Northern Pyramid Girls Development
U11 and U13 ‘The Hundred’ Softball League
These playing conditions are inconjunction with the main junior rules document : https://pyramidcricket.co.uk/index.php/featured/juniorcomp
1.The England & Wales Cricket Board requires that all clubs with junior and youth members should appoint a Safeguarding Officer. Each club is responsible for ensuring that team managers, coaches and other volunteer helpers have undergone required DBS Checking.
2. It is the responsibility of both team managers to confirm the fixture prior to its being played. The host club should inform visiting teams in advance if the wicket will be an artificial wicket on which cricket spikes are not permitted.
3. The normal start time for an evening game is 6pm. The normal start time for a morning game is 10am. These times may be varied by agreement between the two team managers.
4. The game shall be live scored via the Play-Cricket Scorer App. The full result should be finalised within 72 hours of the match with the responsibility falling to the home team.
5. Any game that does not take place for any reason should, wherever possible, be rearranged. Any rained off games can be rearranged but the new date must be notified to the
6. All players, team officials, club supporters and umpires shall be bound by the MCC Spirit of Cricket and the ECB Code of Conduct
Playing Conditions and Rules
All games shall be played in accordance with the official Laws of Cricket, including the LBW rule, appropriately interpreted, except to the extent they are varied as follows:
7a. For Under 11s The pitch shall be 17 yards in length.
7b. For Under 13s The pitch shall be 19 yards in length.
8. The ball be a PINK Softball (eg Incrediball) that should have a seam. The fielding side shall provide the ball, which shall be approved by the Captains and Umpires, in all matches.
9. Each team shall comprise of 8 players. All players must be in school year 8 or below. Teams should, where possible, get the game on and if a team is short of players, they are encouraged to contact the opposition or other local clubs, from whom they may loan players.
10. Each game shall consist of one innings per side.
11. Each innings shall be based on ‘The Hundred’, each pair will bat for 25 balls, this may be reduced to 20 balls per pair if both teams agree.
12. The batting side shall be divided into pairs. Each pair shall bat for 25 balls, pairs shall change after 25 balls, 50 balls and 75 balls (change after 20/40/60 balls in an 80 ball game).
13. Batters shall have unlimited ‘lives’ but each loss of a ‘life’ shall result in 5 runs being added to the fielding teams total. No batter who is out for any reason shall face the next ball.
14. At least six players on the fielding side must bowl at least 5 balls. No player shall bowl more than 20 balls (15 balls in an 80 ball game). A player who starts an innings as wicketkeeper shall continue as wicketkeeper throughout the innings unless they are injured and unable to continue. If this occurs, the ‘injured’ wicketkeeper may not bowl. If there is a player in the team that cannot physically bowl, then he / she should not be forced to bowl. Please inform the opposing team manager before the game commences if you have someone in your side that will not be bowling.
15. Each team shall commence its innings with a score of 0 runs.
16. Wides and no balls:
a. except in the final over, two runs shall be awarded for a wide or a no ball and no extra ball shall be bowled.
b. in the final over the normal Laws of Cricket shall apply, two runs will still be awarded for a wide or no ball, and an extra ball bowled. Other runs scored from a wide or a no ball shall be determined according to the normal Laws of Cricket.
c. the umpire shall call a No Ball if the ball bounces more than once or rolls along the ground before it reaches the popping crease.
d. if the ball comes to rest in front of the line of the striker’s wicket, without having previously touched the bat or striker, the umpire shall call and signal No Ball and immediately call and signal Dead Ball
e. non-pitched deliveries - Any non-pitched deliveries, regardless of the pace of the bowler, which would have passed above the waist height of the striker standing upright at the crease shall be deemed unfair and called No Ball.
17. No fielder, except the wicket keeper, shall be allowed to field nearer than 11 yards measured from the middle stump until the batter has played the ball, except behind the wicket on the offside.
18. Protective Equipment is currently mandatory in some instances when cricket is played with a hardball, as per the Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations. Protective Equipment is not currently mandatory in softball cricket, but a player may choose to wear Protective Equipment if they would like to. It is recommended that players use this opportunity to prepare themselves for future Hardball matches.
19. A team may play short-sided, the minimum number of players needed per team is 6. In this event, the last batting pair will be made up of a player/players who have already batted, and the bowling team may select which player/players will bat again
‘The Hundred’ Rules
1. It's 100 balls per innings.
2. Whoever scores the most runs wins.
3. The fielding side change ends after 10 balls.
4. Bowlers deliver either five or 10 consecutive balls.
5. Each bowler can deliver a maximum of 20 balls per game.
6. Each bowling side gets a strategic timeout of up to 90 seconds. The coach can walk out to the middle of the ground and discuss tactics with their players during the timeout.
Points System
Win = 3 points
Tie/Abandoned = 2 points
Loss = 0 point
Advisory Notes
Teams are encouraged to embrace the development and participation ethos of the League and, whilst not part of the formal rules, are encouraged to consider:
• Coaches discussing team and player experience to try and match bowling and batting pairs against similarly experienced opposition and to avoid “mis-matches”
• Umpires interpreting wides generously
• Umpires not giving LBWs unless they consider that the batter is deliberately using pads to block the ball
• Having boundaries that take into account the experience of both teams and give good shots the opportunity of reaching the boundary
• If bowlers are struggling to have the ball bounce only once before the batter, allowing them to bowl from in front of the usual crease
Teams are encouraged to wear coloured clothing as it is consistent with the women’s recreational game, but whites are acceptable and clothing requirements should not be a barrier to any girl participating in the league.
