Moving up · 2026/27
Moving Up – Girls Division 4 (2025/26) to Girls Division 3 (2026/27)
Sources:
- Girls Division 4: CJCA Year 5 Hardball, Year 5/6 Super 8’s and Girls Division 4 rules, “as at 26th September 2025”. Only the Division 4 rules are compared; see the Girls Division 4 rules (2025/26).
- Girls Division 3: CJCA Girls Division Three (Year 7/8) grade conditions, “as at 26th August 2026” (the cover says “As at 6th August 2026”). See the Girls Division 3 rules (2026/27).
- Also referred to: the CJCA Girls Grade Summary (2026/27), which calls Division 4 “Girls Junior Super 8 (Up to Year 6)” and Division 3 “Girls Intermediate Hardball (Up to Year 8)”.
Comparing the two shows what changes for a girl moving from Division 4 (pairs cricket, up to Year 6) up to Division 3 (hardball, up to Year 8). It’s a big step: a leather ball, a longer pitch, 9 a side, individual batting with a grace period, retirement at 15 balls, LBW, and bowled extras worth a run.
⚠ The Division 4 rules compared here are the 2025/26 rules (the CJCA document dated 26 September 2025), which players moving up in 2026/27 played under last season. The Division 3 rules are the 2026/27 rules. What the CJCA changed in Division 3 for 2026/27 (retiring after 15 legitimate balls, 5 bonus runs in the grace period, the new fielding restriction and the POD system) is on the Girls Division 3 “What’s changed” page; those changes are already in the right-hand column here.
The general CJCA conditions (pages 1–2) are almost the same in both documents, including “MCC Laws of Cricket apply unless otherwise stated”, which matters here because the Division 3 rules leave out several Division 4 rules (see the ⚠ rows). The Division 3 document has a different cover, no CJCA Girls Convenor contact, a few extra highlights, and the older wording about Year 6 changing “to those of Year 7 AFTER CHRISTMAS”. Neither grade changes its conditions after Christmas.
How to read the table:
- Same means the Division 3 rule means the same as the Division 4 rule.
- Not stated means the rule isn’t mentioned in that document; the MCC Laws apply “unless otherwise stated”. Rows like this are marked ⚠.
- Rows whose rule name is in bold are the ones players, coaches and umpires need to do differently in Division 3.
Rules: Christchurch Junior Cricket Association (CJCA). Reformatted as coaching notes; see the source PDF for the official wording.
What changes – at a glance
- Hard ball: an Incrediball (⚠ not named for Division 4; the pitch map says “Junior Girls Incrediball”) → a 142 g leather ball, pink or red. Full protective equipment and a helmet were already required in the rules, and keepers always wear helmets; ⚠ the Girls Grade Summary had given Junior Super 8 only “Minimum front pad and all other safety equipment”.
- No more pairs cricket – a grace period instead: a batter who is out in their first 6 legitimate balls stays in, changes ends with the non-striker, and the bowling side gets +5 runs. From the 7th ball, out is out. (In Division 4 a batter was never out, and every dismissal gave +3 runs.)
- Retirement: each pair batted 5 overs (aim 15 balls each) → each batter retires immediately after 15 legitimate balls. Retired batters come back in order once everyone else is out or retired, but a batter dismissed in their grace period can’t come back. The last batter standing keeps batting.
- LBW: none → back-foot LBW on appeal (pitched in line, hit in front, going on to hit the stumps, batter on the back foot; any doubt, not out).
- Wides and no-balls: no runs and a free hit off a tee after every wide or no-ball → 1 run plus any runs scored, with the ball live and no re-bowl (except in the last over). After a no-ball on balls 1–5 the next bowled ball is a free hit. No tees. Wides are judged by the umpire (“full wides on the offside and halfway to that on the legside”), not by the off-side cone, and a ball that hits the batter isn’t a wide.
- Bigger ground and team: 16 m pitch → 18 m (shown only on the pitch map); 8 → 9 a side; boundary 35 m → ⚠ not stated (the Girls Grade Summary says “35m where possible”).
- Bowling: every bowler bowls 2 overs → max 5 overs, and nobody bowls a 4th until everyone has bowled 3; run-up 10 m → 15 m; all bowling from one end → 5-over blocks, then change ends.
- Batting order and PODs: pairs numbered 1–4 → rotate the batting order from game to game, and use the POD system.
- Fielding: a new rule that at least 3 fielders must be closer to the batter than the boundary. Division 3 has no exclusion-zone text, but its pitch map shows a 10 m zone with slips and gullies allowed.
- Fewer or more players: dismissed batters (fewest balls faced first) bat again to make up 9; with more than 9, only 9 field and the innings ends at the 9th wicket. Coaches can’t retire batters early unless they have more than 9 players.
- Unchanged: 20 overs a side, a maximum of 6 balls an over, unlimited byes and overthrows, full protective equipment and helmets, the same no-ball rules, no penalty for a thrown delivery, non-competitive results entered on PlayHQ, and 9.00 am Saturday starts.
- ⚠ Conflicts in the Division 3 document: the scoresheet says “3 runs per wicket taken in Grace Period” (the rules say 5); “Max 5 overs per bowler”, but bowling limits for a short team “can be extended to 4 overs each”; and the umpire-judgement wide is followed by the older “passes outside the offside line” bullets.
Rules table
Format, players and ground
| Rule | Girls Division 4 (2025/26) | Girls Division 3 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Pairs cricket (“All grades are pairs-based cricket”) | Individual batting with a grace period: “a traditional format of cricket” for girls up to Year 8 |
| Who may play | “players from School Years 5-6” | “girls up to Year 8”; high-school girls not normally, but “girls newer to cricket can be considered”; “Talented Year 6 Girls may also be considered” |
| Team size | 8 a side (“Year 5 & 6: 8 a side”) | 9 a side |
| Maximum players on field | 8; extra players are rotated on and off the field | 9 (“only 9 may field at any one time”) |
| Fewer players than a full team | Ask opposition to lend players “to ensure there are 6 or 8 players in the fielding team”; bowling limits “can be extended to 3 overs each” | Ask opposition to balance the teams; bowling limits “can be extended to 4 overs each”; dismissed players bat again to make up 9 (fewest balls faced first; retired batters return before them), and their runs count |
| More players than a full team | Maximise participation: “batting and bowling for less overs” | Only 9 field; all may bat and bowl, but the innings ends at the 9th wicket against a team of 9. If both teams have extras, all may bat by agreement. Coaches may not retire batters early unless they have more than 9 players |
| POD system | Not stated (pairs grade) | Teams “should operate a “POD system”” (CJCA directive, August 2026) |
| Start time | 9.00 am Saturday, or 4.30 pm “if there is a Friday round” | 9.00 am Saturday, or 4.30 pm “if there is a Thursday/Friday round” |
| Grounds | Schools and council grounds, generally artificial wickets | Same, “with some grass wickets also being used” |
| Pitch length | 16 m (blue lines on artificial wickets) | 18 m – ⚠ shown only on the Appendix 1 pitch map; the text doesn’t give it |
| Boundary | 35 m or natural boundaries | ⚠ Not stated (the Girls Grade Summary says “35m where possible”) |
| Ball | ⚠ Not stated for Division 4. The Super 8s line: “Year 5&6 Incrediball: “Club Junior Club weight” Incrediball”; the pitch map is titled “… & Junior Girls Incrediball” | “142g Leather ball (PINK or RED)” (the Girls Grade Summary adds “Red to be phased out by 2027/28”) |
| Bats | Wooden bats only from Year 5 upwards | ⚠ Not stated |
| Hitting tees | ⚠ Named only for “Super 8 and Year 5 Hardball” (“TWO tees should be set up”); the Girls summary says “Small Tees.” | No tees (the Girls Grade Summary: “NO BATTING TEES”) |
| Protective equipment | Full protective gear and helmet for batters (NZC Helmet Policy); “Wicket keepers should ALWAYS wear Helmets” | Same |
Match structure
| Rule | Girls Division 4 (2025/26) | Girls Division 3 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Innings | One innings each, 20 overs per side (⚠ from the “Year 5 & 6” line; Division 4 not named); coin toss for who starts | Same (“20 overs per side (6 ball maximum)”) |
| Expected duration | About 3 hours maximum | ⚠ Not stated |
| Bowling end | “All bowling is to be from the same end”, in 5-over blocks | “5 over blocks from the same end before rotating” – the bowling end changes every 5 overs |
| Next batter in | Next pair ready immediately after the previous pair’s partnership | Not stated – with individual batting, a new batter comes in when one is out or retires |
| When an innings ends | After 20 overs (batters are never fully out) | When the overs are bowled or the 9th wicket falls |
| Exclusion zone | 10 m zone, “this excludes the wicket keeper”; cones may mark a 10 m circle; fielders don’t enter until after the shot. The pitch map also shows slips and gullies permitted backward of the wicket | ⚠ No exclusion-zone text in the grade rules (the general conditions say fielders stay “outside the fielding exclusion zone”). The pitch map shows a 10 m zone on each side and in front, with slips and gullies permitted backward of the wicket |
Batting
| Rule | Girls Division 4 (2025/26) | Girls Division 3 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Batting order | 8 batters in pairs numbered 1–4 by coach/captain | “Rotation of the batting order is required”; equal opportunity for all players over each half season; POD system |
| How long a batter bats | Each pair bats 5 overs (30 balls); aim for 15 balls each, changing ends mid-over after dot balls if needed | Until out, or “Batter must retire immediately when they have faced 15 legitimate balls” (wides and no-balls don’t count) |
| Retired batters | Not applicable | Return in the order they retired, once all other batters are out or retired. Batters dismissed in their grace period may not return |
| Last batter standing | Not applicable | The last not-out batter keeps batting and takes all the strike; the last batter out stays as non-striker; either may be run out to end the innings |
| Switching ends | Dismissed batter doesn’t face the next ball; batters always change ends at the end of each over | A batter dismissed in the grace period changes ends with the non-striker. ⚠ The end-of-over change of ends isn’t stated |
| Runs on a run-out | Batting side keeps all runs being attempted if the batters crossed on the final run | ⚠ Not stated (standard Laws: the run in progress doesn’t count) |
Dismissals and penalties
| Rule | Girls Division 4 (2025/26) | Girls Division 3 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Ways of being out | Bowled, caught, stumped, hit wicket, run-out. No LBW | Same, plus LBW – only on appeal, pitched in line, hitting the pads in front of the stumps before the bat, definitely going on to hit, and the batter on the back foot. “ANY doubt – not out” |
| Bails rule | Also out if bails are used but don’t fall when the ball hits the base of the stumps or passes between them | ⚠ Not stated |
| What happens when a batter is out | Batter stays in. Recorded as X; bowler credited; batters swap ends (not for a run-out) | Within the first 6 legitimate balls faced (grace period): stays in and changes ends with the non-striker. From the 7th ball: out |
| Bonus runs to bowling side | +3 runs for every dismissal (added as extras) | +5 runs for a dismissal within the grace period. ⚠ The scoresheet says “3 runs per wicket taken in Grace Period” |
Extras, free hits and wides
| Rule | Girls Division 4 (2025/26) | Girls Division 3 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Runs for a wide / no-ball | No extra runs. The batter only gets runs from hitting the free hit off the cone/tee | 1 run plus any runs scored; the ball stays live (batters can run) |
| Balls per over | No re-bowls: maximum 6 deliveries | No re-bowls: maximum 6, except the last over, which must have 6 legitimate deliveries |
| Free hit – when | ⚠ After every wide or no-ball (the Free Hits section names only “Super 8 or Year 5 Hardball”) | After a no-ball on balls 1–5 only. A no-ball on the 6th ball: 2 runs, no free hit |
| Free hit – how | Off a hitting tee beside the batter (either side); the batter stays on strike; must be hit forward of the wicket | The next bowled delivery is the free hit; normal batting |
| Free hit – dismissal | Run-out only | Same |
| Free hit – fielders | Stay in original positions and out of the exclusion zone until the ball is hit off the tee | Stay in their positions (minor changes allowed for a left/right-hander change) – effectively Same |
| Batter hits a would-be wide | Scores the runs from that shot and forfeits the free hit | Becomes a normal delivery: runs from the shot only, and can be out in all the normal ways |
| No-ball hit for a boundary | The boundary stands and no free hit is taken | ⚠ Not stated (the no-ball is 1 run plus runs scored, then a free hit) |
| Wide definition | Passes outside the off-side cone and not hit; or passes halfway towards the leg side and not hit | Umpire judgement: so wide the batter has no reasonable opportunity to reach it; “Full wides on the offside and halfway to that on the legside should be the guide”; coaches/umpires agree the standard before the game; not a wide if it hits the batter. ⚠ The older off-side line and leg-side bullets follow |
| No-ball conditions | Bounces twice or rolls; full toss above waist; above shoulder after bouncing; fielders (not the bowler) encroach into the exclusion zone before the ball is hit | Same |
Fielding
| Rule | Girls Division 4 (2025/26) | Girls Division 3 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Fielders on boundary | Not stated | “A minimum of 3 players must be closer to the Batter than the Boundary at all times.” (⚠ doesn’t say whether the bowler and keeper count; the Girls Grade Summary says they don’t) |
| Byes / overthrows | Not limited (“ARE NOT LIMITED”), with encouragement to use relay throws | Unlimited (“unlimited in this grade”) – effectively Same |
| Recording catches | Against the catcher on the scoresheet | Same (“or on PlayHQ”) |
| Recording run-outs | Not stated | Those involved in run-outs noted on the scoresheet or in PlayHQ |
Bowling
| Rule | Girls Division 4 (2025/26) | Girls Division 3 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Overs per bowler | All bowlers should bowl 2 overs (can change with fewer than 8 players). No maximum stated | Max 5 overs per bowler (⚠ the Girls Grade Summary says 4) |
| Bowling order | No two overs in a row; all bowlers bowl 1 over before anyone bowls a 2nd | No successive overs; nobody bowls a 4th over until all have bowled 3 |
| Season share | Not stated | All team members bowl the same number of overs across the season |
| Run-up | Maximum 10 m | Maximum 15 m |
| Throwing | Coach a straight-arm action; no penalty for a thrown delivery, but a batter shouldn’t be given out off an obvious throw (no-ball in the extreme) | Same |
Scoring and results
| Rule | Girls Division 4 (2025/26) | Girls Division 3 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Scorers | A parent/supporter from each team; be careful announcing winners (non-competitive) | Same |
| Results on PlayHQ | Enter the net score (runs plus runs gained from wickets) | Results entered by the team or its Club/School Convenor; scoring “Ideally … on PlayHQ” (e-scoring) |
| Score starts at | Zero | Same |
| Runs for dismissals | +3 for each dismissal | “5 runs are added to the bowling side for each dismissal obtained” (the Grace Period section limits this to the first 6 balls) |
| Runs for wides / no-balls | None, except runs from hitting off the cone | 1 run each, plus runs scored |
| Scoresheet (Appendix 2) | The pairs scoresheet for Year 5 Hardball, Super 8s and Girls Division 4 | The CJCA Year 7 & 8 scoresheet, with a grace-period grid and fall of wickets |
Possible errors or inconsistencies
Issues already listed on the Girls Division 4 “What’s changed” and Girls Division 3 “What’s changed” pages are summarised briefly here; see those pages for the full wording.
Affecting how the game is played
- Two wide rules in Division 3. The No Balls and Wides section first sets an umpire-judgement standard (“so wide that they are prevented from a reasonable opportunity to make contact”, “Full wides on the offside and halfway to that on the legside should be the guide”, “If the ball is struck by or hits the batter, then it is not a wide”), then repeats the junior-grade bullets: “Any ball that passes outside the offside line and is not hit by the batter shall be deemed a 'wide'” and “Any ball passing halfway towards the legside … (See graphics below)”. There are no graphics. A girl moving up from Division 4’s off-side cone could be judged either way; coaches and umpires should agree the standard before the game, as the rules ask.
- Scoresheet bonus runs: the Division 3 scoresheet says “3 runs per wicket taken in Grace Period”, but the rules say “a bonus 5 runs”.
- Overs per bowler: Division 3 says “Max 5 overs per bowler”, but a short team’s “bowling limits can be extended to 4 overs each”; the Girls Grade Summary says 4. Division 4 had the opposite problem: “All bowlers should bowl 2 overs” covers only 16 of the 20 overs.
- Rules that don’t carry over: Division 4’s run-out rule (the batting side keeps “all the runs being attempted”), its bails rule, and the end-of-over change of ends aren’t in the Division 3 rules, so the MCC Laws apply. Division 3 also doesn’t say whether a run-out in a batter’s first 6 balls is covered by the grace period, or which batter’s grace period applies when the non-striker is run out.
- Ground sizes: the Division 3 rules give no boundary size, and the 18 m pitch and 10 m exclusion zone appear only on the pitch map. The Division 4 rules give 35 m and 16 m in the text.
- Division 4 not named: the 2025/26 Division 4 rules don’t name the grade for the ball, tees, overs or free hits, so the starting point for these rows comes from the Super 8s clauses and the Girls Grade Summary.
Document and wording issues
- “Catches and Stumpings”: the Division 3 heading names stumpings, but the text under it covers only catches (“Catches should be recorded against the player who took the catch…”).
- Old Year 6 wording: the Division 3 general conditions still say “In Year 6 only the Grade Conditions shall change to those of Year 7 AFTER CHRISTMAS”, where the Division 4 document has the current Year 6 pre-/post-Christmas wording.
- No girls contact: the Division 3 document has no CJCA Girls Convenor contact; the Division 4 document lists one (with an email address that links to a OneDrive file path rather than an email link).
- Cover date: the Division 3 cover says “As at 6th August 2026”, but the file name says “as at 26th August 2026”.