Rules are to be glued into the back of the score book. Unless stated otherwise, matches will be played under the rules adopted by the NSW Cricket Association.

1. AGE: Players must be under 9 years old on 1st September.

2. ATTIRE: Whites are to be worn and all players are to wear hats and sunscreen.

3. PLAYERS: Teams shall comprise 10 players per side. If a team has more or less than 10 players the coaches should agree on a formula that still gives everyone a bat. Where a player has to double up or receive more than 5 overs the players must rotate in the same order. Minimum team membership is 6 players to bat or field as required.

4. SUPERVISION: Teams must be supervised by a person over the age of 16 who will umpire/score as required. Coaching is allowed only during breaks of play (end of over, fall of wicket, etc.)

5. EQUIPMENT: Boundary markers. Batters and wicket-keeper shall wear pads, abdominal protectors are also strongly recommended for male players. A moderated ball shall be used.

6. PLAYING TIMES: Teams are to be ready to bowl the first ball at 9.00am after tossing at 8.50am. Matches should conclude at noon although a game may extend to no later than 12.10pm to complete an innings or make up for time lost. There is a five minute interval between innings. Changes to playing times or dates for the convenience of either side must be agreed between the managers of both teams and notified to the Secretary three days before the start of the game.

7. INTERRUPTION OF PLAY: In the event of loss of playing time for any reason (late start, weather, state of the ground etc.) the match should be reduced in overs by one over per three minutes of lost play, e.g. a six minute loss of playing time would reduce the game to 24 overs per side. If both teams, however, do not receive 13 overs each the match shall be drawn.

In a rain-interrupted match the team batting first may have received its 25 overs but the team batting second may face less than 25 overs. In this case, provided the second team has faced 13 or more overs, the winner will be the team with the highest score at the corresponding over. If the team batting second faces less than 13 overs the match is drawn.

8. FIELD AND PITCH: The pitch shall be 18.3 metres in length from stump to stump. It is recommended that the one end be used for batting throughout the game. Boundaries should be marked out before the start of play and be a minimum of 30 metres from the wicket.

9. THE GAME: Each team will face 25 overs with each batter receiving fifteen deliveries (batters retire immediately after their fifteenth delivery, even if this is in mid-over). Batters change ends (1) when a wicket falls, (2) when a batter retires and (3) at the end of each over.

A player who completes his/her allotted overs without losing her/his wicket shall score a bonus equivalent of 5 runs.

The team's score is determined by dividing the number of runs scored by the number of wickets lost plus one. The higher average score wins the match.

10. MANKADS: A Mankad dismissal (i.e. a batsman run out at the bowler's end by the bowler before he has bowled the ball) shall not be legitimate unless the offending batsman has been given one prior warning.

11. RESTRICTIONS: Every player must bowl a minimum of 2 overs with a maximum of 3 overs. Bowlers may bowl underarm but are not to throw the ball.

No fielder is to be within 10 metres of the striker until a shot has been played. (This does not apply to the wicket-keeper or to slips.) Fielders may move into this area once a shot has been played.

12. WIDES AND NO BALLS: Wides and No Balls that are not hit score ONE RUN to the batsman on strike and NO additional ball is to be bowled. If the batsman scores any runs from a No Ball these runs plus 1 are credited to the batter e.g. if the batsman hits a No Ball for 4 runs, the batsman receives 5, – all against the bowler. If the batters run on a wide, additional runs will be added to the batsman’s score, e.g. if the batters complete 1 run, 2 runs are credited to the batter, if the ball goes for 4, then 5 runs are added to the score of the batter that was facing.

The Umpire shall call WIDE if the ball:

1. Pitches on the edge or off the pitch and passes out of reach of the batsman

2. Pitches on the pitch and passes out of reach of the batsman

If a player makes the decision to move away from his normal guard position and actually hits a ball which is (or could be) called 'wide' by the umpire, the 'wide' is nullified and the player can then be out stumped, bowled, caught, run out etc.

The Umpire shall call NO BALL if the ball:

1. Pitches and passes over the height of the batsman's shoulder.

2. Is fast and passes the batsman over waist high on the full

3. Is delivered by the bowler in contravention of the front foot rule

4. Bounces wide of the pitch and then bounces back within the batsman's reach.

13. BYES and LEG BYES. The number of byes run is credited to the batsman on strike

14. LBW: There will be no LBW except in blatant infringements. In such cases a warning shall be given prior to invoking the LBW rule.15. SCORING: Scorers for both teams should sit together and agree on the scores at the end of each over. In the event of a disagreement they should clarify with the umpire before the next over commences. If the result of the match hinges on the scoresheets that do not correspond the matter should be resolved before leaving the ground after the match. Failing this the decision of the Association points-score secretary will be final. The result of the game is to be written on the score sheet for the game and signed by both team managers.

16. CHANGES TO FIXTURES: Any variation to fixture times or grounds (e.g. completing a game during the week) must be agreed between both team managers and the Association secretary before the start of the match, and take into account the availability of the ground.

17. RESULTS: The result sheet, signed by both managers, is to be completed by both teams and left in the Junior Cricket Box at the Armidale Bowling Club, Dumaresq Street, by 6pm on the Sunday following the match.

The Under 9’s is a development competition so there will be no points table or finals played. The results may be published in the press.

ADJCA Rules committee: Murray Scholz, Rick Porter, John Croft, Tim Wittig