Schools Cricket Committee
ECB General Conduct Regulations 2023
All cricketers in England and Wales are expected to observe the ECB’s General Conduct Regulations for Recreational Cricket. The regulations can be found here. The regulations reinforce much of Law 41 and 42 in the new code of the Laws of Cricket (with effect from 1st October 2022.)
In short, the regulations cover both on field conduct such as dissent and off field conduct such as inappropriate use of social media in a cricketing context.
On Field Conduct
There are four levels of offences that should lead to sanctions (as per Law 42) . One would expect that Level One may be an all too regular occurrence, where as a Level Four would be very rare. We hope that Master’s i/c are proactive and will act quickly in sanctioning those miscreants with cricket appropriate punishments rather than school sanctions such as detentions.
The Schools Cricket Committee deem an appropriate sanction for a Level 1 offence would be a one match ban, though schools can ban players for a longer period such as a week that is standard in club cricket. A Level 2 offence would attract a ban of two matches as a minimum. Level 3 and 4 offences must be reported to county boards and should attract much lengthy bans due the serious nature of the offence committed. Appendix 3 on page 19 of the regulations contains a table of tariffs that the suggest for offences including thise for repeat offenders.
The levels and offences are as follows.
Any cricketer shall be in breach of these Regulations, at the relevant level of offence detailed below, if they do not conduct themselves fairly and properly on and around the field of play and otherwise in accordance with the Laws of Cricket or the Spirit of Cricket. Such conduct which will result in a breach of these Regulations shall include any misconduct of a cricketer on any match day as specified in Law 42 of the Laws of Cricket, namely:
LEVEL 1
(a) wilfully mistreating any part of the cricket ground or any equipment or implements used in the match;
(b) showing dissent at an umpire’s decision by word or action;
(c) using language that, in the circumstances, is obscene, offensive or insulting;.
(d) making an obscene gesture;
(e) appealing excessively;
(f) advancing towards an umpire in an aggressive manner when appealing; and/or
(g) any other misconduct, the nature of which is, in the opinion of the umpires, equivalent to a Level 1 offence;
LEVEL 2
(h) showing serious dissent at an umpire’s decision by word or action; (i) making inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with another cricketer;
(j) throwing the ball at a cricketer, umpire or another person in an inappropriate and dangerous manner;
(k) using language or gesture to another cricketer, umpire, team official or spectator that, in the circumstances, is obscene or of a seriously insulting nature; and/or
(l) any other misconduct, the nature of which is, in the opinion of the umpires, equivalent to a Level 2 offence;
LEVEL 3
(m)intimidating an umpire by language or gesture; and/or
(n) threatening to assault a cricketer or any other person except an umpire; or
LEVEL 4
(o) threatening to assault an umpire;
(p) making inappropriate and deliberate and/or dangerous physical contact with an umpire;
(q) physically assaulting a cricketer or any other person; and/or
(r) committing any other act of violence
A cricketer shall also be in breach of these Regulations on and around the field of play if they:
(a) commit any breach of Law 41; or
(b) act in a manner contrary to the ECB’s Anti-Discrimination Code; or
(c) conduct themselves in a manner or act in a manner which is improper, or which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket, or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.
Any coach, match official or Club Official shall be in breach of these Regulations if they fail to conduct themselves fairly and properly on any part of the cricket ground on any match day. Conduct which is not fair and proper and will therefore result in a breach of these Regulations shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) making inappropriate and deliberate and/or dangerous physical contact with, threatening to assault, physically assaulting or committing any act of violence towards any other participant (including an umpire) or any member of the public;
(b) showing dissent at an umpire’s decision by language or gesture, advancing towards an umpire in an aggressive manner when appealing or intimidating an umpire by language or gesture;
(c) using language that, in the circumstances, is obscene, offensive, insulting or seriously insulting;
(d) making an obscene or seriously insulting gesture;
(e) conducting themselves in a manner or acting in a manner which is improper, or which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket, or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute; and/or
(f) acting in a manner contrary to the ECB’s Anti-Discrimination Code
Off-field conduct
A participant shall be in breach of these Regulations if they commit any misconduct as set out below which either relates to their participation in Recreational Cricket and/or is of a sufficiently serious nature to justify disciplinary action being taken in relation to their participation in Recreational Cricket: Further details can be found on pages 8 and 9 of the regulations as to the nature of the offences that are wide ranging and cover offences such as online abuse and bullying or breach the ECB Anti-Discrimination Code.
In addition, participants are considered responsible for any relevant posts on their social media accounts and may be in breach of Regulations 10-12 (as above) for posting, repeating, commenting or supporting posts or comments by others (e.g. ‘retweeting’ or ‘liking’) on social media.
Schools Cricket Committee – Guidance for umpires
We are keen to reduce the level of “noise” on the field of play. If the fielding side indulges in “making more noise”: or “sledging”, we suggest the following course of action
- Ask the Captain to stop his players doing so
- If it persists, warn the Captain a second time reminding him of his duties under the “Spirit of Cricket” in the Premable to the Laws, Law 41 and 42.
- If it still persists, stop the game and report the matter to the Master i/c, who should take his Captain off the field for 10 minutes (with no substitute).