Blind Cricket England & Wales Playing Rules
All current MCC laws of cricket should be followed. Where the laws appear to conflict, the BCEW amendments should take precedence.
1 SIGHT CLASSIFICATION
1.1 All players shall be classified as blind or partially sighted (in the UK this normally means that a BD8 / CVI will have been issued to the player concerned).
1.2 All players should be classified under the Blind Cricket England and Wales sight classification procedures. British Blind Sport, World Blind Cricket Council and IBSA classification will be recognised.
1.3 All players must seek classification (as in 1.2 above) within three months from the date they started to play in BCEW competition. Classification must be performed by a properly qualified ophthalmic professional (optometrist or consultant ophthalmologist). All new sight classifications must be conducted, using the BCEW sight classification form.
1.4 All classified players aged under 16, shall receive two bounces when batting .
1.5 It is the responsibility of all players, to ensure that the procedures for sight classification are followed. (See Core Doc 4. BCEW Sight Classification Procedures Document)
1.6 Player eligibility
1.6.1 The committee may request proof of visual impairment at any time from any player who does not hold a valid sight classification. This includes within the first three months of their involvement in blind cricket.
1.6.2 It is every clubs responsibility to make certain anyone playing for them in competitive cricket is visually impaired enough to be eligible to play blind cricket. This decision should be made by the person captaining on the match day.
1.6.3 Upon a request from the committee for proof of visual impairment the club involved will have 14 days to produce proof of the player involved's visual impairment.
1.6.4 If a club cannot prove that a player is eligible to play blind cricket they risk being docked points, disqualified from matches that player played in or even exclusion from the league if this is a repeated offence.
2 SIGHT PARAMETERS
2.1 B1 Players - No light perception in either eye up to light perception, but inability to recognise shape of a hand at any distance or in any direction.
2.2 B2 Players - From ability to recognise the shape of the hand up to a visual acuity of 2/60 or visual field of less than 5 degrees in the better eye after correction.
2.3 B3 Players - From visual acuity above 2/60 up to visual acuity of 6/60 or a visual field of less that 20 degrees in better eye after correction.
2.4 B4 - Players BCEW would define a B4 partially sighted player as for example someone with a substantial and permanent sight impairment and their visual acuity is 6/60 to 6/24 with a full field of vision, or up to 6/18 if their field of vision is very restricted.
2.5 Low Partial Players - may be classified as low partial. This category is designed for those players who fall in the lower half of the B2 category, and who would struggle to bat or field when playing as a partially sighted player due to insufficient sight. A player shall be classified as low partial, by discretion based on how they manage while playing, not purely on acuity measurements.
3 THE TEAM
3.1 Each side shall contain no more than a total of 7 players in the categories B2, B3, and B4.
3.2 The balance of the side shall be made up by B1s except when 1 or more, low partials are playing in which case only 3 B1s need to play with the balance made up by 1 low partial. Thus a team may comprise of 3 B1s and 8 other players as long as at least one of the other players is a low partial.
3.3 Where available at least 1 B1 should bat in the first 3 of the batting order, at least 1 B1 and 1 low partial, or 2 B1s in the first 6 and at least 2 B1s and 1 low partial, or 3 B1s in the first 9 of the batting order.
3.4 No team may field more than two players from the B4 sight category in any match.
3.5 No player under the age of 11 may play in any competitive BCEW match
4 SUBSTITUTES AND RUNNERS
4.1 A B1 batsman may not run for himself and must have a partially sighted runner.
4.2 A B1 batsman may not himself be run out or stumped as batsman, although his runner may be.
4.3 There will be no limit on the number of batsmen a runner may run for in an innings.
4.4 A low partial batsman has the option of a partially sighted runner.
4.5 A B2 batsman has the option of having a partially sighted runner.
4.6 There will be no limit on when a runner may run during an innings. This means there are no restrictions on when a runner may run for someone with regards to when the runner himself is going to bat or has batted.
4.7 A player who has an additional medical condition, which would affect his running, may have a runner. Permission for this may be granted by the C&DP. Applications must be sent in writing together with medical documentation to the general secretary of BCEW. Such permission may be granted or revoked by the C&DP.
4.8 Any player who with his club's approval wishes to play in a match whilst still recovering from a serious injury must firstly sign the BCEW legal waver and a copy of this waver must be lodged with the BCEW committee before the player is able to play. If this player has difficulty running they can have a runner if needed but only by agreement with the opposition captain.
5 DRESS CODE
5.1 All teams must play in coloured playing kit.
5.2 No white clothing shall be worn.
5.3 All players on the same team shall be dressed alike.
5.4 Players shall wear designated club shirts, tops and trousers at all times.
5.5 On an appeal from an opposing captain, the umpire will ask the offending player, to leave the field of play until correctly attired.
5.6 B1 players will wear a coloured armband (not white) at all times whilst on the field of play. This will include whilst batting, bowling and fielding.
6 THE BALL
6.1 The ball shall be a size 3 Mitre ball, or equivalent, as supplied by BCEW. It shall be white and contain a noise-making device.
6.2 A clean ball shall be used at the start of each innings.
6.3 Either captain may request a clean ball after every ten overs.
7 THE STUMPS
7.1 The stumps shall be 10 inches wide.
7.2 The tops of the stumps shall be 35 inches above the ground.
7.3 Bails shall not be used.
7.4 The standard BCEW stumps or equivalent, where the stumps are fixed and mounted on a base) may be used in preference to 3 individual stumps driven into the ground.
7.5 The stumps shall normally be white but, in the event that both captains agree, orange wickets may be used.
8 THE PITCH
8.1 All games must be played on either a prepared cricket strip (grass or artificial).
8.2 Both umpires and the visiting captain may submit their opinions on the ground to the secretary general.
8.3 Any ground which receives adverse comments from 3 separate games during 1 season, must be assessed for suitability before hosting further competitive cricket. This assessment is the responsibility of the BCEW committee.
9 THE BOUNDARIES
9.1 The boundary shall be a maximum of 50 yards and a minimum of 40 yards from centre stump at each end of the pitch.
9.2 The boundary shall be marked by a rope, marked line or plastic markers.
10 THE BATSMAN
10.1 All runs scored by a B1 batsman shall count as double.
10.2 A B1 batsman is never considered to be out of his ground regardless of where he is on the field.
10.3 A B1 batsman can only be run out if his runner is out of their ground.
10.4 A B1 batsman cannot be stumped.
11 THE BOWLER AND BOWLING
11.1 A B1 bowler shall bowl a ratio of at least 3 overs in every 10. This will be calculated after every ten overs.
11.2 Bowling will be over arm, (as the MCC laws of cricket), apart from (11.3 below).
11.3 A B1 bowler may use any one-armed action, except underarm.
11.4 When bowling to a B1 or low partial batsman, the ball must bounce twice before the popping crease.
11.5 When bowling to a B2 or B3 batsman, the ball must bounce at least once before the popping crease.
11.6 When bowling to a B4 batsman, full pitched deliveries will be allowed.
11.7 As used in certain forms of first class cricket the “one bouncer per over” rule is to be applied. The umpire will notify the bowler that one bouncer has been bowled for that over.
11.8 The bowling of fast high full pitches is not permitted. A fast high full pitched ball shall be defined as a ball that passes or would have passed, on the full above waist height of a batsman standing upright at the crease.
11.9 It is a no ball if the ball bounces a fourth time or is rolling before reaching the batsman's popping crease. This shall normally be the responsibility of the umpire standing at square leg.
12 THE FIELDER
12.1 The Fielder shall not deliberately kick the ball when returning it to the wicket. Should the ball strike either wicket following such an act the umpire will call and signal 'dead ball' and neither batsman shall be given out.
13 THE CATCH
13.1 The normal rules of cricket apply for any catch except when a B1 fielder, catches the ball following one bounce on the ground, provided that it has not touched the ground again.
13.2 A catch shall be considered to have been fairly made if a B1 fielder catches the ball after it has touched an umpire, another fielder or the other batsman and subsequently bounced on the ground once, provided that it has not touched the ground again.
13.3 A catch shall be considered to have been fairly made if a B1 fielder catches the ball after it has bounced once and subsequently touched an umpire, any other fielder or the other batsman, provided that it has not touched the ground again.
14 LEG BEFORE WICKET
14.1 The first time a B1 batsman is adjudged to be out LBW he is given “half out” and allowed to continue with his innings.
14.2 If a batsman who has been given “half out” is subsequently adjudged to be out LBW he is given out and his innings is over.
14.3 The bowler who bowls the ball which gets the subsequent LBW decision gets credit for the wicket.
14.4 When interpreting the LBW law the position that the ball pitches shall refer to the first bounce only. i.e. The batsman cannot be out LBW if the first bounce is outside the line of the leg stump even if a second bounce is in line with the stumps.
15 THE DEAD BALL
15.1 Should the ball burst the umpire shall call and signal 'dead ball' immediately.
15.2 No runs or wickets taken after the ball bursts are valid.
16 THE NO BALL
16.1 It is a no ball if the bowler fails to call 'play' at the moment of delivery.
16.2 It is a no ball if the bowler holds the ball in two hands at the moment of delivery.
16.3 It is a no ball if the ball bounces a fourth time or is rolling before reaching the batsman's popping crease. This shall normally be the responsibility of the umpire standing at square leg.
16.4 If a ball comes to rest in front of the batsman's popping crease it is a no ball.
16.5 It is a no ball if the ball does not pitch at least once before reaching the popping crease of a B2 or B3 batsman
16.6 It is a no ball if the ball does not pitch at least twice before reaching the popping crease of a B1 or a low partial batsman.
16.7 If the batsman plays the ball before it has bounced the required number of times before the popping crease the umpire must call and signal 'no ball' unless the umpire is convinced that the ball would have bounced the required number of times had the batsman not played it.
16.8 As used in certain forms of first class cricket the “one bouncer per over” rule is to be applied. The umpire will notify the bowler that one bouncer has been bowled for that over. If another bouncer is bowled the umpire will call it a no ball.
16.9 The bowling of fast high full pitches is unfair. A fast high full pitched ball shall be defined as a ball that passes or would have passed, on the full above waist height of a batsman standing upright at the crease. Should a bowler bowl a fast high full pitched ball, either umpire shall call and signal 'No Ball' and adopt the procedure of caution, final warning, action against the bowler.
16.10 A penalty of 1 run for a no ball shall be scored in addition to any other runs scored off it. For example, a single shall count as 2 runs (1 scored as a no ball and 1 to the batsman).
17 THE WIDE BALL
17.1 The umpire shall call and signal 'wide ball' if the ball passes outside the line of the return crease.
17.2 The umpire shall call and signal 'wide ball' immediately if, in his opinion, an attempt by the batsman to hit the ball is in danger of injuring a fielder.
17.3 The umpire shall call and signal 'wide ball' if the ball strikes a fielder prior to reaching the line of the batsman's wicket.
17.4 The batsman may not hit the ball after 'wide ball' has been called. If he does so, the umpire shall call and signal 'dead ball' immediately. In this case the call of 'wide ball' shall not be revoked.
17.5 The umpire will call wide ball if, they deem it unplayable by means of a normal cricket stroke. As in current MCC rules the height of the ball can result in a wide being called
17.6 A batsmen can run on a wide provided that the ball has not hit any fielder before passing the stumps or the batsmen or his bat at any point. There will be one run awarded plus whatever runs are scored by running all of these will go to extras. Either batsman can be run out attempting to run on a wide.
18 THE FOLLOW ON
18.1 In a two innings game the side which bats first and leads by 75 runs and/or twice the score of the other side in a one-day game, shall have the option of requiring the other side to follow their innings.