🏛️Official — ICC
Loading OpenSourceSports…
Do Not Claim a Bump Ball as a Catch
If a fielder takes a catch after the ball has bounced off the ground ('bump ball'), they must not claim it as a fair catch. The expectation is that the fielder immediately signals to the umpire that the ball grounded, even before an appeal. Claiming a catch you know to be false is considered one of cricket's most serious integrity breaches.
Withdraw a Knowingly Dishonest Appeal
If a fielder appeals for a dismissal knowing it is not out — pressing a bump-ball catch appeal, an LBW where the ball clearly hit the bat first, or similar — the fielder or fielding captain is expected to actively signal to the umpire that the appeal should be withdrawn. Pursuing a dishonest appeal for competitive gain is a clear Spirit of Cricket violation.
Sledging Has Limits: No Personal or Discriminatory Abuse
Verbal gamesmanship ('sledging') is a tolerated part of cricket's competitive culture — psychological pressure and competitive banter are broadly accepted. The unwritten line is crossed when language targets a player's race, religion, ethnicity, family, or becomes degrading on a personal level. That line is enforced primarily by player culture rather than formal rules.
Walking: Self-Dismiss When You Know You Are Out
A batsman who knows they have edged a catch to the keeper or slips is expected by tradition to 'walk' — to depart before the umpire raises their finger. Once considered the defining mark of cricket honour, this practice is now extremely rare at the professional T20 level, where players almost universally await the umpire's decision or invoke DRS.
No Mankad Without Prior Warning
Running out the non-striker who backs up too far before ball delivery — the 'Mankad' dismissal — was long held to require a prior verbal warning to the batsman as a matter of sportsmanship. The ICC removed the warning requirement in 2022 and reclassified it as a standard run-out, but many players and commentators still view using it unannounced as contrary to cricket's code.
Do Not Show Excessive Dissent to Umpires
Cricket has a foundational tradition of accepting umpires' decisions without visible argument. Gesturing, audibly disputing, prolonged staring, or aggressively reacting to an umpiring decision is considered a serious breach of conduct. DRS provides the legitimate channel to challenge decisions; anything beyond invoking DRS is culturally impermissible.
Do Not Celebrate Aggressively in a Dismissed Batsman's Face
When a wicket falls, bowlers and fielders may celebrate among themselves but are not to direct aggressive gestures, verbal taunts, or prolonged physical proximity at the departing batsman. Running down the pitch at the batter or staring them down as they leave draws both official ICC sanction and strong cultural criticism.
Batter dismissed by: bowled, caught, LBW, run out, stumped, hit wicket, obstructing field, timed out, retired; Free hit ball: batter cannot be dismissed except run out
Why people argue about this
People often think that batting only once means they can't score more than 20 runs per side in a game, but actually, each team bats twice over two innings of 5 overs each, ensuring they get to bat twice and potentially score much higher. The confusion arises because the rule limits how many times you bat, not how many runs are scored.
Max 4 overs per bowler; No-ball: bowler oversteps front popping crease → free hit (next ball cannot dismiss batter except run-out); Wide ball: outside off-stump (per umpire judgment) → extra run + re-bowled
Why people argue about this
People often assume that a bowler can only bowl 4 overs in every single innings, which leads to misunderstandings when they realize it's per match rather than per innings. The confusion arises because the official limit applies across all matches within a tournament, not just one game.
Power-play (overs 1-6): only 2 fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle; After power-play (overs 7-20): maximum 5 fielders outside the 30-yard circle; At most 4 fielders on leg side at any time
Why people argue about this
People often assume that the 2-fielder restriction only applies during power-play overs, thinking it's a temporary measure for team strategy but actually, it’s a permanent rule designed to balance scoring opportunities between teams in T20 matches. They overlook how this impacts their batting strategies and field placements crucially.
Two innings — each side bats once for 20 overs (or until all-out); Each over = 6 legal deliveries; each bowler max 4 overs per innings; Match target ~75-90 minutes per innings; total ~3-3.5 hours
Why people argue about this
People often assume that in T20 cricket, teams switch between batting and fielding like in longer formats, thinking they get two innings each. But actually, each team bats only once for 20 overs, mirroring one full innings of other cricket formats but condensed into a shorter match format.
Ball: white leather ball (4-piece construction) at international level; weight 5.5-5.75 oz (155.9-163 g); Bat: max 38" length × 4.25" width; willow blade; max thickness 67 mm edge, 60 mm depth; Pads: batting pads, thigh pads, arm guards, helmet with grille, abdominal guard, gloves
Why people argue about this
People often assume that bats can be as long as they want, forgetting about the strict 38-inch maximum length rule for safety reasons. The misconception is compounded by players or coaches who might not fully grasp how this regulation impacts gameplay and strategy.
Field: oval; boundary diameter typically 130-170 yards (120-155 m); Pitch: central 22 yards (20.12 m) strip of compacted earth/grass; Crease markings: bowling crease, popping crease (4 ft from stumps), return creases
Why people argue about this
People often assume that the oval shape of the playing area in T20 cricket means it's perfectly symmetrical, leading them to argue about which side is "right." Actually, the official verdict clarifies that while the boundary diameter spans 130-170 yards, the exact dimensions are not fixed and can vary slightly based on ground conditions, so no single side can claim a definitive edge.
11 players per side; Captain, wicket-keeper, batters, bowlers, all-rounders, fielders; Officials: 2 on-field umpires, 1 TV (third) umpire, 1 reserve umpire, 1 match referee
Why people argue about this
People often assume that the 2 reviews per innings via DRS system are exclusively for fielding decisions, when in reality they can be used for almost any on-field decision, including batting strikes, LBW dismissals, and even run-outs - leading to misunderstandings about their usage frequency and impact.
Two innings — each side bats once for 20 overs (or until all-out); Each over = 6 legal deliveries; each bowler max 4 overs per innings; Match target ~75-90 minutes per innings; total ~3-3.5 hours
Why people argue about this
People often assume that each team only gets to bat twice due to the 20-over limit per side, but in reality, it's about how many times they get a turn at batting within the match structure of two innings. The confusion arises because the 20 overs are split across both sides' turns, not as individual batting sessions for each team.
Runs scored by: running between wickets (1, 2, 3 runs per ball typical) or boundaries (4 along the ground, 6 over the boundary on the fly); Extras: byes, leg-byes, wides, no-balls, penalty runs; Team total: sum of runs across innings (vs. wickets lost)
Why people argue about this
People often assume that extras like byes and leg-byes are awarded only when a batsman is out, forgetting that they can occur at any time during play, even if no runs have been scored yet. The confusion arises because extras aren't tied to the outcome of a player's dismissal; they're part of the scoring system itself.
Slow over-rate: fielding side penalized 5 runs to opponent per missed over; captain banned if persistent; Ball tampering: 5-run penalty to opponent + match-suspension fine for offender; Dissent / unsportsmanlike: match referee may issue suspension or match-fee deduction
Why people argue about this
People often assume that missing overs is just about losing runs for their team, so they argue why a captain shouldn't be penalized at all – but actually, the confusion arises because the fielding side gets penalized 5 runs per missed over to discourage captains from skipping overs entirely, which could give them an unfair advantage.
Following the death of Phillip Hughes (2014), helmet standards for batters facing fast bowling were upgraded to British Standard BS7928:2013 — neck-protector ("Stem Guard") strongly recommended. IC...
Why people argue about this
People often assume that only batters are required to wear a Stem Guard helmet due to Hughes' death ruling, but in reality, it's about safety for all players facing fast bowling, whether they're batting or fielding, as per the updated British Standard BS7928:2013.