Public Service League rules

Supplementary rules for Public Service League teams

General Information

  • Draw has been finalised by the PSL sub-committee and may be subject to change.
  • Score books are to be checked at the end of each inning and match.
  • Time limit of 48 hours to correct official scores.
  • Kookaburra Tuff Pitch ball to be used for synthetic wickets and 4-Piece Kookaburra Reject to be used for turf wickets. Cricket balls should be checked prior to an inning starting (see also Duties of Captains for other pre-match checks).
  • Bouncers/short balls, full tosses – ensure players understand and are aware of the new rules regarding no-ball calls.

Scoring

The points scheme is 4 for a win and 2 for a draw/tie for 40 over matches and 2 for a win and 1 for a draw/tie for 20 over matches (replaces Rule 6 of the ACTSSCA Competition Rules).

When a team is bowled out this counts as 10 wickets taken for the purpose of calculating percentages (eg Team A 142 all out) irrespective of whether the team was playing one or more players short. When a team bats out its overs the innings is closed by “compulsory closure” or “cc” at the end of the 40 or 20 overs. When this happens only the actual number of wickets taken count for the purpose of percentage (eg. Team B – 4/132cc [40 overs]) and a “cc” is added to end of the score.

40 Over Matches:

For 40 over matches:

Batting and bowling restrictions

  • Bowlers are restricted to a maximum of 8 overs (see also Rule 14 of the ACTSSCA Competition Rules); and
  • Batsmen are to immediately retire after their score reaches 50 runs but may return after all other wickets have fallen (if more than one batsmen has retired, they return in the order in which they retired).

Fielding restrictions

  • No more than 5 players outside the circle defined by 2 semi-circles with a 27.5 metre radius around each stumps joined by lines parallel to the wicket (to be estimated if no markings).
  • No more than 5 fielders on the leg side and, of those, no more than 2 behind square.
  • Breach of the fielding restriction rules may result in a “no ball” being called. Please use sound judgement (bring to opposing teams attention prior to first “no-ball”) and only consult with the opposing Captain or representative.

Wides
Wides incur a penalty of 1 run, plus any other runs scored (eg what would otherwise be byes or overthrows). However, the total is recorded as “wides”. Hence a wide that goes to the boundary is scored as “5 wides” and a wide ball must be re-bowled.

As always the aim is consistency (not “revenge”). The guiding principle is that a wide is a ball that “deprives the batsmen of a stroke” (even if it is an aggressive tactic eg to attempt a leg side stumping or tempt a loose shot).

Umpires may be strict on leg side deliveries and should be called if the ball pitches outside leg stump and does not move in, or even if it pitches on leg stump if it moves a lot further down the leg side.

If both captains agree, a chalk line may be drawn on leg side of the pitch to assist with the judging of leg side wides.

Offside wides need more judgement as a short delivery can be relatively wide and still offer the opportunity to play a cut shot, but a full delivery can be well in from the edge of the pitch but still too wide to drive.

No balls

  • No part of front foot behind the popping crease.
  • Any part of back foot on or outside the return (side) crease.
  • Ball bounces off the pitch (dead ball if bowler has not raised arm above shoulder).
  • Bouncers (regardless of the pace of the bowler).
  • Full toss that passes (or would have passed) over the waist of the batsmen standing upright (regardless of the pace of the bowler).
  • No-balls will incur a one run penalty, plus any runs scored. NB a no ball that is hit to the boundary will increase the batting team’s total by 5 (all of which are attributed to the bowler – but on the batting side the batsmen scores 4 and extras 1).

20 Over Matches:

Batting, bowling and fielding restrictions

For 20 over matches:

  • Bowlers are restricted to a maximum of 4 overs (see also Rule 14 of the ACTSSCA Competition Rules); and
  • Batsmen are to retire immediately after their score reaches 30 runs but may return after all other wickets have fallen (if more than one batsmen has retired, they return in the order in which they retired).
  • Fielding restrictions, wides and no-balls are as per 40 over matches identified above.

Who can play

The aim is that all players should be part of the any government agency (State or Federal), have worked there in the past, or have some other tangible link to the Australian Public Service. However, we obviously need some flexibility. Back in 1999, we agreed to restrict the rule of ring-ins under a “no dominance” rule.

Rain affected matches (Duckworth-Lewis etc.)

ACTSSCA rules do not apply Duckworth-Lewis. See Rule 2 in the ACTSSCA Cricket Handbook for further information. These rules will apply to both formats (T20 and 40 Over) and conditions (synthetic and turf).

The LBW Law

Some representatives have expressed concern that some of the umpires do not know the LBW law properly. See also the Laws of Cricket.

Law 36, Leg before wicket

  1. Out LBW
    The striker is out LBW in the circumstances set out below:
    (a) The bowler delivers a ball, not being a No Ball; and
    (b) The ball, if it is not intercepted full pitch, pitches in line between wicket and wicket or on the off side of the striker’s wicket; and
    (c) The ball not having previously touched his bat, the striker intercepts the ball, either full-pitch or after pitching, with any part of his person; and
    The point of impact, even if above the level of the bails, either:
    (d) is between wicket and wicket; or
    (e) is either between wicket and wicket or outside the line of the off stump if the striker has made no genuine attempt to play the ball with his bat; and
    (f) but for the interception, the ball would have hit the wicket.
  2. Interception of the ball
    (a) in assessing points (c), (d) and (e) in 1 above only the first interception is to be considered.
    (b) in assessing point (e) in 1 above, it is to be assumed that the path of the ball before interception would have continued after interception, irrespective of whether it might have pitched subsequently or not.
  3. Off side of wicket
    The off side of the striker’s wicket shall be determined by the striker’s stance at the moment the ball comes into play for that delivery.

The main points of concern are:

  • If the ball pitches outside leg stump then it is not out regardless whether the ball would have hit the stumps (even if no stroke was offered).
  • If the ball hits the pad outside the line of the stumps then it is not out, even if the ball bounced/swung such that it would have hit the stumps (but this does not apply if no stroke was offered).
  • There is no law which says that a batsman a long way down the pitch cannot be given out. If the umpire is certain that all the criteria have been met then it is out regardless of how far down the pitch the batsman is.
  • If the batsman does not offer a shot then this does not mean that he loses the ‘benefit of the doubt’.