offences
The offending player will be removed from game all together
Award 5 penalty runs to the non offending team
Signal a level 4 offence to the scorers

49.
Law 42 – Players’ conduct
Captain Refusing to Remove a Player
• If a Captain refused to carry out an instruction under Law 42, the umpires
invoke Law 16.3 (Umpires Awarding a Match).
• If both Captains refuse in respect of same incident, umpires instruct all
players to leave the field – match concluded – no result.
Additional Points relating to L3 & L4 Offences
• If a wicket keeper commits a Level 3 or 4 Offence only a nominated
player may deputise.
• A nominated player who has a sub or runner will also suffer the penalty
under L3 or L4. However only the sub or runner will be reported.

50.
Level 4 Offence Signal Video

51.
Law 42 – Players’ conduct –
Umpire Process
• Dead ball
• Collect ball
• Consult
• ‘Time’
• Captain - Sanctions
• Record
• ‘Play’
• Report

52.
Additional Resources
• ECB ACO Reference
Document – HERE
MCC Online Resource
HERE
MCC Laws Book
HERE
MCC Summary Document
HERE

53.
THANK YOU
Good luck for 2018!

54.
Duckworth Lewis (DL)
• DL (using Play Cricket App) will now apply in
PS Prem, Division 1A & 1B
• Calculations are responsibility of the scorers.
• At least 20 overs of the 2nd innings must be
completed for a result using DL to stand.
• However DL will be used for interruptions in
both 1st & 2nd innings.
• Also applies in Meyler Cup and semi-finals and
finals of Loxham and Crabtree Cups.