ICC Cricket Rules & Guidance

• Test: up to 5 days, two innings per side, unlimited overs, minimum 90 overs/day.
• ODI (One Day International): 50 overs per side, one innings each.
• T20: 20 overs per side, one innings each.
• An over is 6 legal deliveries. Wides and no-balls do not count as legal deliveries and must be re-bowled.
• A side is "all out" when 10 of 11 batters are dismissed, or when overs run out, or on declaration (Tests).

• Runs are scored by running between wickets or hitting boundaries: 4 (ball reaches/over the rope on the ground) and 6 (clears the rope on the full).
• Runs from the bat are credited to the striker; team total always increases.
• Strike rotates on odd runs (1, 3, 5) and at the end of each over.
• Overthrows add to the batter's runs if the ball was hit; any boundary from an overthrow counts plus runs already completed.

• Wide: +1 run to the team, ball re-bowled. Any byes/run-outs that occur are added. Not credited to the bowler's overs as a legal ball.
• No-ball: +1 run penalty to the team (ICC limited-overs uses 1; some leagues use 2), ball re-bowled, and the next delivery is a free hit (limited-overs).
• Bye: runs taken when the ball passes the batter without touching bat or body; credited as extras, not to the batter.
• Leg-bye: runs taken after the ball hits the batter's body (not bat) while attempting a shot; credited as extras.
• Wides and no-balls do not count toward the 6 legal balls of the over.

• In ODIs and T20s, the delivery following any no-ball is a free hit.
• On a free hit the striker cannot be dismissed except by run out, handled the ball, obstructing the field, or hitting the ball twice.
• The field may not be changed for a free hit unless the striker changed (and only to mirror).
• Front-foot no-balls in international cricket are checked by the third umpire.

1. Bowled — ball hits the stumps and dislodges a bail.
2. Caught — fielder catches the ball off the bat before it touches the ground.
3. Leg Before Wicket (LBW) — ball would have hit the stumps but struck the pad first (subject to conditions).
4. Run out — wicket broken while a batter is out of the crease attempting a run.
5. Stumped — keeper breaks the wicket when the striker is out of the crease and not attempting a run.
6. Hit wicket — striker dislodges the bails with bat or body while playing/setting off.
7. Handled the ball — now merged into Obstructing the field.
8. Obstructing the field — deliberately obstructs or distracts the fielding side.
9. Hit the ball twice — strikes the ball twice deliberately (except to guard the wicket).
10. Timed out — new batter not ready to face within the allowed time (3 minutes in ICC conditions).

"Retired out" also returns a batter; "retired hurt/not out" does not count as a dismissal.

• ODI: a bowler may bowl a maximum of 10 overs (1/5 of the innings).
• T20: a bowler may bowl a maximum of 4 overs.
• No bowler may bowl two consecutive overs.
• Over-rate penalties apply if the fielding side is behind the required rate (e.g. a fielder inside the circle in T20).

• T20 powerplay: overs 1–6, maximum 2 fielders outside the 30-yard circle; after that, maximum 5 outside.
• ODI powerplays: overs 1–10 max 2 outside; overs 11–40 max 4 outside; overs 41–50 max 5 outside.
• At least 2 fielders must be in catching/close positions during the early ODI powerplay where specified.
• No more than 2 fielders behind square on the leg side at any time.

• The side scoring more runs wins. Batting first: win "by N runs". Batting second: win "by N wickets".
• A tie is when both sides finish on exactly equal scores with the second side all out / overs complete.
• Limited-overs knockouts use a Super Over (one over each) to break a tie; repeated until decided.
• Tests can end in a draw (time runs out) or a tie (extremely rare, scores level with last side all out).

• DLS resets the target when overs are lost, based on resources remaining (overs left × wickets in hand).
• The chasing side's par score at any point determines who is ahead if play is abandoned.
• A minimum number of overs must be bowled to the second side to constitute a result (20 in ODI, 5 in T20).
• Scorers should track the DLS par/target table provided by match officials each interruption.

NRR ranks teams level on points in a league:

NRR = (runs scored / overs faced)
      - (runs conceded / overs bowled)

• A side bowled out uses the full quota of overs in the denominator, not the overs actually faced.
• Higher NRR is better. It is computed across all completed matches in the stage.

• Two on-field umpires, a third (TV) umpire and a match referee officiate internationals.
• DRS (Decision Review System): ball-tracking, UltraEdge/Snicko and ball-tracking confirm/overturn decisions.
• Each side gets a set number of unsuccessful reviews per innings (commonly 2 in T20/ODI, more in Tests); "umpire's call" retains the review.
• Free hits, front-foot no-balls and boundary catches are checked by the third umpire.