Parent's Guide to Cricket NSW Junior Cricket Under 10-Under 18 2026/27

Stage 1 is a child's first taste of junior club cricket, after the entry programs such as Cricket Blast. Everyone gets to bat, bowl and field regularly.

• Teams: 6 players a side in a 15-over match, or 7 in a 20-over match. A minimum of 5 and a maximum of 7 players is needed to play
• Overs and time: one innings of 15 to 20 overs (90 to 120 balls) per team, over 1.5 to 2 hours
• Ball: a modified ball, 21 to 22.5 cm in circumference and no heavier than 110 g
• Pitch and boundary: a 14 to 16 m outfield or hard wicket, and a boundary of 20 to 40 m measured from the batter's end stumps
• Batting: every ball counts toward a batter's quota, including wides and no-balls. A batter retires as soon as they face their allotted balls, for example 15 balls with 6 players in a 15-over match, or 20 balls with 6 players in a 20-over match. Dismissals are unlimited, and a competition may add a penalty such as 5 bonus runs to the opposition. Bowled, caught, caught and bowled, run out, stumped and hit wicket apply
• Bowling: 6 balls an over, maximum 3 overs per bowler in a 15-over match and 4 in a 20-over match. Bowlers bowl from one end all game. Everyone is encouraged to bowl, but a child may choose not to
• Fielding: fielders rotate each over, no fielder may be within 15 metres of the batter, and everyone should get a go at keeping, with a helmet compulsory

Source: Cricket Australia Stage 1 Junior Rules, 15 to 20 over match day rules (play.cricket.com.au, May 2026).

Stage 2 is for children who have developed their skills and are ready for more competitive cricket, with all players batting, bowling and fielding in a 2 to 3 hour match.

• Teams: 9 players a side is recommended, with a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 11 allocated to a team
• Overs and time: one innings of 20 to 30 overs (120 to 180 balls) per team
• Pitch and boundary: 18 m hard or turf pitch (stumps can be brought in to the front crease lines, 17.7 m, for simple measuring) and a boundary of 45 m maximum
• Ball: 142 g hard or leather
• Batting: a batter retires after a set number of balls (for a 20-over innings, 20 balls with 7 to 9 players and 15 balls with 10 or 11; for a 30-over innings, 30 balls with 7 to 9 players, 25 with 10 and 20 with 11). Retired batters can return when everyone else has batted, in the order they retired. The innings closes after 6 wickets (7 players), 7 wickets (8 players) or 8 wickets (9 to 11 players)
• Bowling: 6 balls an over, with up to 8 balls in an over where wides and no-balls are re-bowled (the last over must have 6 legal balls). Maximum 4 overs per bowler in a 20-over match and 5 in a 30-over match. Bowlers change ends at 10 overs
• Fielding: no fielder within 10 metres of the bat, except regulation off-side slips, gully and the wicket-keeper. Keepers can change after 10 overs
• Dismissals: all modes count

Source: Cricket Australia Stage 2 Junior Rules, 20 to 30 over match day rules (play.cricket.com.au, May 2026).

Stage 3 is for players with developed skills who are ready for the full dimensions of the game, and is aligned to adult cricket.

• Teams: 11 players a side, with a minimum of 7 needed to play
• Overs and time: one innings of 20 to 50 overs (120 to 300 balls) per team, over 2 to 4 hours
• Pitch and boundary: standard 20.1 m pitch, hard or turf, and a boundary of 50 m maximum
• Ball: 142 g leather for female players and 156 g leather for male players
• Batting: no compulsory retirement, though an association can enforce retirement
• Bowling: 6 balls an over, with all wides and no-balls re-bowled. At least 5 players must bowl. The maximum is 4 overs per bowler in a T20 and 10 overs in a 50-over match. Bowlers can change ends after each over
• Fielding: no fielder within 10 metres of the bat, except regulation off-side slips, gully and the wicket-keeper
• Dismissals: all modes count

Associations can add a cut-off time for the first innings for facilities, travel, daylight or heat.

Source: Cricket Australia Stage 3 Junior Rules, 20 to 50 over match day rules (play.cricket.com.au, May 2026).

1. Go to play.cricket.com.au (Cricket Australia's Play Cricket site) and use the Program Finder or Find a Club with your postcode. Junior competitions run in close to 100 locations across NSW.
2. Contact the club using the details listed on the site to confirm the right grade or age group, training nights and what your child needs for the first session. Clubs often have shared equipment, so a new player can come as they are.
3. Register through PlayHQ, the registration system used by clubs and competitions. For NSW Junior Community Cup matches, for example, a player must complete registration in PlayHQ before their first match of the season and cannot play for more than one team in the same season.
4. After you register, your club or competition confirms training times, match days and season dates.

Where to start by age: Woolworths Cricket Blast is Cricket Australia's entry program for kids up to 10, and junior club cricket is the next step. Most junior competitions start at Under 10 and run through to Under 18 in some areas. Outside metropolitan Sydney, junior cricket is administered through Country Cricket NSW.

Representative cricket: a parallel series of representative competitions, including the NSW Youth Championships, is merit based. Selection criteria are set by the local association competing, so ask your junior association about trials rather than registering for these directly.

Sources: cricketnsw.com.au/junior-community-cricket; play.cricket.com.au Junior Club Cricket page; NSW Junior Community Cup playing conditions.

Cricket Australia's junior formats (Stages 1 to 3) require:

• a helmet at all times while batting and while wicket-keeping
• pads, gloves and a protector (Stage 1 does not require pads for the wicket-keeper, but the keeper's helmet is compulsory)
• a bat sized to the player: Size 4 (under 800 g) is recommended in Stages 1 and 2, and Size 6 or Harrow (under 1,000 g) in Stage 3

Helmet standard: Cricket NSW's Helmet Management Policy requires helmets that meet British Standard BS7928:2013 in its matches and training. A batter must wear one against fast or medium bowling, a wicket-keeper must wear one when standing up to the stumps, and a fielder must wear one when fielding closer than 7 metres from the batter on the popping crease (for example short leg or silly point), unless they are behind the popping crease. The NSW Junior Community Cup also specifies BS7928:2013 for batters, the Metro carnivals require helmets for batters and wicket-keepers, and Cricket NSW strongly recommends community competitions adopt its helmet policy. Cricket Australia's approved helmet list can change, so buy a helmet that is on the current list.

Fielders: the formats keep fielders back from the bat. In Stage 1 no fielder may be within 15 metres of the batter. In Stages 2 and 3 no fielder may be within 10 metres, except regulation off-side slips, gully and the wicket-keeper.

Sources: Cricket Australia Stage 1, 2 and 3 Junior Rules (play.cricket.com.au, May 2026); CNSW Helmet Management Policy; Cricket NSW Metro carnival and Junior Community Cup playing conditions.

Cricket NSW's Code of Conduct binds parents and other supporters to the same standards as players, including the Spirit of Cricket and clause 5.1 of the CNSW By-Laws. By accepting the terms and conditions of player registration, parents agree to follow the Integrity Framework.

Cricket Australia's code for parents asks you to:

• not force an unwilling child to play, and remember children play for their enjoyment, not yours
• encourage your child to play by the rules
• focus on effort and performance rather than winning or losing
• never ridicule or yell at a child for a mistake or a loss
• appreciate good play by everyone, and set an example
• support efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from sport
• respect officials' decisions and teach your child to do the same
• thank volunteer coaches, officials and administrators
• respect every person regardless of gender, ability, cultural background or religion

Consequences: abusive behaviour by parents and spectators is not tolerated. Repeated offensive language or abuse of players, other parents, team officials or umpires can lead to suspension from attending any cricket across New South Wales. The offence of serious harassment carries a minimum 12-month suspension. For the 2026-27 season Cricket NSW manages Code of Conduct matters for its own competitions (including the junior carnivals, Community Cup and Youth Championships) and for a long list of partner associations.

You can report behaviour, or contact the Integrity Unit, at integrity@cricketnsw.com.au.

Sources: cricketnsw.com.au/code-of-conduct and /code-of-conduct/parent-spectator-behaviour; play.cricket.com.au Parents code of behaviour.

Cricket NSW lists the Junior Pace Bowling Workload Guidelines as guidance for community cricket. They apply to girls and boys and aim to prevent lumbar bone stress injury (a stress injury to the lower back bones), which is the most serious injury for young pace bowlers.

• Under 17, the 1, 3, 5 rule: at least 1 day off bowling after a bowling day, a maximum of 3 bowling days a week (matches and training combined), and a maximum of 5 overs in a spell.
• Aged 17 to 19, the 2, 4, 6 rule: no more than 2 bowling days in a row, a maximum of 4 bowling days a week, and a maximum of 6 overs in a spell.
• Build-up before the season: gradual bowling for 2 weeks before a season or tournament for Under 13, 4 weeks for ages 13 to 15, 6 weeks for ages 15 to 17 and 8 weeks for ages 17 to 19.
• Back pain: if a junior bowler has lower back pain when bowling, Cricket Australia strongly recommends they stop bowling and see a sports doctor or physiotherapist experienced with these injuries before bowling again.

Where a carnival or club schedules matches on consecutive days, a player may bowl on both days but should still stay within 3 bowling days a week and 5-over spells. The coaches' and parents' checklist also suggests a lighter week every 4 weeks and a full week off every 10 to 12 weeks.

Sources: Cricket Australia Junior Pace Bowling Workload Guidelines and Checklist for Coaches and Parents (play.cricket.com.au); Cricket NSW Community Cricket policies page.

Cricket NSW's Heat Policy uses the Heat Stress Risk Index (HSRI), a number from 0 to 11+ calculated from air temperature, wind speed, humidity and black globe temperature. Umpires calculate it one hour before play and then hourly. The policy is strongly recommended for community cricket and binds Cricket NSW's own competitions, including the junior carnivals, and any association that formally adopts it.

Once a day's play is abandoned at 11 or above, it cannot be resumed that day. Cricket NSW can also cancel a day's play if the forecast index for the next day is 11 or more, or move the start time earlier. Umpires always have the final say if conditions are dangerous.

Source: CNSW Heat Policy (last updated 23 January 2026).

Yes. Cricket NSW says a Working With Children Check is not needed for a parent who acts as umpire or scorer in a match in which their own child plays. Anyone umpiring or scoring other junior matches needs to meet the requirements of the club or association, which include a mandatory Working With Children Check for umpires, and one may also apply to scorers.

Most junior matches are now scored on an electronic scoring app on a phone or tablet, which is easy for beginners, and clubs and associations often run training for new scorers. For formal umpire qualifications, the NSW Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association runs courses each season, and membership is open to people who pass the entrance exam at the end of an eligible course.

Source: Cricket NSW Junior Community Cricket page (cricketnsw.com.au/junior-community-cricket).

Metro Community Carnivals (Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder Holiday Carnivals). Each stage runs over two days with up to six matches (three a day). Age is worked out as at 31 August of the season, and girls may be one year older than boys:

Matches last 1 hour 45 minutes. Under 11 teams have 6 to 8 players with 7 on the field. Under 13 and Under 15 teams have 7 to 9 players with 8 on the field. Cricket NSW supplies the balls and scores every match electronically. In Stage 1 all players bat, there is no LBW, and the bowling side gets 4 runs for each dismissal. In Stages 2 and 3 a batter retires after 17 balls or 30 runs.

NSW Junior Community Cup. This is a statewide T20 competition for club teams, open to Under 12, Under 13 and Under 15 mixed teams and to Under 13 girls. It has a guaranteed four-match pool round, then a carnival-style finals series. Big Bash style rules apply, including Power Surges, Free Hits and fielding restrictions. Under 12 and Under 13 teams may name 11 players with 9 on the field. A player must have played at least one match for their club that season before playing in the Cup, and batters must wear a BS7928:2013 helmet against fast or medium bowling.

Sources: Cricket NSW Community Carnivals Metro playing conditions; NSW Junior Community Cup playing conditions; cricketnsw.com.au/community-cup/junior.

Cricket NSW follows Australian Cricket's Looking After Our Kids Code of Behaviour and Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy. For parents, the code means:

• Your say: a parent or carer must be involved in any significant decision, including signing any paperwork about your child's involvement in cricket. Clubs must not stop you reaching your child when you need to. Parents who behave inappropriately may be asked to leave, but cannot be barred for an undetermined period.
• Photos and video: coaches and officials must not photograph, film or livestream children without the prior consent of the parent or carer, and any recording must relate to the child's participation in cricket.
• Pick-up: adults running a session must arrive before the start so children are not left unattended, must know alternative pick-up arrangements you have approved, and must not leave until every child has been collected. If you are running late they will try to contact you, but they are not responsible for driving your child home.
• Lifts: unauthorised transport of a child by a coach or official is not allowed without your written consent (an email or SMS counts).
• First aid: only people qualified in first aid should treat an injury, in the presence of others, and the injury and treatment must be reported to you.

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 000. Clubs are encouraged to appoint a Child Safety Officer and sign Cricket NSW's Fair Play Declaration.

Sources: Australian Cricket's Looking After Our Kids Code of Behaviour; Cricket NSW Safeguarding Children and Young People page (cricketnsw.com.au/safeguarding-children).