Under 9 Age Group- 08/09

1. Under 9 Age Group- 08/09 Rules, Playing Conditions and Scoring

2. SEJCA Rules • The Rules of Cricket published by the MCC provide the basic rules by which the game is played ……e.g. the methods of dismissal, the umpires’ signals, the dimensions of wickets, bat and ball are described • The SEJCA rules are essentially a set of local rules which can over-ride the Rules of Cricket in areas such as dismissals (limiting these in various age groups) or supplement them (such as setting out times of play and restrictions on the number of overs that may be bowled or runs made by one player).

3. Development Through Junior Cricket Age-Groups • U8 .… modified with soft ball, batters in pairs, non-competitive • U9 …. modified with soft ball, batters in pairs, competitive • U10 …. 142g hard ball, 25 overs per side, 20 runs per batter • U11…. 36 overs per side, 25 runs per batter, • U12 …. 40 runs per batter, 6 overs per bowler, one 2-day match • U13 ….50 runs per batter, 156g hard ball, 50 runs per batter, 8 overs per bowler, one 2-day match • U14….. No compulsory retirement, two 2-day matches • U16 …. Turf wickets where possible, three 2-day matches

4. Age Group Eligibility • SEJCA considers that the clubs which register teams in the various age group competitions have primary responsibility for ensuring that players are eligible to play in the age group in which they have been registered • However, SEJCA will take action when it believes that over-age player(s) have been registered in an age group • Players are allowed to play in an older age group than the youngest for which they are eligible • The cut-off time for determining age is midnight 31st August • Check the eligibility of your players

5. Safety on the Field • Pads, gloves, helmet and protector may be worn but are not mandatory for batsmen in Under 9 cricket • However, they are mandatory in Under 10s, and one of the aims of Under 9 coaches should be to develop their players so they can adapt to playing with a hard ball next season • Only the wicket-keeper and one slip are permitted to field within 10m of the batsman in U9s ……. The umpire should use discretion about the ability of a player to field at slip

6. Safety on the Field • In the event of rain the umpires control the situation …….play should cease if the pitch is slippery or the light is poor to minimise the risk of injury. • In the event of the umpires being unable to agree on action, the status quo should remain…… if the players are on the field, then they remain on…….if the players are off the field they remain off • In the event of lightning the 30/30 rule applies….. If thunder is heard less than 30 seconds after lightning is seen, the players and umpires should leave the ground and remain off until 30 minutes after the last lightning flash

7. Under 9 Match Format • Teams of ten players, five batting pairs • Eight players needed to constitute a team • Each batting pair faces four overs, so 20 overs total • Change the bowling end for each new batting pair • No batter bats twice, so if the team is a player short, only four pairs can bat • At least 8 bowlers must be used and no player can bowl more than two overs until 8 players have bowled • Pitch length 18 metres • Match time not to exceed 2 hours • 35m boundaries • No 6s scored

8. Under 9 Match Format • Often the change of ends by the bowling team gets ignored …… sometimes the players find the “into the wind” end more than they can handle • Remember, if your team makes the finals they are going to have to organise themselves on the field and they will have to bowl from both ends • So, develop them during the year so that they can cope on the field in U9 finals and next season in U10s • SEJCA recommends that bowling and batting orders be rotated so that each player gets a reasonable share of the play

9. General Playing Rules- No-Balls • A ball pitching off the surface of the pitch is a no-ball • A ball which stops before it reaches the batsman is a no-ball……. signal dead ball and then no-ball…….. the batsman is not allowed to attempt to hit a stationary ball • A ball which bounces more than twice before it reaches the batsman is a no-ball • A ball which begins to roll along the ground before it reaches the batsman is a no-ball

10. General Playing Rules- No-Balls • A slow/spin ball which in the opinion of either umpire would pass the batsman above shoulder height when in an upright stance is a no-ball • Any medium paced or fast full toss which in the opinion of either umpire would pass the batsman over waist height when in an upright stance is a no-ball • Any medium-paced or fast short-pitched ball which in the opinion of either umpire would have passed the batsman above shoulder height when in an upright stance is a no-ball • No additional balls are bowled for a no-ball in Under 9s

11. General Playing Rules- No-Balls • Normal rules apply for no-balls due to over-stepping at the bowler’s end • If runs are scored from a wide or a no-ball, these runs are scored as no-balls or wides, without the addition of any penalty…… If the ball crosses the boundary, then 4 wides or no-balls are scored

12. General Playing Rules- Wides • The normal rule in The Rules of Cricket applies to wides • i.e. a wide is a delivery which a batsman cannot hit from his normal stance • Law 25 of The Rules of Cricket: "The ball will be considered as passing wide of the striker unless it is sufficiently within his reach for him to be able to hit it with his bat by means of a normal cricket stroke". • The One Day International rule for wides down the leg-side does not apply to any of the age groups in the SEJCA • No additional balls are bowled for wides (or no-balls) in Under 9s

13. Scoring in Under 9s • In general scoring is similar to Under 8s • A change to the way in which dismissals are accounted for in U8 and U9 matches has been made for the 08/09 season • Last year…… 3 runs subtracted from the batting teams score, down to a minimum of zero, for each dismissal • This year…… 3 penalty runs added to the bowling team’s score for each dismissal • A table has been added to the scoresheet to record catches ….. There is an award for the most catches taken in the Under 9 competition

14. Scoring- Why the Change? • Prior to implementation of ResultsVault batters could make negative scores and the match remained “live” even after the team batting second had past the score of the team batting first • Last season, the change was made to eliminate the possibility of negative scores by batters, which RV cannot handle….this killed matches when the team batting second passed the team batting first • This season, SEJCA has decided to add the 3 runs to the bowling teams score, so that the match remains live to the end of its second innings

15. Coaching on the Field • Usually the coaches of the two teams are the umpires, although SEJCA has a limited number of umpires who may be allocated to U9 games • Coaching on the field by the umpires is allowed provided that play is not seriously disrupted • Aim to develop the team’s ability to manage themselves on the field ……. In U9 finals, coaching is limited to setting fields on change of batsmen

16. Dismissals • In Under 9s the batsman can be out three ways: • Bowled • Caught • Run Out • There is no lbw, stumped or hit wicket in Under 9s • Batsmen cannot be out in those obscure ways such as “obstructing the field”.

17. PossibleResults in U9 Games • Each side can bat once only • Possible results are: • Win on first innings • Loss on first innings • Tie on first innings • Draw….. if match interrupted by weather or washed out • Bye • In SEJCA one day cricket, no side bats a second time, so no outright wins • Outright wins are possible in two day matches

18. The End