Version control: Original 1990 / Updated 1999 / Updated 2003 / Updated 2010 / Updated 2015/ Updated February 2023/
Updated March 2023
Introduction
You must refer to the Requirements for All Sport and Physical Activity (PDF 466KB) to understand your overall compliance responsibilities.
Where considered appropriate, for example inclusion in a school sport program, parents or caregivers must be informed of full details of the location, supervision to be provided and activities to be undertaken when seeking their written permission.
Students are to be instructed to use adequate sun protection, e.g. an SPF50+, broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen reapplied regularly, long sleeved shirts and a broad brimmed hat.
Teacher/Instructor Qualifications and Experience
The teacher/instructor must have appropriate expertise, qualifications and/or training in teaching/coaching of cricket.
Cricket Australia offers the following appropriate accreditation courses:
A teacher must be present who has recognised current training in emergency care.
Specific sport support for cricket is provided in the Teacher resource hub.
Supervision
If an adult other than a teacher is engaged for instruction, a teacher must be present to take overall responsibility.
A teacher must be present who has recognised current training in emergency care.
Equipment
All equipment must be in good condition and match the size, strength and ability of the students.
During a match or at practice where a hard ball is being used, players must not be allowed to:
- Bat
- Field within 10 metres of the bat, or
- Wicket-keep up to the stumps
without wearing a cricket helmet with a face guard that complies to Standards Australia specifications
To encourage compliance, schools should make available:
- At least two helmets per team which are of a size appropriate to the members of the team
- Sufficient helmets to accommodate structured lesson and practice sessions.
If using leather or composition cricket balls the:
- Wicketkeeper must wear a pair of pads, a pair of wicketkeeping gloves and a genital protector and a helmet when keeping up to the stumps
- Batters must wear a helmet, well fitted pads and batting gloves. Batters must wear a genital protector
- Boys and girls 12 years and under should use a 142 gram leather/composition cricket ball (a 156 gram ball can be used for male representative matches)
- Boys 13 years and over use a 156 gram leather/composition cricket ball and girls 13 years and over use a 142 gram leather/composition cricket ball
Rubber-soled cricket boots or sports shoes must be worn for hard wickets. Spiked cricket boots may be worn where turf wickets are used.
Shin guards, helmet and a genital protector must be worn by players classified as close-to-the-bat fielders (i.e. fielders closer than 10 metres from the batter).
Sunglasses conforming to the Australian Standard AS1067, with plastic frames and perspex lenses may be worn to protect eyes from UV radiation.
A well-equipped medical kit must be readily available.
Venues
The ground surface must be free of obstructions, loose objects and holes should be filled prior to commencement.
Overlapping boundaries must be avoided. At enclosed grounds boundaries should be marked by cones 2 metres inside the fence line. This will reduce or avoid injuries to players who slide to stop the ball reaching the boundary.
The wicket area must be inspected prior to the game to ensure that they are of a suitable standard for play.
Umpires, coaches and teachers should exercise a conservative approach to continuing play in adverse weather conditions. Where weather and/or field conditions are considered to have reached a point where they pose a danger to participants, play must be stopped immediately.
Synthetic coverings and mats used on concrete wickets must be in good condition with no holes, tears or separating seams.
Safety
Competition games and structured practice sessions should be modified, where appropriate, to suit the ability level and age of the participants.
Inexperienced players should be made aware of rules and safety aspects prior to and during any form of cricket.
With the exception of the wicketkeeper and slips fielders, any player up to and under the age of 12 must not be positioned within 10 metres of the batter's stumps.
No player may enter this restricted zone until after the ball:
- Is hit by the batter, or
- Strikes the body or equipment of the batter, or
- Passes through to the wicketkeeper.
If they do, the umpire at either end should signal and call 'dead ball'. If a player enters the restricted zone before the bowler releases the ball, the umpire should signal and call 'no ball'. The restricted zone should be marked by lines or suitably placed discs or markers.
Teachers should discourage students from bowling fast short pitched balls and fast high full tosses. The following rule is to be implemented:
“Any ball that passes above the waist of a batter in his or her normal batting stance should be called a NO BALL by either umpire."
Students are to be instructed to consume water prior to and during the session to prevent dehydration. When the player is batting or bowling in hot conditions, fluid intake may need to be more frequent.
Teachers should take special care with fast bowlers as overuse back injuries are the most common sporting injuries amongst young participants.
The following bowling restrictions issued by the Cricket Australia should be observed by schools:
Under 10 years
Match - Two overs maximum each spell, four overs maximum for a day, maximum eight balls in any one over including wides / no balls
Practice - 1 practice session per week with a limit of 24 balls per session
Under 11 years
Match - Three overs maximum each spell, six overs maximum for a day, maximum eight balls in any one over including wides / no balls
Practice - 1 practice session per week with a limit of 24 balls per session
Under 12 years
Match - Four overs maximum each spell, eight overs maximum for a day, maximum eight balls in any one over including wides / no balls
Practice - 2 practice session per week with a limit of 24 balls per session
Under 13 years
Match - Four overs maximum each spell, eight overs maximum for a day
Practice - 2 practice session per week with a limit of 30 balls per session
Under 14 years
Match - Five overs maximum each spell, ten overs maximum for a day
Practice - 2 practice session per week with a limit of 30 balls per session
Under 15 years
Match - Five overs maximum each spell, twelve overs maximum for a day
Practice - 2 practice session per week with a limit of 30 balls per session
Under 16 years
Match - Six overs maximum each spell, fourteen overs maximum for a day
Practice - 2 practice session per week with a limit of 36 balls per session
Under 17 years
Match - Six overs maximum each spell, sixteen overs maximum for a day
Practice - 2 practice session per week with a limit of 36 balls per session
Under 18 years
Match - Seven overs maximum each spell, eighteen overs maximum for a day
Practice - 3 practice session per week with a limit of 42 balls per session
Under 19 years
Match - Eight overs maximum each spell, twenty overs maximum for a day
Practice - 3 practice session per week with a limit of 48 balls per session
Note:
- Maximum overs in a day include all overs on that day, irrespective of the game circumstance, or for players playing more than one match on a given day.
- The minimum rest period between spells for medium and fast bowlers will be at least the same number of overs bowled from the end as the bowler's last spell.
Practice nets
- Should be in good condition with any holes repaired. Where a centre dividing net does not extend to the stumps at the bowler's end, bowlers must be instructed to take extra care.
- Should have a designated area for new batters to pad up
- Students must be instructed to watch and be wary of balls hit in the net area. Safe procedures for fielding balls in the net area must be issued to students.
- No student is to be in the nets as a wicketkeeper while batting is taking place
- The net must be clear of bowlers and fielders before the next ball is bowled to the batter.
For inexperienced cricketers, coaches should consider the use of modified balls. Smaller, lightweight, more manageable and less dangerous cricket balls are now available e.g. the yellow safety ball (Kanga Cricket) or red safety ball (modified solid core ball).
Should an injury occur involving bleeding these procedures should be followed
- All clothing, equipment and surfaces contaminated by blood must be viewed as potentially infectious and treated accordingly
- Participants who are bleeding must have the wound dressed and securely covered
- Any blood covered body area (and surface area where appropriate), must be cleaned thoroughly and any blood covered clothing and equipment cleaned or removed prior to the participant recommencing the activity.
Where possible, ice should be available for the treatment of injuries.