Grade rules · 2025/26
Year 5 Hardball – Grade Rules (2025/26)
Source: Year-5-Hardball-Year-5-6-Incrediball-Grades-and-Girls-Section-4-as-at-26th-September-2025.pdf, pages 4–10, tidied for reading (see “Changes from the original”).
Rules: Christchurch Junior Cricket Association (CJCA). Reformatted as coaching notes; see the source PDF for the official wording.
Grade Format
These grades are for players from school Years 5–6, split into two grades. Players may progress from younger grades, or enter the sport at any stage along this pathway, at which stage they should experience a similar format.
Location
Year 5 and 6 cricket is played at various schools and council grounds, generally on artificial wickets.
Grading
Within these divisions, especially after Christmas, there may be an opportunity to split again based on teams’ results, so that “like vs like” matches can be played and mismatches minimised.
As these are non-competitive grades, no points are awarded and no ladder is kept, but we still want results entered on the PlayHQ website. They provide useful information for grading and moving teams around. For this grade, just enter the net score for your team; don’t worry about the number of wickets taken. This means adding the runs gained by taking wickets to the runs scored by your batters. Each team should enter results.
Draw
The draw up to Christmas will be confirmed after grading. If the draw changes after it is published, junior club convenors will be informed.
Time
These grades start at 9.00 am on Saturday morning, or at 4.30 pm if there is a Friday round.
Eligibility
Players are encouraged to play in the year group they are currently in at school. Should players wish to play down because they are new to the game or because of other circumstances, clubs should apply before the start of the season, giving the names of the players, the team they wish to play for, and a brief explanation of why a dispensation is required for each player to play down a grade.
Players may play up a grade, but parents and caregivers must be aware of the risks involved in playing ahead of their current school year. We recommend no more than one grade higher.
Team Size
All grades are pairs-based cricket.
Years 5 and 6: 8 a side.
Teams with fewer than 8 players should first ask whether the opposition has additional players to balance the teams. If a team has fewer than 8 players, bowling limits can be extended to 3 overs each.
Coaches should make sure all players have an equal opportunity to bat twice or bowl additional overs across the season if necessary. Where possible, opposition players should be asked to field so there are 6 or 8 players in the fielding team.
Teams with more than 8 players should try to maximise participation. Options include batting and bowling fewer overs.
Maximum of 8 players on the field at any one time. Any additional fielders must be rotated on and off the field.
Pitch Length
The pitches are prepared by a club or the CJCA and are painted with numbers to identify them.
16 m (blue lines on artificial wickets).
Boundaries
We want players to hit 4s and 6s, so it’s important that boundaries are achievable. If ground conditions (e.g. long grass) prevent the ball travelling at a reasonable pace, managers and coaches should consult and agree shorter boundaries. The boundary should be marked with cones, or by a stream, path, another match, or anything else that is dangerous or stops the ball, if that is closer than these guidelines. If this occurs, a four or six is signalled.
35 m or natural boundaries.
Equipment
Year 5 Hardball: 142 g leather ball.
From Year 5 upwards, only wooden bats should be used.
Cones can be used to mark the fielding exclusion zone in grades up to Year 6.
Small hitting tees should be used in Super 8 and Year 5 Hardball. Two tees should be set up.
Batters should wear full protective equipment, including a helmet in line with the New Zealand Cricket Helmet Policy.
Wicketkeepers should always wear helmets.
Match Length
All games are one innings each; decide who starts with a coin toss or similar.
Time of Innings
Coaches and managers must keep the game moving so games are completed in good time. All bowling is to be from the same end, and the next batting pair must be ready to bat as soon as the previous pair’s partnership ends. Parents and supporters can be asked to make sure players are ready to go.
Years 5 and 6: 20 overs per side (estimated 3 hours maximum).
Match Setup
For all grades, a 10 m fielding exclusion zone applies; it does not apply to the wicketkeeper.
Umpires should make sure players are not encroaching on this zone, as 10 m is not too far for players to hit the ball with force, either off the tee or in live play.
Cones may be placed around a 10 m circle. No fielder may enter the circle until after the batter has played their shot.
Fielders do not have to stand where the exclusion-zone markers are placed (if used); they can stand level with or beyond the markers. Fielders can therefore be encouraged to field on the boundary, where they can stop the ball.
Batting
Eight batters are placed into pairs, numbered 1–4, by the coach or captain.
Each pair bats together for 5 overs. This is 30 balls, and we would like each batter to face 15 balls, so batters may need to be told to change ends to achieve this, including mid-over after dot balls. The scorer can tell the umpire when the allocated overs are nearly finished and one batter needs to catch up on balls faced.
Switching ends: when dismissed, batters do not face the next delivery, and they always change ends at the end of each over.
Run-outs: if a run-out occurs, the batting side is allocated all the runs being attempted, provided the batters have crossed on the final run, while the fielding team still gets its 3 runs for the wicket.
So if a single was being attempted and a run-out occurs, the batting side keeps the single (provided the batters crossed), and the run is allocated to the appropriate batter. If a run-out occurs on the third run, they keep all 3 runs, provided the batters crossed on the final run.
This is to encourage batters to take runs.
Dismissals
Players can be out bowled, caught, stumped, hit wicket or run out. There are no LBWs.
A player is also out if bails are being used and they don’t fall after the ball has hit the base of the stumps or any wicket, or has passed between two wickets.
Catches should be recorded against the player who took the catch, in a column of the new scoresheets.
Players remain batting when they are out. An out is recorded with an X in the scorebook, and the bowler is credited with the wicket.
The only penalty for being out is that the batters swap ends (this does not apply to run-outs) and the bowling team receives 3 bonus runs, added to its batting total as extras.
Free Hits
In Super 8 and Year 5 Hardball, if a wide or no-ball is bowled, the batter receives a free hit off cones set up on each side of the wicket beside the batter. The batter only gets the runs scored from hitting the free hit.
Batters stay on strike when they receive a wide or no-ball and take their free hit. Free hits in these grades can only result in run-outs.
Batters should be coached to have only one swing at a free hit, although discretion can be used, and coaches can encourage good technique by allowing another swing. The ball must be hit forward of the wicket, on either side. If the ball is hit behind, the batter should be allowed to retake the hit and be shown where they are allowed to hit the ball.
Change in the 2024/25 season: all players may hit off either tee, bringing the entire field into play.
The fielding side must stay in their original positions, and out of the exclusion zone, until the ball is hit off the tee.
If a batter hits a delivery that would have been a wide, they score the runs made from that shot and forfeit their free hit. If no run is scored off the free hit, they must return to the popping crease.
If a no-ball is hit to the boundary, the boundary stands and no free hit is taken.
Fielding
Byes and Overthrows
Byes and overthrows are not limited.
We want to encourage good practices by the fielding team, and coaches should encourage good throws and the use of relay throwing so the ball is returned quickly.
Bowling
- All bowling is in 5-over blocks.
- A bowler may not bowl two overs in a row, and all bowlers should bowl 1 over before any bowler bowls a 2nd.
- There are no re-bowls, so there is a maximum of 6 deliveries in each over.
- Bowlers should have a maximum run-up of 10 m.
- All bowlers should bowl 2 overs, unless you are playing with fewer than 8 players, when bowling limits can be changed.
No-Balls and Wides
Wide and no-ball free-hit cones exist to create more balls in play for batters and fielders.
A wide will be called if:
- the ball passes outside the off-side cone and is not hit by the batter
- the ball passes halfway towards the leg side and is not hit by the batter.
A no-ball will be called if:
- the ball bounces two or more times, or rolls, before reaching the batter’s popping crease (bowlers can bowl from a shorter distance if needed)
- the delivery would have passed above the waist on the full, at a normal batting stance
- the delivery would have passed above the shoulder after bouncing, at a normal batting stance
- any fielder (other than the bowler) encroaches into the fielding exclusion zone before the ball is hit.
Bowling, Not Throwing
Bowlers must be coached to bowl with a straight arm and avoid throwing the ball. Those who find this difficult should bowl from a standing, side-on position, starting with a straight arm against their back leg, and aim to release the ball at the 12 o’clock position. There is no penalty for a thrown delivery in this grade.
We don’t want a bowler to gain an unfair advantage by using an obviously incorrect action. So if a wicket is taken, or a batter seems to be intimidated, the umpire should act; for example, a batter should not be given out off an obvious throw.
Ideally, a word with the opposition coach or umpire will be enough for them to speak to the bowler as soon as the action is noticed.
We don’t want to discourage bowlers from practising in a match, but we also need to protect batters.
In the extreme, a no-ball can be called if an obvious throw results in a wicket being taken.
Scoring
Scoring should be done by a parent or supporter from each team. The grades are non-competitive, so scoring is used only for grading and making sure competition is appropriate. Take care when announcing who has won or has more runs.
Score sheets are available from the CJCA website: https://www.cjca.org.nz/about-us/resources-2/grade-rules-2/
- Each team’s score starts at zero.
- 3 runs are added to the bowling side for each dismissal.
- No extra runs are scored for wides or no-balls, other than the runs from hitting off the cone.
Appendix 1 – Pitch Map
Key: the dotted area is the fielder exclusion zone, reaching 10 m from the batter in front of and to each side of the wicket. The red dots are the hitting tees, 1 m in front of the popping crease; the batter must start on the crease and may hit either ball forward of the wicket. The stars show that slips and gullies are permitted backward of the wicket. The pitch is 16 m.
Appendix 2 – Scoresheets
Changes from the original
This copy is tidied for reading. No numbers, limits or rule meanings were changed. To see the CJCA text exactly as published, switch Wording to As published in Settings.
Added
- A short text description of the pitch map (the PDF only has the picture).
Removed or shortened
- The second-innings copy of the scoresheet is not repeated: it is the same apart from its title and the C and D labels on the total boxes (see the note under the scoresheet).
- The PDF’s own page markers; clauses that apply only to Super 8s or Girls Division 4 were already removed when the grades were separated.
- The grade-format heading names all three grades in the PDF; here it is just “Grade Format”.
- “(See graphics below)” under wides: the PDF has no graphics there.
- A repeated sentence under Match Setup (fielders not entering the zone until after the shot).
- “Super 8 Year 5/6: 20 overs per side” is not repeated, as only the Year 5 & 6 line applies to this grade.
Spelling and terms
- “warn” → “worn” (now reworded as “Batters should wear…”); “wicket keeper” → “wicketkeeper”.
- “LBW’s” → “LBWs”; “4 and 6’s” → “4s and 6s”; “it important” → “it’s important”; “practicing” → “practising”; “hit of either tee” → “hit off either tee”.
- “No Ball” → “no-ball”; “Run Out” (the dismissal) → “run-out”; “Free Hit” → “free hit”; “less than 8 players” → “fewer than 8 players”.
Capitals and emphasis
- Words in capitals (for example “PLAYERS REMAIN BATTING WHEN THEY ARE OUT”, “IN 5 OVER BLOCKS”, “SMALL”, “TWO”, “CAN”, “MAY”, “ALWAYS”, “MUST”, “NOT LIMITED”) changed to sentence case, with bold for emphasis.
- Headings use consistent capitals and no trailing colons; “Byes / Overthrows” → “Byes and Overthrows”.
Punctuation, units and spacing
- Appendix headings numbered: “Appendix One” → “Appendix 1”, “Appendix Two” → “Appendix 2”.
- “Year 5&6” and “Year 5 & 6” → “Years 5 and 6”.
- Units written as 16 m, 35 m, 10 m and 142 g; times as 9.00 am and 4.30 pm.
- Missing full stops, commas and apostrophes added; the first “CLICK HERE” link now names the page it opens.
- The wide and no-ball conditions are written as one sentence each, introduced by “if:”.
Wording smoothed (meaning unchanged)
- Draw: “Draws will be confirmed until Christmas following grading” → “The draw up to Christmas will be confirmed after grading”.
- Match Setup: “this excludes the wicket keeper” → “it does not apply to the wicketkeeper”.
- Free Hits: “Should a ball be hit behind the batter should be allowed to retake the hit” → “If the ball is hit behind, the batter should be allowed to retake the hit”.
- Byes and overthrows: “coaches should encourage good throws / the use of relay throwing to ensure the ball is returned in good time” → “… good throws and the use of relay throwing so the ball is returned quickly”.
- Long sentences in Eligibility, Boundaries, Team Size, Free Hits and Bowling Not Throwing split or reordered for readability.
Grade rules · 2025/26
Year 5 Hardball – Grade Rules (2025/26)
Source: Year-5-Hardball-Year-5-6-Incrediball-Grades-and-Girls-Section-4-as-at-26th-September-2025.pdf, pages 4 onward (the pitch map and scoresheets are included as images).
Rules: Christchurch Junior Cricket Association (CJCA). Reformatted as coaching notes; see the source PDF for the official wording.
Year 5 Hardball, Year 5/6 Super 8’s and Girls Division 4 Grade Format
These grades are for players from School Years 5-6, split into two grades, Players may progress from younger grades or enter the sport at any stage along this pathway at which stage they should experience a similar format.
Location
Year 5 & 6 cricket is played at various schools and council grounds, generally on artificial wickets.
Grading
Within these divisions, especially after Christmas there may be an opportunity to split again based on the results of teams so “like vs like” matches can be played, and mismatches minimised.
As these are non-competitive grades, no points are awarded, or ladder given but we do still want results entered onto the PlayHQ website. These provide useful information for grading and moving teams around. For this grade you should just enter the net score for your team, don’t worry about the number of wickets taken. This means adding the runs gained by taking wickets to the runs scored by your batters. Each team should enter results.
Draw
Draws will be confirmed until Christmas following grading. If there are changes to draws after they are published Junior Club Convenors will be informed.
Time
These grades start at either 9.00am on a Saturday morning or if there is a Friday round, then it will be a 4.30pm start.
Eligibility
Players are encouraged to play in the year group they are currently in at school. Should players wish to play down due to being new to the game or other circumstances, Clubs should apply prior to the start of the season detailing the name of the players which team they wish to play for a brief explanation of why a dispensation is required for the player to play DOWN a grade.
Players may play UP a grade, but parents/caregivers must be aware of the risks involved in playing ahead of their current school year. We recommend no more than one grade higher.
Team Size
All grades are pairs-based cricket.
Year 5 & 6: 8 a side
Teams with less than 8 players should first enquire if the opposition has additional players to balance the teams. Should teams have less than 8 players bowling limits can be extended to 3 overs each.
Coaches should look to ensure all players have an equal opportunity to bat twice or bowl additional overs throughout the season if necessary. Where possible opposition players should be asked to field to ensure there are 6 or 8 players in the fielding team.
Teams with more than 8 players should try to maximise participation. Options can include batting and bowling for less overs.
MAXIMUM OF 8 PLAYERS ON THE FIELD AT ANY ONE TIME –
Any additional fielders must be rotated on and off the field
Pitch Length
The pitches will be prepared by either a club or CJCA these will be painted with numbers to identify.
16 metres (blue lines on artificial wickets)
Boundaries
We want players to get 4 and 6’s so it important that boundaries are achievable for players, should ground conditions i.e. grass length prevent balls travelling at a reasonable pace then managers/coaches should consult and agree to shortened boundary sizes. The boundary should be marked with cones, or a stream, path, another match, anything that is dangerous or stops the forward momentum of the ball that may be closer than these guidelines. If this occurs a four or six is signalled.
35 metres or natural boundaries
Equipment
Year 5 Hardball: 142g Leather ball
From Year 5 upwards only Wooden Bats should be used
Cones CAN be used to indicate the fielding exclusion zone in grades up to Year 6.
SMALL Hitting tees should be used in Super 8 and Year 5 Hardball. TWO tees should be set up.
Full Protective equipment should be warn by batter including a Helmet inline with the New Zealand Cricket Helmet Policy CLICK HERE
Wicket keepers should ALWAYS wear Helmets
Match Length
All games are one innings each and should be decided who starts with a coin toss, or similar.
Time of Innings
Coaches and managers must keep the game moving to ensure games are completed in a timely manner. All bowling is to be from the same end and the next batting pair must be ready to bat immediately following the previous pair's partnership. Parents / supporters can be tasked with ensuring the players are ready to go.
Year 5 & 6: 20 overs per side (estimate 3 hours maximum)
Match Setup:
For all grades, a 10-metre fielding exclusion zone exists, this excludes the wicket keeper.
Umpires should ensure that players are not encroaching on this zone as 10 metres is not too far for players to hit the ball with force EITHER Off-the-Tee or in live play
Cones MAY be placed around a 10m circle where no fielder is allowed inside until the batter has played their shot The fielders should not enter the zone until AFTER the batter has played their shot.
Note that fielders DO NOT have to stand where the fielding exclusion zone markers are placed IF USED– just level or beyond the markers. Fielders can therefore be encouraged to field on the boundary giving them the ability to stop the ball.
Batting
Eight batters are placed into pairs numbered 1-4 by coach/captain.
Each pair will bat together for 5 overs. This is 30 balls, and we would like each batter to face 15 balls so batters may need to be told to change ends to achieve this, including mid over after dot balls. The scorer can advise the umpire when they feel it is getting near the end of the allocated overs and one batter has some catching up on balls faced to do.
Switching Ends: When dismissed, batters do not face the next delivery and always change ends at the completion of each over.
Run outs: If a 'Run Out' occurs the batting side is allocated all the runs being attempted, provided the batters have gone past each other (crossed) on the final run, whilst the fielding team still get their 3 runs for the wicket.
Therefore, if a single was being attempted and a 'Run Out' occurs, they keep the single (provided the batters have crossed) and the run should be allocated to the appropriate batter. If a 'Run Out' occurs on the third run, they keep all 3 runs, provided the batters had crossed on the final run.
This is to encourage batters to take runs.
Dismissals
Players can be bowled, caught, stumped, hit wicket and run out. There are no LBW’s.
A player is also 'Out' if bails are being used and fail to dislodge after the ball has struck either the base of the stumps or any wicket or has passed between two wickets.
Catches should be recorded against the player who took the catch in a column of the new scoresheets.
PLAYERS REMAIN BATTING WHEN THEY ARE OUT – an out is recorded with a X in the scorebook and the bowler credited with a wicket.
The only penalty for being 'Out' is that batters swap ends (this does not apply to 'Run Out') and the bowling team receives 3 bonus runs add to their Batting total as EXTRAS.
Free Hits
In Super 8 or Year 5 Hardball should wides or no-balls be bowled players should receive a FREE HIT, off cones which are set up on each side of the wicket beside the batter. The batter only gets the runs scored from the hit off the free hit.
Batters should remain on-strike if they receive a Wide or No-ball and take their Free Hit. Free hits in these grades can only result in RUN OUTS.
Batters should be coached to only get one swing at a free hit, although discretion can be used, and coaches can encourage good technique to have another swing. The ball must be hit forward of the wicket on either side. Should a ball be hit behind the batter should be allowed to retake the hit and coached where they are permitted to hit the ball.
Change in 2024/25 Season. All players may hit of either tee, bringing the entire field into play
The fielding side must remain in their original positions and out of the exclusion zone until the ball is hit off the tee.
If a batter hits a delivery that would have been a 'wide' they score runs made from that shot and forfeit their 'Free Hit'. If no run is scored off the free hit, they must return to the popping crease.
If a No ball delivery is hit to the boundary by the batter, this boundary should stand, and no free hit be taken.
Fielding
Byes / Overthrows
Byes and overthrows ARE NOT LIMITED
We want to encourage good practices by the fielding team, and the coaches should encourage good throws / the use of relay throwing to ensure the ball is returned in good time.
Bowling
- All bowling is IN 5 OVER BLOCKS.
- A bowler may not bowl two overs in a row, and all bowlers should bowl 1 over before any bowler bowls a 2nd.
- There are no ‘re-bowls’, so there is a maximum of 6 deliveries in each over.
- Bowlers should have a maximum of a 10-metre run up.
- All bowlers should bowl 2 overs, unless you are playing with less than 8 players when bowling limits can be changed.
No Balls and Wides
Wide/No-ball FREE HIT cones exist to create more balls in play for batters and fielders.
A “Wide” Ball will be called if
- Any ball that passes outside the offside cone and is not hit by the batter shall be deemed a 'wide'.
- Any ball passing halfway towards the legside and is not hit by the batter should also be called wide. (See graphics below)
A No Ball will be called if ...
- The ball bounces TWO or more times or rolls on the pitch before reaching the batters popping crease. (Bowlers can bowl from a shorter distance if needed
- The delivery would have passed over the waist on the full at normal batting stance.
- If the delivery would have passed over the shoulder after it bounces at normal batting stance.
- If players (not the bowler) encroach into the fielding exclusion zone before the ball is hit.
Bowling Not Throwing
Bowlers MUST be coached to bowl with a straight arm and avoid ‘throwing’ the ball. Those that find this difficult should bowl from a standing, side on position, starting with a straight arm against their back leg and aim to release the ball at the 12 o’clock position. There is no penalty for a thrown delivery at this grade.
We do not want a bowler to achieve ‘an unfair advantage’ by using an obviously incorrect action, so if a wicket is gained or it is felt that a batter is being intimidated then the umpire should take action. i.e. a batter should not be given out from an obvious thrown ball.
Ideally a word with the opposition coach/umpire will be sufficient for them to have a word with the bowler as soon as the action is noticed.
We do not want to discourage bowlers from practicing in a match but also need to protect batters.
In the extreme, a no ball can be called, if an obvious thrown delivery results in a wicket being taken.
Scoring
Scoring should be done by a parent/supporter from each team, the grades are non-competitive, so scoring is only used for grading and ensuring appropriate competition. Therefore, care should be taken about announcing who has won or has more runs etc
Score sheets are available from the CJCA website
https://www.cjca.org.nz/about-us/resources-2/grade-rules-2/
- Each team’s score starts at Zero.
- 3 runs are added to the bowling side for each dismissal obtained.
- No extra runs scored for wides or no balls other than the runs obtained from hitting off the cone.