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THE UMPIRES
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1.
Appointment and attendance
2.
Change of umpire
3.
Agreement with captains
4.
To inform captains and scorers
5.
The wickets, creases and boundaries
6.
Conduct of the game, implements and equipment
7.
Fair and unfair play
8.
Fitness of ground, weather and light
9.
Suspension of play for adverse conditions of ground, weather or
light
10.
Exceptional circumstances
11.
Position of umpires
12.
Umpires changing ends
13.
Consultation between umpires
14.
Signals
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1.
Appointment and attendance
Before the match, two
umpires shall be appointed, one for each end, to control the
game as required by
the Laws, with absolute impartiality. The umpires shall be
present on the ground
and report to the Executive of the ground at least 45
minutes before the
scheduled start of each day’s play.
2.
Change of umpire
An umpire shall not
be changed during the match, other than in exceptional
circumstances, unless
he is injured or ill. If there has to be a change of umpire,
the replacement shall
act only as the striker’s end umpire unless the captains
agree
that he should take
full responsibility as an umpire.
3.
Agreement with captains
Before the toss the
umpires shall
(a) ascertain the hours
of play and agree with the captains
(i) the balls to be
used during the match. See Law 5 (The ball).
(ii) times and durations
of intervals for meals and times for drinks
intervals. See Law
15 (Intervals).
(iii) the boundary
of the field of play and allowances for boundaries. See
Law 19 (Boundaries).
(iv) any special conditions
of play affecting the conduct of the match.
(b) inform the scorers
of the agreements in (ii), (iii) and (iv) above.
4.
To inform captains and scorers
Before the toss the
umpires shall agree between themselves and inform both
captains and both scorers
(i) which clock or
watch and back-up time piece is to be used during the
match.
(ii) whether or not
any obstacle within the field of play is to be regarded as a
boundary. See Law 19
(Boundaries).
5.
The wickets, creases and boundaries
Before the toss and
during the match, the umpires shall satisfy themselves that
(i) the wickets are
properly pitched. See Law 8 (The wickets).
(ii) the creases are
correctly marked. See Law 9 (The bowling, popping
and return creases).
(iii) the boundary
of the field of play complies with the requirements of
Law 19.2 (Defining
the boundary – boundary marking).
6.
Conduct of the game, implements and equipment
Before the toss and
during the match, the umpires shall satisfy themselves that
(a) the conduct of
the game is strictly in accordance with the Laws.
(b) the implements
of the game conform to the requirements of Laws 5 (The ball)
and 6 (The bat), together
with either Laws 8.2 (Size of stumps) and 8.3 (The bails)
or, if appropriate,
Law 8.4 (Junior cricket).
(c) (i) no player uses
equipment other than that permitted. See Appendix D.
(ii) the wicket-keeper’s
gloves comply with the requirements of Law 40.2
(Gloves).
7.
Fair and unfair play
The umpires shall be
the sole judges of fair and unfair play.
8.
Fitness of ground, weather and light
The umpires shall be
the final judges of the fitness of the ground, weather and
light for play. See
9 below and Law 7.2 (Fitness of the pitch for play).
9.
Suspension of play for adverse conditions of ground, weather or
light
(a) (i) All references
to ground include the pitch. See Law 7.1 (Area of
pitch).
(ii) For the purpose
of this Law and Law 15.9(b)(ii) (Intervals for drinks)
only, the batsmen
at the wicket may deputise for their captain at any
appropriate time.
(b) If at any time
the umpires together agree that the condition of the ground,
weather or light is
not suitable for play, they shall inform the captains and, unless
(i) in unsuitable
ground or weather conditions both captains agree to
continue, or to commence,
or to restart play,
or (ii) in unsuitable
light the batting side wish to continue, or to commence,
or to restart play,
they shall suspend play, or not allow play to commence or to restart.
(c) (i) After agreeing
to play in unsuitable ground or weather conditions,
either captain may
appeal against the conditions to the umpires before
the next call of Time.
The umpires shall uphold the appeal only if, in
their opinion, the
factors taken into account when making their
previous decision
are the same or the conditions have further deteriorated.
(ii) After deciding
to play in unsuitable light, the captain of the batting side
may appeal against
the light to the umpires before the next call of
Time. The umpires
shall uphold the appeal only if, in their opinion,
the factors taken
into account when making their previous decision are
the same or the condition
of the light has further deteriorated.
(d) If at any time
the umpires together agree that the conditions of ground,
weather or light are
so bad that there is obvious and foreseeable risk to the safety
of any player or umpire,
so that it would be unreasonable or dangerous for play to
take place, then notwithstanding
the provisions of (b)(i) and (b)(ii) above, they
shall immediately suspend
play, or not allow play to commence or to restart. The
decision as to whether
conditions are so bad as to warrant such action is one for
the umpires alone to
make.
The fact that the grass
and the ball are wet and slippery does not warrant the
ground conditions being
regarded as unreasonable or dangerous. If the umpires
consider the ground
is so wet or slippery as to deprive the bowler of a reasonable
foothold, the fielders
of the power of free movement, or the batsmen of the ability
to play their strokes
or to run between the wickets, then these conditions shall be
regarded as so bad
that it would be unreasonable for play to take place.
(e) When there is a
suspension of play it is the responsibility of the umpires to
monitor the conditions.
They shall make inspections as often as appropriate,
unaccompanied by any
of the players or officials. Immediately the umpires
together agree that
conditions are suitable for play they shall call upon the players
to resume the game.
(f) If play is in progress
up to the start of an agreed interval then it will resume
after the interval
unless the umpires together agree that conditions are or have
become unsuitable or
dangerous. If they do so agree, then they shall implement
the procedure in (b)
or (d) above, as appropriate, whether or not there had been
any decision by the
captains to continue, or any appeal against the conditions by
either captain, prior
to the commencement of the interval.
10.
Exceptional circumstances
The umpires shall have
the discretion to implement the procedures of 9 above for
reasons other than
ground, weather or light if they consider that exceptional
circumstances warrant
it.
11.
Position of umpires
The umpires shall stand
where they can best see any act upon which their decision
may be required.
Subject to this over-riding
consideration the umpire at the bowler’s end shall stand
where he does not interfere
with either the bowler’s run up or the striker’s view.
The umpire at the striker’s
end may elect to stand on the off side instead of the on
side of the pitch,
provided he informs the captain of the fielding side, the striker
and the other umpire
of his intention to do so.
12.
Umpires changing ends
The umpires shall change
ends after each side has had one completed innings.
See Law 14.2 (Forfeiture
of an innings).
13.
Consultation between umpires
All disputes shall
be determined by the umpires. The umpires shall consult with
each other whenever
necessary. See also Law 27.6 (Consultation by umpires).
14.
Signals
(a) The following code
of signals shall be used by umpires.
(i) Signals made while
the ball is in play
Dead ball - by crossing
and re-crossing the wrists
below the waist.
No ball - by extending
one arm horizontally.
Out - by raising an
index finger above the
head. (If not out
the umpire shall call
Not out.)
Wide - by extending
both arms horizontally.
(ii) When the ball
is dead, the signals above, with the exception of the
signal for Out, shall
be repeated to the scorers. The signals listed
below shall be made
to the scorers only when the ball is dead.
Boundary 4 - by waving
an arm from side to side
finishing with the
arm across the chest.
Boundary 6 - by raising
both arms above the head.
Bye - by raising an
open hand above the
head.
Commencement of last
hour - by pointing to a raised wrist with the
other hand.
Five penalty runs
awarded - by repeated tapping of one shoulder
to the batting side
with the opposite hand.
Five penalty runs
awarded - by placing one hand on the opposite
to the fielding side
shoulder.
Leg bye - by touching
a raised knee with the
hand.
New ball - by holding
the ball above the head.
Revoke last signal
- by touching both shoulders, each with
the opposite hand.
Short run - by bending
one arm upwards and
touching the nearer
shoulder with the
tips of the fingers.
(b) The umpires shall
wait until each signal to the scorers has been separately
acknowledged by a scorer
before allowing play to proceed.
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