If you ask ten fans of cricket how many laws are there in the game, you will receive ten different answers. In fact, the number of laws in cricket is much more exact than people think: there are 42 laws in total, which are referred to as "Laws" in this game, and the ICC didn't write them; they are owned by the Marylebone Cricket Club located at Lord's. As of today, the recently updated version is the current one for all umpires, scorers, and players. If you want to see some live games while studying the updated Laws, you can use the Khelstake Platform where you can track the scores and match results in real-time.

What Are the 42 Rules of Cricket?

Here's something that trips up a lot of newer fans: cricket doesn't have "rules" in the way football has rules or basketball has rules. It has Laws capital L, and deliberately so. MCC has held the copyright since 1787, and even though the ICC runs the sport globally today, it still leans on MCC to write and interpret every one of the 42 rules of cricket that govern the game from a Sunday park match all the way up to a World Test Championship final.

That distinction between Laws and playing conditions matters more than it sounds like it should. The Laws are the constitution universal, slow to change, applicable everywhere. Playing conditions are what the ICC layers on top for international cricket specifically, things like powerplays and DRS reviews, which don't appear in the Laws at all.

MCC did its last full rewrite back in 2017. Three editions have followed since 2019, then 2022, then this one and each time, the changes have been about sharpening language and closing gaps rather than tearing the game up and starting over.

How Much Actually Changed in the 2026 Laws?

This is the detail most articles about the 42 rules of cricket are going to get wrong or skip entirely, so it's worth slowing down here. The 2026 edition MCC's fourth edition of the 2017 Code officially came into force on 1 October 2026, and it isn't a minor tidy-up. There are 73 material changes in total, alongside a broader language pass aimed at making the Laws clearer for the huge number of readers worldwide who don't speak English as a first language.

Ten Major Changes to Laws for 2026 (MCC PDF)

A few changes are going to show up in how the game actually looks and feels:

• Laminated bats are now legal in open-age cricket, not just junior formats. Type D bats can be built from up to three pieces of wood glued together, which lets manufacturers pair lower-grade willow with a high-quality face a direct response to how expensive bats have gotten. MCC has tested extensively and doesn't believe this gives a meaningful performance edge, though top-level cricket is expected to stick with single-piece willow regardless.
• The final over of a day's play must now be bowled in full, even if a wicket falls. Previously, a wicket in that last over ended the day immediately, which let an incoming batter dodge facing a ball under pressure. That loophole is gone the over gets completed, conditions permitting.
• Cricket balls are now classified as Size 1, Size 2, and Size 3 instead of the old men's/women's/junior labels. The old system actually allowed a small women's ball to be smaller and lighter than a large junior one an inconsistency MCC worked to fix in consultation with manufacturers and current and former women's players through its World Cricket Connects initiative.
• Overthrows finally have a precise legal definition. The Laws previously left "overthrow" fairly vague. Now there's a clear line between an overthrow a genuine attempt to hit the stumps and stop runs or complete a run out and a misfield, which shouldn't be scored the same way.

Other changes worth knowing: boundary catches now only allow a fielder one airborne touch of the ball after leaving the field of play before they must land inside it, and a wicketkeeper standing slightly in front of the stumps while the bowler runs up is no longer automatically a no-ball, so long as they're fully behind the stumps by the time the ball is released.

The 42 Laws of Cricket, Explained

This is the part most guides to the 42 rules of cricket gloss over or oversimplify. Each Law covers a specific slice of the game, and they're grouped in a logical order players and setup first, then match structure, then scoring, then all the ways a batter can actually get out.

Players and Officials (Laws 1–3)

• Law 1 — The Players. Eleven per side, including a captain. Friendly matches can agree to more, but only eleven may field at once.
• Law 2 — The Umpires. Two umpires apply the Laws and make the calls. A third umpire, off the field, is common at higher levels but isn't required by the Laws themselves.
• Law 3 — The Scorers. Two scorers track the match, responding to umpire signals throughout.

Equipment and Pitch (Laws 4–10)

• Law 4 — The Ball. Weight and circumference are tightly specified, with separate tolerances now defined for Size 1, 2, and 3 balls under the 2026 edition.
• Law 5 — The Bat. Maximum dimensions for length, width, and depth. The blade must be wood — a rule that exists specifically because of a famous aluminium-bat incident decades ago.
• Law 6 — The Pitch. 22 yards long, 10 feet wide, prepared by the ground authority but controlled by the umpires once play starts.
• Law 7 — The Creases. This Law lays out the bowling, popping, and return creases — the lines umpires actually use to judge no-balls, run outs, and stumpings.
• Law 8 — The Wickets. Three stumps, 28 inches tall, with two bails on top.
• Law 9 — Preparation and Maintenance of the Playing Area. Covers mowing, rolling, and general pitch upkeep.
• Law 10 — Covering the Pitch. Whether and how the pitch gets protected from rain, agreed by both captains in advance.

Match Timing and Structure (Laws 11–16)

• Law 11 — Intervals. Lunch, tea, drinks, and the ten-minute gap between innings.
• Law 12 — Start of Play; Cessation of Play. "Play" and "Time" calls, and the rule that the day's final hour must contain at least 20 overs.
• Law 13 — Innings. How many innings each side gets, and how an innings ends.
• Law 14 — The Follow-On. When a side batting second, well behind, can be made to bat again immediately.
• Law 15 — Declaration and Forfeiture. A captain's right to close an innings early.
• Law 16 — The Result. Win, loss, tie, or draw and the difference between the last two.

Scoring (Laws 17–19)

• Law 17 — The Over. Six legal balls per over, bowled from alternating ends, no bowler allowed two overs in a row.
• Law 18 — Scoring Runs. How runs are completed between the wickets.
• Law 19 — Boundaries. Four runs for a boundary along the ground, six if it clears the rope without bouncing.

Extras and Ball Status (Laws 20–23)

• Law 20 — Dead Ball. When the ball is officially "live" versus "dead," and why that distinction matters for every other Law.
• Law 21 — No Ball. Covers everything from overstepping to illegal bowling actions. For the full breakdown of every scenario that triggers one, see our dedicated guide to no ball rules in cricket.
• Law 22 — Wide Ball. A delivery too far from the batter to be playable with a normal shot.
• Law 23 — Bye and Leg Bye. Runs scored without the bat making contact with the ball.

Fielding Side (Laws 24–28)

• Law 24 — Fielders' Absence; Substitutes. Substitutes can field for an injured player but can't bat, bowl, or captain.
• Law 25 — Batter's Innings; Runners. Covers retiring hurt and (outside international cricket) using a runner.
• Law 26 — Practice on the Field. No batting or bowling practice on the actual pitch mid-match.
• Law 27 — The Wicket-Keeper. The only fielder allowed gloves and external leg guards.
• Law 28 — The Fielder. General positioning and conduct rules for the fielding side.

How a Wicket Falls (Laws 29–40)

This is the longest stretch of the 42 rules of cricket, and for good reason it covers every single way a batter can be dismissed.

• Law 29 — The Wicket Is Down. The mechanical definition of what counts as putting the stumps down.
• Law 30 — Batter Out of Their Ground. Determines who's "in" their crease when a wicket is broken.
• Law 31 — Appeals. The fielding side must ask "How's That?" before a dismissal counts — even an obvious one.
• Law 32 — Bowled. Ball hits the stumps directly from the bowler.
• Law 33 — Caught. Ball off the bat, taken cleanly before it bounces.
• Law 34 — Hit the Ball Twice. Rare, but it's out if a batter deliberately hits the ball a second time.
• Law 35 — Hit Wicket. If a batter knocks their own stumps down mid-shot, or while setting off for a run, they're out. One thing the 2026 edition nailed down: this applies for as long as the batter's still regaining balance after the shot, not just the split second their bat or body touches the stumps.
• Law 36 — Leg Before Wicket (LBW). Ball strikes the batter and would have gone on to hit the stumps.
• Law 37 — Obstructing the Field. Deliberately blocking a fielder, or interfering with a catch.
• Law 38 — Run Out. One of the most contested dismissals in the sport — for a full walkthrough of exactly when it applies, check our guide to run out rules in cricket.
• Law 39 — Stumped. The wicketkeeper breaks the stumps while the batter is out of their crease and not attempting a run.
• Law 40 — Timed Out. The incoming batter has 3 minutes to be ready to face a ball.

Fair Play (Laws 41–42)

• Law 41 — Unfair Play. Ball tampering, time-wasting, dangerous bowling, and similar offences.
• Law 42 — Players' Conduct. Umpires' power to penalise bad behaviour, up to and including sending a player off.

Cricket Rules That Are Not in the 42 Laws

This is where a lot of confusion comes from, honestly. Powerplays, free hits, and the stop clock three of the most talked-about rules in modern cricket aren't in the 42 rules of cricket at all. They're ICC playing conditions, which only apply to international and franchise cricket, not to the Laws every level of the game follows. If you've ever wondered exactly how fielding restrictions work across the different phases of a limited-overs innings, our breakdown of run out rules in cricket covers it format by format.

Similarly, the versions of cricket played in a gully, a backyard, or an indoor box venue run on local house rules, not MCC's Laws. Things like "one bounce, one hand catch" or "six and out" are community conventions, not official Law. If that's the version you're playing, our dedicated box cricket rules guide covers how those local adaptations typically work.

42 Rules of Cricket PDF: Where to Download

If you want the complete, word-for-word text rather than a summary, the safest move is going straight to the source. Searching for a 42 rules of cricket pdf will turn up plenty of third-party reposts, some of them outdated by several editions and given how much changed on 1 October, an old copy isn't much use to you.

MCC hosts the current 42 rules of cricket pdf directly on its own site, free of charge, alongside translated versions and a dedicated "changes explained" document. Rather than hosting a copy here that could go stale the next time MCC revises the Laws, we'd point you to MCC's official Laws of Cricket page it's the one place guaranteed to always have the current edition.

Quick Facts Table

FAQs

How many rules are in cricket?

There are 42 official Laws of Cricket, maintained by MCC, plus five supporting appendices that add further definitions.

Who makes the rules of cricket?

MCC the Marylebone Cricket Club, based at Lord's in London. It's held this role since 1787, even though the ICC now governs the sport globally.

Are they called Laws or rules?

Officially, Laws always capitalised. It's one of the only sports that still calls them that instead of "rules" or "regulations" a small quirk that trips up a lot of newer fans.

So what actually changed this time around?

73 material changes, effective 1 October 2026 including laminated bats for open-age cricket, the final over of a day now being bowled in full regardless of wickets, new Size 1/2/3 ball classifications, and a formal legal definition of an overthrow.

Where can I download the Laws?

Directly from MCC's official website, which hosts the current edition free of charge, alongside multiple translated versions.

Conclusion

The laws of cricket have undergone many changes since 1744, with the 2026 laws being the latest example in this line, which demonstrates the adaptability of 280-year-old Laws of Cricket to match the actual game. You will know who is right in their run-out controversy in your local cricket ground next time by simply checking whether they know all 42 rules of cricket or not.