CRICKET

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven

players on a cricket field, at the center of which is a rectangular 22-yard-long
pitch with a wicket (a set of three wooden stumps) at each end. One team bats,
attempting to score as many runs as possible, whilst their opponents field. Each
phase of play is called an innings. After either ten batsmen have been dismissed
or a fixed number of overs have been completed, the innings ends and the two
teams then swap roles. The winning team is the one that scores the most runs,
including any extras gained, during their innings.

CLOTHING AND PROTECTIVE WEAR

1. Collared shirt with short or long sleeves depending on the climate or
personal preference.
2. Long trousers (often white, but stained red in parts from polishing the ball)
3. Jumper (a woollen pullover, if necessary). This is usually a vest.
4. Jockstrap with cup pocket into which a "box", or protective cup, is inserted
and held in place.
5. Abdominal guard or "box" or an L Guard for male batsmen and wicket-
keepers (often referred to as a cup, box or abdo guard). It is usually
constructed from high density plastic with a padded edge, shaped like a
hollow half-pear, and inserted into the jockstrap with cup pocket
underwear of the batsmen and wicket-keeper. This is used to protect the
genitals against impact from the ball.
6. Sun hats, cricket cap or baseball cap
7. Spiked shoes to increase traction
8. Helmet (often with a visor), worn by batsmen and fielders close to the
batsman on strike to protect their heads.
9. Leg pads, worn by the two batsmen and the wicket-keeper, used to
protect the shin bone against impact from the ball. The wicket-keeping
pads are slightly different from the batsmen's. Fielders that are fielding in
close to the batsmen may wear shin guards (internal) as well.
10. Thigh guard, arm guards, chest guard, and elbow guards to protect the
body of the batsmen.
11. Gloves for batsmen only, thickly padded above the fingers and on the
thumb of the hand, to protect against impact from the ball as it is bowled
12. Wicket-keeper's gloves for the wicket-keeper. Usually includes webbing
between the thumb and index fingers.
13. Safety glasses, for wicket-keepers, to prevent damage to the eyes from
dislodged bails impacting between the grill and peak of the helmet
 EQUIPMENT

1. Ball - a red, white or pink ball with a cork base, wrapped in twine covered
with leather. The ball should have a circumference of 9.1 in (23
centimeters) unless it is a children's size.
2. Bat -a wooden bat is used. The wood used is from the Kashmir or English
willow tree. The bat cannot be more than 38 inches (96.5 cm) long and
4.25 inches (10.8 cm) wide. Aluminum bats are not allowed. The bat has a
long handle and one side has a smooth face.
3. Stumps - three upright wooden poles that, together with the bails, form the
wicket.
4. Bails - two crosspieces made of wood, placed on top of the stumps.
5. Sight screen - a screen placed at the boundary known as the sight screen.
This is aligned exactly parallel to the width of the pitch and behind both
pairs of wickets.
6. Boundary -a rope demarcating the perimeter of the field known as the
boundary.
7. Helmet (often with a visor)-worn by batsmen and fielders close to the
batsman on strike to protect their heads.
8. Leg pads-worn by the two batsmen and the wicket-keeper, used to protect
the shin bone against impact from the ball. The wicket-keeping pads are
slightly different from the batsmen's. Fielders that are fielding in close to
the batsmen may wear shin guards (internal) as well.
9. Thigh guard, arm guards, chest guard, and elbow guards-worn to protect
the body of the batsmen.
10. Gloves-for batsmen only, thickly padded above the fingers and on the
thumb of the hand, to protect against impact from the ball as it is bowled
11. Wicket-keeper's gloves-for the wicket-keeper. Usually includes webbing
between the thumb and index fingers.
12. Safety glasses-for wicket-keepers, to prevent damage to the eyes from
dislodged bails impacting between the grill and peak of the helmet.

PLAYER: OFFICIAL CRICKET RULES

Cricket is a game played between two teams made up of eleven
players each. There is also a reserve player called a “twelfth man” who is used
should a player be injured during play.
The twelfth man is not allowed to bowl, bat, wicket keep or captain
the team. His sole duty is to act as a substitute fielder.
The original player is free to return to the game as soon as they have
recovered from their injury.
To apply the law and make sure the cricket rules are upheld
throughout the game there are two umpires in place during games. Umpires are
responsible for making decisions and notifying the scorers of these decisions.
Two umpires are in place on the playing field while there is also a
third umpire off the field who is in charge of video decisions.
 This is where the call is too close for the on field umpires and they
refer it to the third umpire who reviews slow motion video replays to make a
decision.

GAME STRUCTURE
Test cricket is a game that spans over two innings. This means that
one team needs to bowl the other team out twice and score more runs than them
to win the match. Another key difference between test cricket and other forms of
cricket is the length of the innings. In test cricket there is no limit to the innings
length. Whereas in one-day cricket & Twenty20 cricket there are a certain
number of overs per innings. The only limits in test cricket is a 5-day length.
Before the game begins an official will toss a coin. The captain who guesses the
correct side of the coin will then choose if they want to bat or field first. One team
will then bat while the other will bowl & field. The aim of the batting team is to
score runs while the aim of the fielding team is to bowl ten people out and close
the batting teams’ innings. Although there are eleven people in each team only
ten people need to be bowled out as you cannot have one person batting alone.
Batting is done in pairs.
Once the first team has been bowled out the second team would then
go into bat. Once the second team is then bowled out it would normally return to
the first team batting again. However, there is an exception to this in the cricket
rules, it is called the follow-on. The follow-on is when the first team makes at
least 200 runs more than the second team made (in a 5-day test match). This
then gives the first team the option to make the second team bat again. This is
particularly useful if the game is progressing slowly or affected by bad weather
and there might not be enough time for both teams to play a full innings. Should
this be the case the batting team’s captain also has the right to forfeit their
innings at any time. This is called a declaration. Some may wonder why a captain
would forfeit the opportunity for his team to bat. However, if the game is coming
close to a close and it looks like they will not be able to bowl the other team out
again this could be an option. If one team is not bowled out twice and a winner
determined in the five days of play the game is declared a draw. Therefore, it
may be worth declaring an innings to create the possibility of a win rather than a
draw.

WAYS TO SCORE RUNS

The aim of the batsmen is to score runs. One of the main cricket
rules is that for batsmen to score runs they must run to each other’s end of the
pitch (from one end to the other). In doing this one run is scored. Cricket rules
state they may run multiple runs per shot. As well as running they can also score
runs by hitting boundaries. A boundary scores the batsmen either 4 or 6 runs. A
four is scored by hitting the ball past the boundary after hitting the ground while a
six is scored by hitting the ball past the boundary on the full (before it hits the
ground). Cricket rules also state that once a 4 or 6 has been scored any runs
physically ran by the batsman are null & void. They will only obtain the 4 or 6
runs.
Other ways run can be scored according to the cricket rules include
no balls, wide balls, byes & leg byes. Cricket rules state that all runs scored by
these methods are awarded to the batting team but not the individual batters.
A “No Ball” can be declared for many reasons: If the bowler bowls
the ball from the wrong place, the ball is declared dangerous (often happens
when bowled at the batsmen’s body on the full), bounces more than twice or rolls
before reaching the batsman or if fielders are standing in illegal positions. The
batsman can hit a no ball and score runs off it but cannot be out from a no ball
except if they are running out, hit the ball twice, handle the ball or obstruct the
field. The batsman gains any runs scored off the no ball for his shot while the
team also gains one run for the no ball itself.
A “Wide Ball” will be declared if the umpire thinks the batsman did
not have a reasonable opportunity to score off the delivery. However, if the
delivery is bowled over the batsmen’s head it will not be declared a wide but a no
ball. Umpires are much stricter on wide deliveries in the shorter format of the
game while being much more relaxed in test cricket. A wide delivery will add one
run to the batting team and any runs scored by the batsman. The batsman is not
able to get out of a wide delivery except if they are stumped, run out, handle the
ball, hit their wicket or obstruct the field.
A “Bye” is where a ball that isn’t a no ball or wide passes the striking
batsman and runs are scored without the batsman hitting the ball.
A “Leg Bye” is where runs are scored by hitting the batsman, but not
the bat and the ball is not a no ball or wide. However, no runs can be scored if
the striking batsman didn’t attempt to play a shot or if he was avoiding the ball.

WAYS BATSMEN CAN BE GIVEN OUT ACCORDING TO

CRICKET RULES
There are a number of different ways a batsman can be given out in
the game of cricket. When a bowler gets a batsman out it is said that the bowler
gets a “wicket”. Following are the different ways a batsman can be given out
according to the rules of cricket:
Bowled – Cricket rules state that if the ball is bowled and hits the striking
batsman’s wickets the batsman is given out (as long as at least one bail is
removed by the ball). It does not matter whether the ball has touched the
batsman’s bat, gloves, body or any other part of the batsman. However, the ball
is not allowed to have touched another player or umpire before hitting the
wickets.
Caught – Cricket rules state that if a batsman hits the ball or touches the ball at
all with his bat or hand/glove holding the bat then the batsman can be caught out.
This is done by the fielders, wicket keeper or bowler catching the ball on the full
(before it bounces). If this is done, then cricket rules state the batsman is out.
Leg Before Wicket (LBW) – If the ball is bowled and it hits the batsman first
without the bat hitting it then an LBW decision is possible. However, for the
umpire to give this out he must first look at some of the factors stated in the
cricket rules. The first thing the umpire need to decide is would the ball have hit
the wickets if the batsman was not there. If his answer to this is yes and the ball
was not pitched on the leg side of the wicket he can safely give the batsman out.
However, if the ball hits the batsman outside the line of off stump while he was
attempting to play a stroke then he is not out.
Stumped – A batsman can be given out according to cricket rules when the
wicketkeeper puts down his wicket while he is out of his crease and not
attempting a run (if he is attempting a run it would be a runout).
Run Out – Cricket rules state that a batsman is out if no part of his bat or body is
grounded behind the popping crease while the ball is in play and the wicket is
fairly put down by the fielding side.
Hit Wicket – Cricket rules specify that if a batsman hits his wicket down with his
bat or body after the bowler has entered his delivery stride and the ball is in play
then he is out. The striking batsman is also out if he hits his wicket down while
setting off for his first run.
Handled The Ball – Cricket rules allow the batsman to be given out if he willingly
handles the ball with the hand that is not touching the bat without the consent of
the opposition.
Timed Out – An incoming batsman must be ready to face a ball or be at the non-
strikers end with his partner within three minutes of the outgoing batsman being
dismissed. If this is not done the incoming batsman can be given out.
Hit The Ball Twice – Cricket rules state that if a batsman hits a ball twice other
than for the purpose of protecting his wicket or with consent from the opposition
he is out.
Obstructing The Field – A batsman is out if he willingly obstructs the opposition
by word or action
There are many other cricket rules. However, these are most of the
basics and will get you well on your way to playing the game. Many of the more
advanced rules & laws can be learned along the way and are not vital to general
play.

SOFTBALL

Softball is a variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller

field. It was invented in 1887 in Chicago as an indoor game. It was at various
times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground, softball, kitten ball, and
because it was also played by women, ladies' baseball. The name softball was
given to the game in 1926.

BASIC SOFTBALL EQUIPMENT AND GEAR

Ball: Softballs used for youth and high school levels are usually bright yellow, around 12
inches in circumference and weigh around 180-200 grams. They are not “soft,” as the
name of the sport implies; rather, they are made of hard leather filled with cork, rubber
and synthetic materials.
Glove/Mitt: Softball gloves are often larger than those used in baseball because the ball
is bigger. Most players choose to wear gloves, which differ from mitts in that they have
individual fingers and less padding. First basemen and catchers usually wear mitts with
extra padding to catch balls thrown at higher speeds.
Bat: Youth softball bats are generally the same as youth baseball bats. They are made
out of wood, aluminum or composite materials. Adult softball bats, however, are
generally longer with a smaller diameter, and the barrels are less stiff than their baseball
counterparts. The NCAA, in an effort to limit the performance of aluminum and
composite bats, limits the weight to length ratio of the bat. A bat must be as long (in
inches) as it weighs (in ounces), and the weight cannot be any more than three ounces
less than the number of inches it is long. In appearance, softball bats have thinner,
more tapered handles than baseball bats. Due to differences in the construction of
baseballs and softballs, a baseball bat can be used adequately to play softball, but a
softball bat will likely break if used to strike a baseball.
Batting Helmet: The most important piece of safety equipment in softball is the batting
helmet. Constructed of rigid durable plastic and foam, softball helmets help to
distribute the forces of any ball that strikes the batter's head. Differences between
baseball and softball helmets include optional wire face guards and pony tail channels
for female athletes.
Sliding Shorts and Sliders: Sliding shorts are padded upper thigh synthetic compression
leggings that protect the athlete when sliding into a base. Sliders resemble shin guards
and protect the shin and calf from injury when sliding.
Catcher's Equipment: Softball catchers must wear helmets with face guards and throat
protectors, body protection (chest protectors) and shin guards that reach up above the
knees. Failure to wear full body protection while catching can result in serious injuries.