Fan's Guide to the Betway SA20 Senior Men's T20 League 2025/26

Teams level on points are ranked by these tests, in order:

1. Most wins
2. Highest net run rate
3. Most bonus points
4. Most wins against the other team(s) level on points and wins (head-to-head)
5. Highest runs-to-wickets ratio across the tournament
6. Highest wickets-to-runs ratio across the tournament

Net run rate = the team's average runs per over scored across the competition, minus the average runs per over scored against it.

• A team bowled out early is treated as having faced its full quota of overs.
• Only matches with a result count; No Results are ignored.
• If a match is decided by DLS after being cut short, Team 1 is credited with Team 2's par score off the same overs Team 2 faced. If DLS was applied earlier in the match, Team 1 is credited with one run less than Team 2's final target, off Team 2's allocated overs.

Six franchises play the league stage, and the top four on the log go into the playoffs:

So finishing in the top two gives a team two chances to reach the Final.

In Season 4 (2025/26) the playoff matches started at 17:30 and the Final at 15:30 with a fixed 30-minute innings break. The Qualifiers and Eliminator have no reserve day; if one ends without a winner, the higher-placed team on the log goes through. The Final has a reserve day.

Tie: if the scores are level (including under DLS), a Super Over is played. If the Super Over is also tied, further Super Overs are played until there's a winner. Only if the Super Overs can't be played or finished is the match a tie (3 points each in the league stage).

Rain and DLS: for a result, both teams must have had the chance to bat at least 5 overs, unless a team is all out inside 5 overs or the chasing side wins inside 5 overs. Otherwise it's a No Result (2 points each in the league stage). Interrupted matches are shortened under Duckworth/Lewis/Stern, with up to 60 minutes of extra time in the league stage and 120 minutes in the play-offs and final.

Play-offs (Qualifiers and Eliminator): there are no reserve days. If a play-off ends as a No Result or Tie, even after Super Overs are tried, the team higher on the log after the league stage goes through.

Final: there is a reserve day. If the final still ends as a No Result, or a tie that Super Overs can't settle, after the reserve day, the two teams share the trophy and the prize money.

Before the toss, each captain gives the Betway SA20 Match Referee two team sheets of 11 players: a batting-first version and a bowling-first version, plus the squad members available as substitute fielders and concussion replacements.

The toss takes place on the field between 30 and 15 minutes before the start. Once the winning captain chooses to bat or bowl (a choice that can't be changed), the matching team sheet for each side comes into effect. This lets both teams pick their XI to suit whether they end up batting or bowling first.

After nomination, a player in the XI can't be changed before play starts without the opposing captain's consent, apart from the concussion replacement rules. Only players nominated as substitutes may field as substitutes, unless the Match Referee allows additions in exceptional circumstances.

Each team may make two unsuccessful player reviews per innings.

Not counted against the two:

• a successful review (the decision is overturned),
• an LBW review where the decision stands only because of umpire's call,
• a Not out that stands because the ball was a no ball,
• a review made unnecessary by an umpire's own referral on the same ball.

What can be reviewed: any decision on whether a batter is out, except Timed Out. Only the dismissed batter can review an Out, and only the fielding captain can review a Not out, using a "T" sign within 15 seconds of the ball becoming dead.

What can't be reviewed:

• Wides: no wide decision can be reviewed by the umpires or the players.
• The first short-pitched ball in an over: only the second one can be checked by the TV umpire.

Any other no ball can be checked by the TV umpire using the DRS technology.

Each innings has two strategic time-outs of 2 minutes 30 seconds. Players and umpires start moving back into position after 2 minutes so play restarts when the countdown clock hits zero. Drinks may come on, but no practice is allowed.

When they happen in a full 20-over innings:

• Only the fielding captain or the batters at the wicket can call their time-out, by telling an on-field umpire or the fourth umpire before the bowler starts the run-up for the last ball of the over. A late call carries over to the end of the next over.
• If a team doesn't choose, the umpires call the time-outs at the end of the 9th and 16th overs.
• No coach or other team official may call one.
• The umpires signal a time-out by tapping a raised wrist.

Shortened matches: the windows move earlier (for example overs 5-7 and 11-13 in a 16-over innings). With 14 overs or fewer per innings there are no time-outs, and the Match Referee can cancel the remaining time-outs after a long delay. If the batting side is bowled out before a time-out is due, that time-out doesn't happen.

The fielding restriction area is two semi-circles of 30 yards (27.43 m) radius around each set of stumps, joined by straight lines and marked with white lines or discs.

The umpire signals a Powerplay over by rotating an arm in a large circle.

Shortened matches: the Powerplay is cut in proportion, for example 3 overs in a 10-over innings, 4.3 overs in a 15-over innings, and 1.3 overs in a 5-over innings.

No bowler may bowl more than 4 overs in a 20-over innings. In a shortened innings of 10 or more overs, the limit is one-fifth of the overs (rounded up); in an innings of 5 to 9 overs, it's 2 overs.

One fast short-pitched ball per over. That's a ball that passes, or would have passed, above the shoulder height of the striker standing upright at the popping crease. The bowler's end umpire tells the bowler and striker each time one is bowled.

• A ball that goes above the batter's head so they can't reach it with a normal shot is called a Wide, and it still counts as that over's one short ball.
• A second fast short-pitched ball in the over is a No ball (the umpire signals No ball and taps their head), so the next ball is a free hit.
• The first time it happens in an innings, the bowler is cautioned; the second time, given a final warning; the third time, the bowler is suspended from bowling for the rest of the innings and another bowler finishes the over.

Only the second short-pitched ball in an over can be checked by the TV umpire. Whether the first one counts as short-pitched is the on-field umpire's call and can't be reviewed.

Separately, umpires can still act against short-pitched bowling they consider dangerous, even within the one-per-over limit.

SA20 uses an in-match over-rate penalty.

The fielding side must be in position to bowl the first ball of the 20th over by the scheduled (or rescheduled) cessation time for the innings. In a delayed or interrupted match where 3 or more overs have been cut, the target is the first ball of the penultimate over.

If it's late, then from the next over to the end of the innings only 4 fielders may be outside the 30-yard circle, instead of the usual 5.

The penalty doesn't apply if:

• the innings is reduced to fewer than 10 overs (unless the penalty was already in force), or
• the innings ends before the cessation time.

The umpire tells the fielding captain the cessation time before the innings and updates it after interruptions. Time is allowed for injuries, reviews, batters wasting time, other things beyond the fielding side's control, and the two strategic time-outs (2 minutes 30 seconds each).

Yes, with a like-for-like Concussion Replacement, if:

• the head or neck injury happened during play and inside the playing area,
• the team doctor or medical representative has formally diagnosed a concussion or suspected concussion, and
• the team submits a request to the Betway SA20 Match Referee as soon as possible, naming the replacement from the list of concussion replacements nominated before the toss.

The Match Referee should normally approve a replacement who will play the same role as the injured player without giving the team an excessive advantage. If the nominated player would give too much advantage, the Match Referee can set conditions on how they're used. The decision is final and can't be appealed.

The replacement inherits any warnings, penalty time and suspensions the concussed player had picked up in the match.