What are my responsibilities as the main (bowler's end) umpire in MJCC Stage 1 cricket (Year 4-5 boys, Year 4-7 girls)? How do I make and signal decisions?
You stand behind the stumps at the bowler's end and run the game. You:
The square leg umpire backs you up from the striker's end. Run outs at that end are their call, and they help with anything you couldn't see clearly.
Keep the game moving and remember it's about the kids learning and enjoying the game.
Directly behind the stumps at the bowler's end, a pace or two back, so you can see the bowler's front foot land at the popping crease and still look straight down the pitch to the striker's stumps.
The bowler runs past you on one side. Ask each new bowler which arm they bowl with and whether they're going over or around the wicket, so you know which side to leave clear.
Once the ball is played, move sideways to get a clear view of the crease at your end for any run out, without getting in the way of a throw.
With the other team's umpire:
With the scorers: introduce yourself and agree how they'll acknowledge your signals (usually a wave back).
With the bowler, at the start of each new bowler's spell: ask which arm they bowl with and whether they're going over or around the wicket, so you can stand where you won't get in their way.
And check you have your hat and something to count balls with.
An over is six balls. In Stage 1, wides and no-balls aren't re-bowled, so every ball bowled counts towards the six. Move a coin or pebble from one pocket to the other after each ball, or use a clicker.
When there are two balls remaining, hold up two fingers to the square leg umpire. They confirm by giving the same signal back. If your counts differ, sort it out before the next ball.
After the sixth ball, once the ball is dead, call "over" clearly. In Stage 1 every over is bowled from the same end, so you stay where you are; the batters swap ends instead, and the next bowler comes on.
A wide is a ball that pitches on the wicket or passes the batter outside their reach, with the batter standing in their normal batting position. It isn't a wide if the batter hits or touches it with the bat.
Call "wide" once the ball has passed the batter, then signal it to the scorers (both arms stretched out horizontally) when the ball is dead. Wides aren't re-bowled in Stage 1, so the ball still counts as one of the six, and it also counts towards the batter's balls faced.
The batters can still run off a wide, and a batter can be run out off a wide.
In Stage 1, call "no ball" if:
You may also call it if no part of the bowler's front foot lands behind the popping crease (1.22 metres in front of the stumps). Use judgement with young bowlers.
Call "no ball" and "dead ball" together if the ball stops in front of the striker's stumps without touching the bat or batter, or is so wide the batter has to leave the pitch to reach it.
Call "no ball" loudly as soon as you see it, then signal it to the scorers (one arm stretched out horizontally) when the ball is dead. No-balls aren't re-bowled in Stage 1. The square leg umpire is best placed to spot fielder problems; if they call it, back them up.
Both are runs the batters take without hitting the ball with the bat.
If a bye or leg bye runs away to the boundary, give both signals, the bye or leg bye and the four, so the scorers record four byes or four leg byes rather than four to the batter.
Signal once the ball is dead, facing the scorers, and wait until they wave back to show they've got it.
If there's more than one thing to signal (for example a wide that also went for four), give each signal in turn.
Only give a batter out if the fielding side appeals ("Howzat?"). Then decide, and if it's out, raise your index finger above your head. If it's not out, say "not out" clearly.
In Stage 1 a batter can only be out:
There's no LBW, and stumpings are never given out. Run outs at the striker's end are the square leg umpire's call; everything else is yours. If you're not sure, the batter gets the benefit of the doubt.
The batter isn't sent off. They keep batting until they've faced their full allocation of balls, and each dismissal is worth 4 runs to the bowling team (the scorers add them at the end of the innings). Batters can be dismissed any number of times.
After a wicket the striker changes ends, except after a run out.
Signal each dismissal to the scorers (index finger raised above your head) so they can record it.
Yes, during play. If the batters are running and the stumps at your end are broken by a fielder before the batter has grounded their bat or body behind the popping crease, they're run out (on appeal). That decision is yours. Stand where you can see both the crease and the stumps as the throw comes in.
Before the ball is bowled, never: in Stage 1, if the bowler runs out a non-striker who has left their crease early, it's not out, however many times it happens. Use it to teach the batter to stay in their crease until the ball is bowled.
Ask whenever they had a better view than you. That's usually:
Agree a quick way to check with each other before the game, such as a hand on the chest for "not out". At two balls remaining in each over, hold up two fingers to confirm the count with them.
Nothing: there's no Leg Before Wicket (LBW) at this level. Play carries on and the batters can run. If the ball comes off the pad or body and they run, signal leg byes. Nobody can be given out LBW, so turn down any appeals for it.
If a batter keeps deliberately using their pads to stop the ball hitting the stumps, have a quiet word with them. Umpires and coaches are expected to discourage it.
Each batter retires immediately after facing their set number of balls, depending on how many players the batting team has. Wides and no-balls count as balls faced.
The scorers count the balls each batter faces and let the coach know when a batter has three balls left. When the limit is reached, the batter retires straight away (even mid-over) and the next batter comes in. Retired batters are recorded as Retired Not Out.
Every player, including both wicketkeepers, bowls at least 2 overs and no more than 4. Nobody bowls a third over until everyone else (apart from the first wicketkeeper) has bowled 2. The second wicketkeeper is the exception: they can bowl up to 3 overs before they start keeping.
With only 5 players, the two keepers bowl at least 3 overs each, the other three bowl 4 or 5 each, and nobody bowls a fourth over until everyone else (apart from the first keeper) has bowled 3.
If a bowler is injured mid-over, another player finishes the over, and the normal limits apply to both. A bowler can't bowl two overs in a row. If a bowler is about to go over their limit, tell the fielding coach before the over starts.
The ball becomes dead on its own once it's settled back with the keeper or bowler, goes over the boundary, or a batter is out. You call "dead ball" (and cross and re-cross your wrists below your waist) to stop play yourself, for example when:
If you call dead ball before the striker had a chance to play the ball, it doesn't count towards the over and is bowled again. Otherwise it counts as one of the six, but no further runs can be scored or wickets taken once it's dead.
Ask the square leg umpire what they saw. If you're still not sure, the batter gets the benefit of the doubt: give it not out.
Stage 1 is about participation and learning, so a calm, consistent call matters more than getting every close one perfect.
If a player is hurt, call "dead ball" and stop play straight away, then get the coach. Don't wait for the end of the over. If a player is hit in the head, they come off, even if they say they're fine: if in doubt, sit them out. A batter who retires hurt can come back in after another batter retires. If the bowler is hurt mid-over, another player finishes the over.
Stop play and get everyone off the field if you see lightning or hear thunder. Stop play if anything else looks unsafe, such as extreme heat, a wet or damaged pitch, or people in the marked no-go zone behind the bowler's end.
Before each ball, check that batters and the keeper are wearing helmets, pads and gloves (they're compulsory), and that no fielder other than the keeper is within 15 metres of the striker.
Yes. Association umpires aren't guaranteed in Stage 1, so each team provides a volunteer parent umpire. Either each team's umpire does square leg for half the match, or each umpire does the main (bowler's end) role for one half and square leg for the other. Agree with the other team's umpire before the first ball which way you're doing it.
Yes, between overs. Constructive coaching between overs is encouraged in Stage 1, but not after every ball. If a coach keeps calling out instructions during an over, politely ask them to wait until the over is finished.
The whole match has 130 minutes: 60 minutes for each innings, plus a 10-minute changeover between innings. These times are strict.
Take drinks after 10 overs, when the wicketkeepers swap, for no more than 3 minutes. On hot days the umpires can agree to extra drinks breaks of up to 2 minutes each. Batters and keepers can ask you for a drink between overs, taken on the field so play keeps moving.
If time runs out during the first innings, the second team faces the same number of overs the first team faced. If time runs out during the second innings, the result is decided on both teams' scores after the number of overs the second team faced.
A hat is compulsory: No Hat No Play applies to umpires as well as players. Also bring comfortable shoes, sunscreen and water, as you'll be standing in the sun for the whole innings.
You need something to count balls with, such as six coins or pebbles you move from one pocket to the other, or a clicker. Bowlers often hand you their hat to hold while they bowl, so expect to carry one or two.
Stay calm and polite. Your decision stands, and you don't need to argue or explain it during play. If a coach wants to raise something, they can talk to you at the end of the over or at a break.
Abusing umpires breaches the club's code of conduct. If it happens, tell the coach or a club official, and note it in the match report.