Box Cricket Rules Explained (Common Local Rules)

There is no official rulebook for box cricket. The Laws of Cricket were written for open grounds, and box cricket is played inside a netted cage on artificial turf, so every venue and every tournament agrees its own local rules. Most of them follow the same pattern, though: 6 to 8 players a side, 5 or 6 overs an innings, special scoring for hitting the nets, and a firm rule about the roof.

Below are the most common box cricket rules, what each one is for, and a sample rules sheet you can copy before your next game.

Why box cricket needs its own rules

A box is small, usually somewhere around 25 to 40 metres long, with nets on every side and often a net roof. That changes the game:

• There is no real boundary, so you need another way to award fours and sixes.
• The ball rebounds off walls and nets, which opens up new ways to take a catch.
• There is no room for eleven fielders, so teams are smaller.
• The roof turns a big hit into a problem rather than a six.

Every rule below is a local convention, not a Law of Cricket. Agree them before the toss, write them down, and make sure both captains have seen them.

Players a side and overs

The most common set-ups are:

With 6 players and 5 overs, a one-over-per-bowler cap means five different bowlers and only one player who does not bowl, usually the keeper. That keeps everyone involved, which is the whole point of box cricket.

Many venues book in one-hour slots, and a 6-over-a-side game with a quick changeover fits comfortably inside one.

Scoring off the nets and walls

This is where local rules vary the most. Typical versions:

• Ground shot that reaches the back net: 4 runs, or sometimes 2.
• Ball hitting the back net on the full: 6 runs.
• Ball hitting a side net on the full: often 2 or 4 runs, depending on the venue.
• Running between the wickets: usually allowed for ground shots that stay in play, but some boxes allow running only for byes or not at all.

Some venues paint zones on the nets, with different runs for each zone. Whatever you use, put it in the rules sheet with the exact number of runs.

Catches: one tip one hand

The classic rule borrowed from gully cricket is one tip one hand: if the ball bounces once, or hits a net or wall once, and the fielder catches it cleanly with one hand, the batter is out.

Common variations:

• One-bounce catch: a catch after one bounce on the turf counts, with one hand or two.
• Off the wall: a catch straight off a side net or wall counts as out.
• Off the roof: usually not a catch, because the roof rule applies first.

Be precise. "One bounce" should say whether it means turf only, net only, or either.

The roof rule

If the box has a net roof, hitting it needs a rule, otherwise the tallest hitters win every game. The usual choices are:

• Roof hit is out: strict, and common in smaller boxes.
• Roof hit is a dead ball: no runs, no dismissal.
• Roof hit counts as a fixed score: for example 1 or 2 runs.

Most tournaments go with "out" for the batter, because it rewards keeping the ball down, which is what box cricket is all about.

Last man stands

In normal cricket an innings ends when ten wickets have fallen, because one batter cannot bat alone. In box cricket, last man stands (or last man standing) lets the final batter carry on alone until they are out or the overs run out.

The usual extras that go with it:

• The last batter can score only by running to the bowler's end and back, or only by hitting boundaries, depending on the local rule.
• A run-out at either end counts.

Without last man stands, a 6-a-side team has only five wickets, and an innings can collapse in two overs.

Retire at a set score

To stop one strong batter taking the whole innings, many tournaments make batters retire at a set score, for example 20 or 25 runs in a 6-over game. Agree whether a retired batter can come back in if the rest are all out. Most allow it.

Wides, no-balls and bowling

Box cricket wides and no-balls are usually stricter than in the open:

• Wide or no-ball: 1 run plus a re-bowl is standard; some tournaments award 2 runs.
• Free hit after a no-ball for overstepping.
• Bowling is often underarm or a short, flat overarm action, with no bouncers above the shoulder.
• LBW is usually not given at all.

Our guide to wides and no-balls local rules goes deeper on these.

A sample box cricket rules sheet

Copy this, change the settings to suit your venue, and share it with every captain.

Tip: Read the rules sheet out loud at the toss. Ten seconds then saves a ten-minute argument later.

Scoring box cricket without the arguments

Box cricket breaks most scoring apps, because they assume 11 players and standard extras. In MyGully11 you can set fewer players a side, last man standing, one-bounce catches, retire at a set score and your own runs for wides and no-balls once for the whole tournament, and the scorer follows them on every ball. It also handles a super over for ties.

Running a full event rather than a single game? Our box cricket tournament app page covers fixtures and the points table, and cricket tournament formats helps you fit everything into your booked slots. If you play with a tennis ball in the open too, see tennis ball cricket rules.

Frequently asked questions