New Delhi – The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a series of major changes to the rules of international cricket, aimed at improving game flow, ensuring consistency in decision-making, and strengthening player safety protocols. These updates apply across formats and come into effect immediately.

1. Stop-Clock to Tackle Time-Wasting

To curb delays between overs, the ICC has introduced a stop-clock mechanism across formats. Bowlers will have a fixed time to begin the next over. Failure to adhere to the timing limit could result in five penalty runs, adding urgency and encouraging faster play.

2. Clearer Rules for Boundary Catches

New clarifications around boundary catches have been introduced to reduce ambiguity. If a fielder first touches the ball inside the field of play but crosses or jumps beyond the boundary while completing the catch, strict guidelines will now determine whether it is legal. This change aims to bring more uniformity to high-stakes decisions.

Old rule vs. new rule

Previously:

A fielder could jump from inside, catch or parry the ball while airborne outside, and even tap it to another airborne teammate—all without restriction—as long as no foot touched the ground outside before the catch was completed.

New rule:

  • Only one touch is allowed while airborne outside the boundary.
  • That player must land inside the field from that touch onward.
  • Single-touch applies to each fielder, including relay players. Each must follow the same requirement.
  • If a fielder lands or steps outside again during the same play, it is automatically declared a boundary—even if the catch is completed later by someone else.

3. Tighter Wide Ball Interpretations

The rules governing wides have been refined. A delivery will now be judged not only on its line but also in relation to the batter's movement. This modification is intended to remove inconsistencies and ensure a fairer assessment across different match situations. 

The IPL has already adopted this approach, where the legality of a delivery is judged based on the batter's initial movement before the ball is released, using ball-tracking technology and updated wide-ball guidelines.

4. Stronger Concussion Substitute Guidelines

Enhancements to concussion substitute rules will allow quicker and more accurate medical interventions. Teams will now have clearer pathways to replace players who suffer head injuries during a game, aligning cricket more closely with international best practices in sports medicine.

Pre-Nominated Pool of Five Substitutes

Before the start of any international match, each team must submit a list of five designated concussion substitutes to the match referee. These five must include:

  • One specialist batter
  • One wicketkeeper
  • One pace bowler
  • One spin bowler
  • One all-rounder

This ensures transparency and avoids last-minute strategic replacements.

Like-for-Like Substitution Strictly Enforced

The replacement player must match the role of the concussed player. The match referee is responsible for approving the substitute and will assess whether the replacement provides any unfair advantage. If necessary, the referee can impose role limitations—such as preventing the substitute from bowling if the original player was not expected to bowl.

Exceptional Circumstances Provision

If a concussion substitute also gets injured or concussed, a replacement outside the original pool of five may be approved—but only under exceptional circumstances and still within the like-for-like criteria.

Mandatory Stand-Down Period

Any player diagnosed with a concussion must observe a minimum seven-day rest period before returning to play. This is based on medical advice and aims to ensure full recovery before rejoining competitive cricket.

Bowling Restrictions

If the original concussed player was not allowed to bowl at the time of injury (due to a captain’s strategy or another reason), then the substitute will also not be allowed to bowl. This prevents teams from gaining tactical advantages from a medical substitution.

Implementation Timeline

  • Test Matches: From June 17, 2025 
  • ODIs: From July 2, 2025
  • T20Is: From July 10, 2025

Purpose of the Rule Change

These revisions were introduced to prevent teams from misusing the concussion substitute option for tactical gain. The aim is to safeguard player health while preserving the competitive balance of the game.

The ICC’s updated rule strengthens medical safety protocols and ensures fairness, maintaining the spirit of the game while responding to recent controversies and evolving health standards.

Why These Changes Matter

These changes aim to address long-standing issues in the game:

  • The stop-clock will speed up play and reduce dead time.
  • Revised wide ball and boundary catch rules bring consistency and reduce subjective decisions by umpires.
  • Enhanced concussion protocols prioritize player health in a contact-prone environment.

Implementation and Next Steps

The updated rules are being implemented across all international matches and will also apply to domestic competitions governed by ICC member boards. These adjustments will be closely monitored over the next season, especially during the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle.

With these rule changes, the ICC signals a commitment to modernizing the game while upholding fairness and safety for players and spectators alike.