How do I score an MJCC Stage 1 game (Year 4-5 boys, Year 4-7 girls), in the scorebook or on PlayHQ? What's different about scoring the modified rules?
You keep the official record of the game, in the scorebook, on PlayHQ, or both. For every ball you record who faced it, who bowled it, and what happened: runs, extras or a wicket.
In Stage 1 you also:
Acknowledge every umpire signal, check your score with the other team's scorer at the end of each over, and confirm the final score together before it's submitted.
The home team sets up a scorer's table and two chairs, at least 3 metres back from the boundary. Sit next to the other team's scorer so you can check scores together.
Bring the scorebook, two pencils and an eraser. If you're scoring on PlayHQ, bring a charged laptop or tablet and a charger or battery pack, and keep the paper book as a backup.
Fill in the top of the scorecard: team names, date, venue, coach names, toss result, and the time of the first ball.
Write the batters' names in the order they'll bat, and the bowlers' names in the order they'll bowl; the coach gives you both. In Stage 1 the orders rotate every week, so don't copy last week's.
Count how many players the batting team has: that sets each batter's retirement ball count.
Introduce yourself to the main umpire and agree how you'll acknowledge their signals.
They're recorded as Retired Not Out.
The main umpire signals to you once the ball is dead, then waits. Wave back clearly (a raised hand is enough) so they know you've seen it. If you missed a signal, wave both hands or call out and ask before the next ball.
The signals:
If the umpire gives more than one signal (for example a wide that also went for four), record each.
Dot ball (no runs): put a dot in the batter's box and the bowler's box.
Runs off the bat: write the number of runs in the batter's box and the bowler's box, then cross off that many in the progressive total.
Fours and sixes: the umpire waves an arm side to side across their chest for a four, and raises both arms above their head for a six. Record 4 or 6 to the batter and against the bowler, and cross them off in the progressive total.
Every ball goes in both the batter's and the bowler's box, so the bowler's over always shows six marks.
A wide gives 1 extra run to the batting team and is recorded against the bowler. In Stage 1 it isn't re-bowled, so it counts as one of the six balls in the over, and as a ball faced by the batter.
In the scorebook, write W in the batter's box, the bowler's box and the progressive total, and add it to the wides tally.
If the batters also run off the wide, write the total: 2W for one run plus the wide, 3W for two runs, and so on. All of it goes to wides and against the bowler; none goes to the batter.
The umpire signals a wide with both arms stretched out horizontally. A batter can be run out off a wide.
A no-ball gives 1 extra run to the batting team and is recorded against the bowler. In Stage 1 it isn't re-bowled, so it counts as one of the six balls in the over, and as a ball faced by the batter.
In the scorebook, write O in the batter's box, the bowler's box and the progressive total, and add it to the no-ball tally.
If the batter also hits it for runs, write the runs inside the O. Those runs go to the batter; the bowler is charged the runs plus the 1 no-ball. Example: hit for 1 off a no-ball = 1 to the batter, 2 against the bowler, 2 to the total.
If they run but not off the bat (byes off a no-ball), nothing goes to the batter, and the runs plus 1 go to the total.
The umpire signals a no-ball with one arm stretched out horizontally.
Byes (the ball missed the bat and body) and leg byes (it came off the body or pads) go to the team total and the extras, not to the batter or against the bowler. The ball still counts as a ball faced by the batter.
In the scorebook:
The umpire signals a bye with one open hand raised, and a leg bye by touching a raised knee. If byes run away to the boundary, the umpire gives the bye signal and the four: record 4 byes, not 4 to the batter.
In the scorebook:
In Stage 1 you don't need to record how the batter got out, the fielder, or fall of wicket details.
The batter isn't sent off: they keep batting until they reach their ball limit, so keep counting their balls faced. Each wicket is worth 4 runs to the bowling team, added once the innings is complete, so keep an accurate count of outs.
Only bowled, caught, hit wicket and run out count. If the umpire doesn't give it out (stumpings and LBW are never out), it's not a wicket, even if the fielders appeal.
Every ball a batter faces counts, including wides and no-balls. Each batter retires immediately after facing their set number of balls, which depends on how many players are in the batting team:
Watch each batter's ball count, and tell the batting coach when a batter has three balls left. When they reach their limit, add up their score and balls faced, record them as Retired Not Out, and write in the next batter.
A batter who retires hurt (injury or illness) can come back in when another batter retires. If they don't come back, they're Retired Not Out. A player who isn't there to bat is recorded as Did Not Bat.
In the scorebook:
Then check your total against the other scorer's. In Stage 1 all overs are bowled from the same end and the batters change ends after each over, so make sure you know who's on strike for the first ball of the next over, and write the next bowler in.
At the drinks break after 10 overs, the wicketkeepers swap: it's a good time for a full check with the other scorer.
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 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 until everyone else (apart from the first keeper) has bowled 3.
Your bowling section shows how many overs each player has bowled. If a bowler is about to go over their limit, or someone is about to bowl a third before everyone has had 2, tell the umpire or the fielding coach before the over starts. If a bowler is injured mid-over and another player finishes it, record the balls against each bowler.
In Stage 1, every wicket a team takes while bowling is worth 4 runs to that team. Don't add them ball by ball: add them to the bowling team's total once the innings is complete.
Final score = runs scored while batting (including extras) + 4 × wickets taken while bowling.
Example: Team A bats first and makes 98, losing 5 wickets. Team B then makes 105, losing 3 wickets.
If time runs out in the first innings, the second team faces the same number of overs. If time runs out in the second innings, compare both teams' scores after the number of overs the second team faced.
Before match day: make sure you have PlayHQ e-scoring access, and check the team line-up in My Teams (it may need selecting for each match). Use a laptop or tablet if you can, preferably in Google Chrome, fully charged, with a charger or battery pack.
At the ground:
You need internet for live scores to update. Only the primary scoring device syncs live, so if you swap devices, get the first one online before the second takes over.
Check the highlighted striker is right first, then:
Check the striker, bowler and over count regularly.
For the ball you just entered, use Undo. For an older ball, open the event log, use the three-dot menu on that ball and choose Replace Event.
To change the striker, use Switch Strike Batter. For a bowler change outside the normal end of over (for example an injured bowler mid-over), use Change Bowler.
Pause and check rather than entering several balls you're unsure of: one fix is easier than five. Don't edit the team in My Teams or PlayHQ Admin while the game is in progress.
Keep a photo or screenshot of the scorecard, or the paper scorebook, until the result is confirmed.
Stop and sort it out before entering more balls. Go back over by over, comparing the bowler's figures and the progressive total, until you find where you differ. Most mistakes are a missed wide or no-ball, byes credited to the batter, or runs given to the wrong batter.
If you can't agree, ask the umpire at the next break: they'll remember any extras they signalled. Fixing it at the end of an over is far easier than at the end of the innings.