Moving up · 2026/27
Moving Up – Mini Mags (2025/26) to Girls Division 4 (2026/27)
Sources:
- Mini Mags (Girls Division 5): CJCA Kiwi, Year 3-4 & Mini Mags “Outfield Cricket” grade conditions, “as at 26th September 2025”. This was one document for Kiwi, Year 3 & 4 and Mini Mags. Mini Mags is named only in its title, so the Mini Mags rules for 2025/26 are the shared and Year 3 & 4 rules. The CJCA Girls Grade Summary as at 28 July 2025 gives Mini Mags the same format. See the Mini Mags rules (2025/26).
- Girls Division 4: CJCA Year 5 & 6 ‘Super 8s’ Incrediball, Year 5 Hardball and Division 4 Girls rules, “as at 26th August 2026”. Only the Division 4 rules are compared; see the Girls Division 4 rules (2026/27). The CJCA Girls Grade Summary (2026/27) calls this grade “Girls Junior Super 8 (Up to Year 6)”.
Comparing the two shows what changes for a girl moving from Mini Mags (up to Year 4) up to Girls Division 4 (up to Year 6).
⚠ The Mini Mags 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 4 rules are the 2026/27 rules. What the CJCA changed in Division 4 for 2026/27 is on the Girls Division 4 “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. The differences are the cover title, the CJCA Girls Convenor (Emma Norrish in 2025/26, Kelly Hodder in 2026/27, with the same girls@cjca.org.nz address) and the Year 6 paragraph: the 2025/26 Mini Mags document still had the out-of-date wording about Year 6 changing “to those of Year 7 AFTER CHRISTMAS”, while the Division 4 document says Year 6 changes to its post-Christmas conditions and “All other grades retain the grade conditions for the entire season”. Division 4, like Mini Mags, keeps the same conditions all season. Both say “All teams should also have hitting tees (where needed)”.
How to read the table:
- Same means the Division 4 rule means the same as the Mini Mags 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 4.
Rules: Christchurch Junior Cricket Association (CJCA). Reformatted as coaching notes; see the source PDF for the official wording.
What changes – at a glance
- Heavier ball: the junior “Club Junior Safety” Incrediball → a heavier match ball. ⚠ The rules name no ball for Division 4. The Super 8s line, which the pitch map’s “Junior Girls Incrediball” title links to Division 4, names a Kookaburra Star Softaball, 130–133 g; the Girls Grade Summary says “Junior Match Incrediball 130-134 gram”.
- Protective gear: the Mini Mags rules don’t mention protective gear → full protective equipment and a helmet for batters, and wicketkeepers always wear helmets. ⚠ The Girls Grade Summary says only “Minimum front pad and all other safety equipment”.
- Wooden bats only: plastic gear was allowed for Year 3 & 4 players new to cricket or with different abilities → “From Year 5 upwards only Wooden Bats should be used”.
- Bigger ground: 14 m pitch (prepared outfield) → 16 m (blue lines on artificial wickets); 30 m boundary → 35 m (⚠ the Girls Grade Summary says 30 m).
- Longer game: 16 overs a side, each pair batting 4 overs (24 balls, about 12 each) → 20 overs a side, each pair batting 5 overs (30 balls, about 15 each).
- Byes and overthrows: a maximum of 1 → unlimited.
- Run-up: maximum 5 m → maximum 10 m (⚠ the CJCA’s 2026/27 changes announcement says 12 m for Year 5/6 cricket).
- Fielding: a new limit of 3 fielders on the boundary (at least 3 must be closer to the batter). The 10 m exclusion zone no longer extends round the bowler’s end, cones are optional, and the pitch map allows slips and gullies inside 10 m.
- More than 8 players: bat and bowl fewer overs, or add one extra partnership by agreement → retire batters after fewer balls (even mid-block) and bowl fewer overs. The extra-partnership option isn’t offered.
- Start time: 5.30 pm Friday or 9 am Saturday → 9.00 am Saturday, or 4.30 pm for a Friday round.
- Unchanged: pairs cricket, 8 a side, no LBW, batters stay in when out (+3 runs to the bowling side), free hits off a tee after every wide or no-ball (run-out only), 6-ball overs with no re-bowls, 2 overs per bowler, all bowling from one end, the same wide and no-ball rules, and the 10 m exclusion zone round the batter.
- ⚠ Division 4 not named: the ball, tees, overs and free hits aren’t named for Division 4 (see the editor’s note above).
Rules table
Format, players and ground
| Rule | Mini Mags (2025/26) | Girls Division 4 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Grade named in the rules | ⚠ Only in the title; the grades paragraph lists “Kiwi (Years 0-2) Year 3 and Year 4” | ⚠ In the cover, the grade-format heading, the scoresheet heading and the byes rule; not in the ball, tees, overs or free hits |
| Grade description | Kiwi, Year 3 and 4 grades “for players from School Years 1-4” | “for players from School Years 5-6, split into two grades” |
| Format | Pairs cricket (“All grades are pairs-based cricket”) | Same |
| Team size | 8 a side (“Year 3&4: 8 a side”) | 8 a side (“Year 5 & 6: 8 a side”) – effectively Same |
| Maximum players on field | 8 (“6 OR 8”); extra players are rotated on and off the field | Same |
| Fewer than 8 players | Ask the 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” | Same (asks for 8 in the fielding team) |
| More than 8 players | Bat and bowl fewer overs, “OR with the agreement of the opposition, you can extend the game by up to ONE partnership”; scoring stops at 16 overs unless both teams bat extra | Bat “less balls before retiring batters”, which “may mean that players are retired before a 5 over block of overs is completed”, and bowl fewer overs |
| Location | ⚠ Not stated for Mini Mags (Kiwi and Year 3 and 4 are split into North and South divisions); club and hub grounds, sometimes Hagley Oval | Schools and council grounds, generally on artificial wickets |
| Start time | 5.30 pm Friday or 9 am Saturday (“Year 3 & 4”; the 2025 Girls summary gives Mini Mags the same) | 9.00 am Saturday, or 4.30 pm for a Friday round |
| Pitch length | 14 m (“prepared outfield pitch”) | 16 m (blue lines on artificial wickets) |
| Boundary | 30 m or natural boundaries | 35 m or natural boundaries – ⚠ the 2026/27 Girls Grade Summary says 30 m (its 2025 version said 35 m) |
| Boundary marking and shortening | Cones or natural features; may be shortened by agreement if the outfield is slow | Same |
| Ball | “Year 3 & 4: “Club Junior Safety” Incrediball” (the Girls summary: “Junior Club Incrediball”) | ⚠ Not stated for Division 4. The Super 8s line: “Year 5&6 Incrediball: Kookaburra Star Softaball Cricket Ball (weight range 130-133grams)”; the Girls Grade Summary: “Junior Match Incrediball 130-134 gram” |
| Bats | Wooden bats (“In Year 3&4 Wooden bats should be used”), but plastic gear may be used by those new to cricket or with different abilities | Wooden bats only (“From Year 5 upwards only Wooden Bats should be used”) |
| Hitting tees | Two small tees (“SMALL Hitting tees should be used in KIWI and Years 3 &4. TWO tees should be set up.”) | ⚠ Named only for “Super 8 and Year 5 Hardball”; the Girls Grade Summary says “Small Tees.” – Same in practice |
| Protective equipment | ⚠ Not stated | Full protective equipment for batters, “including a Helmet inline with the New Zealand Cricket Helmet Policy”; “Wicket keepers should ALWAYS wear Helmets”. ⚠ The Girls Grade Summary says “Minimum front pad and all other safety equipment” |
Match structure
| Rule | Mini Mags (2025/26) | Girls Division 4 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Innings | One innings each, 16 overs per side (“Year 3 & 4”); coin toss for who starts | One innings each, 20 overs per side (⚠ from the “Year 5 & 6” line; Division 4 not named); coin toss for who starts |
| Expected duration | “should be around an hour” | “estimate 3 hours maximum” |
| Bowling end | “All bowling is to be from the same end” and “All bowling is from one end only” | Same (“All bowling is to be from the same end”; “All bowling is IN 5 OVER BLOCKS”) |
| Next pair in | Next pair ready immediately after the previous pair’s partnership | Same |
| Exclusion zone | 10 m zone, “this excludes the wicket keeper”. Cones should mark a 10 m circle, “extended so no fielder may be within 10m of the bowler's end stumps” | 10 m zone, “this excludes the wicket keeper”. Cones may mark a 10 m circle; no bowler’s-end zone. The pitch map shows slips and gullies permitted backward of the wicket |
| Fielders on the markers | Fielders don’t have to stand on the markers, and can be encouraged to field on the boundary | Same |
Batting
| Rule | Mini Mags (2025/26) | Girls Division 4 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Batting order | “Six or Eight batters are placed into pairs numbered 1-4 by coach/captain” | Same (“Eight batters…”) |
| Balls per pair | Each pair bats 4 overs: 24 balls | Each pair bats 5 overs: 30 balls |
| Balls per batter | Aim for 12 balls each; batters may change ends, including mid-over after dot balls | Aim for 15 balls each; batters may change ends, including mid-over after dot balls |
| Switching ends | Dismissed batter doesn’t face the next ball; batters always change ends at the end of each over | Same |
| Runs on a run-out | Batting side keeps all runs being attempted if the batters crossed; the fielding side still gets 3 runs | Same |
Dismissals and penalties
| Rule | Mini Mags (2025/26) | Girls Division 4 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Ways of being out | Bowled, caught, stumped, hit wicket, run-out. No LBW | Same |
| 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 | Same |
| What happens when a batter is out | Batter stays in. Recorded as X; bowler credited; batters swap ends (not for a run-out) | Same |
| Bonus runs to bowling side | +3 runs for every dismissal (added as extras) | Same |
Extras, free hits and wides
| Rule | Mini Mags (2025/26) | Girls Division 4 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Free hit – when | After every wide or no-ball (“In Kiwi, Year 3 & 4…”) | ⚠ Same, but the Free Hits section names only “Super 8 or Year 5 Hardball”; the Girls Grade Summary gives Division 4 free hits “Off Tee – EITHER SIDE” |
| Free hit – how | Off a hitting tee beside the batter, either side; the batter stays on strike; one swing (coach’s discretion for another); must be hit forward of the wicket, or retaken | Same |
| 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 | Same |
| Batter hits a would-be wide | Scores the runs from that shot and forfeits the free hit | Same |
| No-ball hit for a boundary | The boundary stands and no free hit is taken | Same |
| Runs for a wide / no-ball | None, other than runs from hitting off the cone | Same |
| Balls per over | No re-bowls: maximum 6 deliveries | Same |
| Wide definition | Passes outside the off-side cone and not hit; or passes halfway towards the leg side and not hit (“See graphics below”) | Same |
| Agreeing wides before the match | “Coaches/Umpires should discuss a consistent understanding to be applied during each game BEFORE THE MATCH” | ⚠ Not stated |
| 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 | Mini Mags (2025/26) | Girls Division 4 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Byes / overthrows | “Limited to ONE only” (named for “YEARS 3 AND 4”; the Girls summary says “Mini Mags– Maximum 1 Bye or Overthrow”) | Unlimited (“unlimited in Year 5 & older and Girls Division 4 Cricket”) |
| Fielders on boundary | Not stated | Max 3 on the boundary, so at least 3 fielders closer to the batter than the boundary (bowler and keeper don’t count) |
| Recording catches | Against the catcher on the scoresheet | Same |
| Recording stumpings and run-outs | Not stated | Stumpings and the fielders involved in run-outs recorded on the scoresheet or in PlayHQ |
Bowling
| Rule | Mini Mags (2025/26) | Girls Division 4 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Overs per bowler | All bowlers should bowl 2 overs (can change with fewer than 8 players); no two overs in a row; everyone bowls 1 before anyone bowls a 2nd | Same – ⚠ but 8 bowlers × 2 overs = 16 overs, and Division 4 innings are 20 overs |
| Run-up | Maximum 5 m run-up | Maximum 10 m run-up (⚠ the 2026/27 changes announcement says 12 m for Year 5/6) |
| 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 | Mini Mags (2025/26) | Girls Division 4 (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Scorers | A parent/supporter from each team; be careful announcing winners (non-competitive) | Same |
| Results on PlayHQ | Enter net score (runs plus runs gained from wickets) | Same |
| Score starts at | Zero | Same |
| Runs for dismissals | +3 for each dismissal | Same |
| Scoresheet (Appendix 2) | “Kiwi or Year 3/4” sheet | The Year 5 Hardball, Super 8s and Girls Division 4 sheet |
Possible errors or inconsistencies
Issues already listed on the Mini Mags “What’s changed” and Girls Division 4 “What’s changed” pages are summarised briefly here; see those pages for the full wording.
Affecting how the game is played
- Neither grade is named where it matters. The 2025/26 Mini Mags rules name Mini Mags only in the title (“Kiwi, Year 3-4 & Mini Mags “Outfield Cricket””), so every format rule is a Year 3 & 4 rule. The Division 4 rules don’t name Division 4 for the ball, tees, overs or free hits (“In Super 8 or Year 5 Hardball should wides or no-balls be bowled…”). In both cases the CJCA Girls Grade Summary fills the gaps.
- Protective equipment: the Division 4 rules say “Full Protective equipment should be warn by batter including a Helmet” and “Wicket keepers should ALWAYS wear Helmets”, but the Girls Grade Summary says only “Minimum front pad and all other safety equipment. Keepers to wear gloves and helmets” (in both the 2025 and 2026 summaries). The Mini Mags rules say nothing about protective gear.
- The overs don’t add up in Division 4. In Mini Mags, “All bowlers should bowl 2 overs” covers the 16-over innings exactly (8 × 2). In Division 4 the same rule covers only 16 of the 20 overs, and no maximum per bowler is given. The Girls Grade Summary gives Junior Super 8 a maximum of “3” overs per bowler and “2” per spell.
- Boundary: the Division 4 rules say “35 metres or natural boundaries”, as the 2025 Girls summary did, but the 2026/27 Girls Grade Summary highlights “30 m or Natural boundaries”.
- Run-up: the Division 4 rules and the Girls Grade Summary say 10 m, but the 2026/27 changes announcement says “no longer than 12m in Year 5/6 cricket”.
- Exclusion zone: the Mini Mags rule extends the zone “so no fielder may be within 10m of the bowler's end stumps”; the Division 4 text has no bowler’s-end zone and exempts only the wicketkeeper, while its pitch map also allows slips and gullies inside 10 m. Both Girls Grade Summaries say “10m from batsman ex slips/gully and keeper” for both grades.
Document and wording issues
- Match length: Mini Mags has “16 overs per side (should be around an hour)”, but Division 4’s 20 overs a side is “estimate 3 hours maximum”. It’s unclear whether “around an hour” is per innings or for the whole game.
- Grade descriptions: the Mini Mags document says “split into three grades, Kiwi (Years 0-2) Year 3 and Year 4”, leaving out Mini Mags; the Division 4 document says “split into two grades” although it covers three.
- Girls Convenor email: in both documents the girls@cjca.org.nz address links to a file path on someone’s OneDrive (
d.docs.live.net/…/Grade%20conditions/2025/girls@cjca.org.nz) rather than an email link. - Scoresheets: neither appended scoresheet names the girls’ grade: the Mini Mags document’s is for “Kiwi or Year 3/4”, and the Division 4 document’s printed title is “Year 5 Hardball & Super 8 (First innings)”.
- Typos in both documents: “should be warn” (Division 4), “so it important”, “4 and 6’s”, “LBW’s”, “hit of either tee” (off), the out-of-date “Change in 2024/25 Season” label, and the missing closing bracket after “(Bowlers can bowl from a shorter distance if needed”.