Moving up · 2026/27
Moving Up – Super 8s (2025/26) to Year 6 Hardball Pre-Christmas (2026/27)
Sources:
- Super 8s: CJCA Year 5 Hardball, Year 5/6 Super 8’s and Girls Division 4 rules, “as at 26th September 2025”. Only the Year 5 & 6 ‘Super 8s’ Incrediball rules are compared; see the Super 8s rules (2025/26).
- Year 6 Pre-Christmas: CJCA Year 6 Hardball Grade – Pre-Christmas rules, “as at 26th August 2026”. See the Year 6 Pre-Christmas rules (2026/27).
Comparing the two shows what changes for a player moving from Super 8s (the Incrediball grade for Years 5 and 6) up to Year 6 Hardball before Christmas. Super 8s shares one rules document with Year 5 Hardball, and the two grades' rules differ only in the ball. Most rows therefore match the Year 5 Hardball → Year 6 moving-up page. The big extra step for a Super 8s player is the move from an Incrediball to a 142 g leather ball.
⚠ The Super 8s 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 Year 6 rules are the 2026/27 rules. What the CJCA changed in Year 6 pre-Christmas for 2026/27 is on the Year 6 Pre-Christmas “What’s changed” page; those changes are already in the right-hand column here.
The general CJCA conditions (pages 1–2) are the same in both documents apart from the cover title, the contact list (the Super 8s document also lists the CJCA Girls Convenor), some bold type and a stray semicolon. Both say the Year 6 pre-Christmas conditions change to the post-Christmas ones “at the restart of Cricket after the Christmas break”. Super 8s keeps the same conditions all season.
How to read the table:
- Same means the Year 6 pre-Christmas rule means the same as the Super 8s 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 Year 6.
Rules: Christchurch Junior Cricket Association (CJCA). Reformatted as coaching notes; see the source PDF for the official wording.
What changes – at a glance
- Ball: a “Club Junior Club weight” Incrediball → a Kookaburra 142 g leather ball (hardball).
- Protective gear: both sets of rules say “Full Protective equipment should be warn by batter including a Helmet” and that wicketkeepers always wear helmets. But the CJCA Mixed Grade Summary for Super 8 says only “Minimum front pad and all other safety equipment – box optional”, so some Super 8s players won’t have batted in full gear. With a leather ball, every batter needs full protective equipment and a helmet.
- Wides and no-balls: in Super 8s the batter takes a free hit off a tee, with no extra run, no re-bowl and a maximum of 6 balls per over. In Year 6 a wide or no-ball is 1 run plus a re-bowl (up to 8 balls per over), and the ball after a no-ball is a bowled free hit.
- Hitting tees: two small tees are set up → no tees.
- Balls per pair: 5 overs = 30 balls → 5 overs of up to 40 balls. Each batter faces at least 15 legitimate balls.
- Bowling limits: every bowler bowls 2 overs, and everyone bowls 1 before anyone bowls a 2nd → max 3 overs. Nobody bowls a 3rd until everyone has bowled 2, and overs are shared equally across the season.
- Boundary fielders: not limited → max 3 on the boundary.
- More than 8 players: bat and bowl fewer overs → bat fewer balls before retiring (even mid-block) and bowl fewer overs.
- Run-up: max 10 m → ⚠ not stated in the Year 6 rules.
- Unchanged: 16 m pitch, 35 m boundary, wooden bats, pairs cricket, 8 a side, 20 overs, no LBW, the 10 m exclusion zone, and dismissals (batter stays in, +3 runs).
- ⚠ Run-up: the CJCA’s 2026/27 changes announcement says run-ups in Year 5/6 cricket should be no longer than 12 m; the Year 6 rules set no limit.
Rules table
Format, players and ground
| Rule | Super 8s (2025/26) | Year 6 Pre-Christmas (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Pairs cricket (“All grades are pairs-based cricket”) | Same |
| Grade description | “for players from School Years 5-6, split into two grades…” | Same |
| Team size | 8 a side | Same |
| Maximum players on field | 8; extra players are rotated on and off the field | Same |
| Fewer than 8 players | Ask opposition to lend players; bowling limits “can be extended to 3 overs each” | Same |
| More than 8 players | Maximise participation: “batting and bowling for less overs” | Maximise participation: bat fewer balls before retiring batters (may be before a 5-over block finishes) and bowl fewer overs (highlighted as new) |
| Start time | 9.00 am Saturday, or 4.30 pm for a Friday round | Same |
| Pitch length | 16 m (blue lines on artificial wickets); pitches painted with numbers | Same 16 m. Adds “Move to 18m after Christmas NOT BEFORE” |
| Boundary | 35 m or natural boundaries | Same |
| Boundary marking and shortening | Cones or natural features; may be shortened by agreement if the outfield is slow | Same |
| Ball | “Year 5&6 Incrediball: “Club Junior Club weight” Incrediball” – no brand or weight given (the Mixed Grade Summary says “Junior Match Incrediball”) | “Year 6 Hardball: Kookaburra 142g Leather ball” |
| Bats | Wooden bats only from Year 5 upwards | Same |
| Hitting tees | Two small hitting tees set up, used for free hits | ⚠ Not stated – no tees |
| Protective equipment | Full protective gear and helmet for batters (NZC Helmet Policy); keepers always wear helmets. ⚠ The Mixed Grade Summary says “Minimum front pad and all other safety equipment – box optional” | The same rule, now with a leather ball: full protective gear and helmet for batters; keepers always wear helmets (the Mixed Grade Summary also says “Full protective equipment”) |
Match structure
| Rule | Super 8s (2025/26) | Year 6 Pre-Christmas (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Innings | One innings each, “Super 8 Year 5/6: 20 overs per side”; coin toss for who starts | Same (adds “8 ball max”) |
| Expected duration | About 3 hours maximum | Same |
| Bowling end | “All bowling is to be from the same end”, and bowling in 5-over blocks | Same wording: “All bowling is to be from the same end”, plus “5 overs bowled at the same end” |
| 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 may mark a 10 m circle; fielders don’t enter until after the shot. Fielders don’t have to stand on the markers | Same |
Batting
| Rule | Super 8s (2025/26) | Year 6 Pre-Christmas (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Batting order | 8 batters in pairs numbered 1–4 by coach/captain | Same |
| Balls per pair | Each pair bats 5 overs: 30 balls | Each pair bats 5 overs: up to 40 balls (because of re-bowls) |
| Balls per batter | Aim for 15 balls each. Batters may be told to change ends, including mid-over after dot balls | Aim for at least 15 legitimate balls each. Batters may be told to change ends (mid-over not mentioned) |
| 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 | Super 8s (2025/26) | Year 6 Pre-Christmas (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 | ⚠ Not stated (returns in Year 6 post-Christmas) |
| 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 | Super 8s (2025/26) | Year 6 Pre-Christmas (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 |
| Re-bowls / balls per over | No re-bowls: maximum 6 deliveries per over | Re-bowled: minimum 6, maximum 8 per over; final over must have 6 legitimate balls |
| Free hit – when | After every wide or no-ball | After a no-ball only (balls 1–7). No-ball on the 8th ball: 2 runs, no free hit. Wide or no-ball on the last (8th) ball: 2 runs |
| Free hit – how | Off a hitting tee beside the batter (either side of the wicket). The batter stays on strike. One swing (coach’s discretion for another). Must be hit forward of the wicket; if hit behind, retake. “All players may hit of either tee” | 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) |
| Batter hits a would-be wide | Scores the runs from that shot and forfeits the free hit. If no run is scored off the free hit, the batter must return to the popping crease | 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 (“See graphics below”) | Same |
| 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 | Super 8s (2025/26) | Year 6 Pre-Christmas (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Fielders on boundary | ⚠ Not stated | Max 3 (bowler and keeper don’t count) |
| Byes / overthrows | Not limited; coaches should encourage good throws and relay throwing | Unlimited (the relay-throw advice isn’t repeated) – effectively Same |
| Recording catches | Against the catcher on the scoresheet | Same |
| Recording stumpings and run-outs | ⚠ Not stated | Stumpings and run-out fielders recorded on the scoresheet or PlayHQ |
Bowling
| Rule | Super 8s (2025/26) | Year 6 Pre-Christmas (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Overs per bowler | All bowlers should bowl 2 overs (can change with fewer than 8 players). No maximum stated | Max 3 overs per bowler |
| Bowling order | No two overs in a row; all bowlers bowl 1 over before anyone bowls a 2nd | No successive overs; nobody bowls a 3rd over until all have bowled 2 |
| Season share | ⚠ Not stated | All players bowl the same number of overs across the season |
| Run-up | Maximum 10 m run-up | ⚠ Not stated (the 2026/27 changes announcement says 12 m for Year 5/6) |
| Bowling blocks | All bowling in 5-over blocks | Same (“5 overs bowled at the same end”) |
| 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 | Super 8s (2025/26) | Year 6 Pre-Christmas (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 |
| Runs for wides / no-balls | None, except runs from hitting off the cone | 1 run each, plus runs scored |
Possible errors or inconsistencies
Issues already listed for the Year 6 pre-Christmas rules are not repeated here (see the Year 6 Pre-Christmas “What’s changed” and the Year 6 pre- vs post-Christmas comparison). The same typos, the empty “(See graphics below)” and the exclusion-zone text/map mismatch all appear in the Super 8s document too.
Affecting how the game is played
- Protective equipment: the rules say “Full Protective equipment should be warn by batter including a Helmet”, but the CJCA Mixed Grade Summary (the July 2024 summary used for 2025/26, and again the 2026/27 one) gives Super 8 only “Minimum front pad and all other safety equipment – box optional. Keepers to wear gloves and helmets”. Players coming from Super 8s may need to buy or borrow full hardball gear.
- The overs don’t add up. Each innings is 20 overs, but the rule is that “All bowlers should bowl 2 overs”: 8 bowlers × 2 = 16 overs, and no maximum per bowler is given. Year 6 pre-Christmas solves this with “Max 3 overs per bowler … no 3rd over until ALL others have bowled 2”.
- “If no run is scored off the free hit, they must return to the popping crease” comes straight after the would-be-wide sentence, so it’s unclear which situation it covers.
- Which ball: the Super 8s ball is “Year 5&6 Incrediball: “Club Junior Club weight” Incrediball”, with no brand or weight; the Mixed Grade Summary calls it a “Junior Match Incrediball”. (For 2026/27 the Super 8s rules name a Kookaburra Star Softaball, 130–133 g; see the Super 8s “What’s changed”.)
Document and wording issues
- The grade description says “split into two grades” but the document covers three (Year 5 Hardball, Year 5/6 Super 8s, Girls Division 4). The Year 6 document repeats the same sentence although it covers only Year 6.
- “All players may hit of either tee” (off), under the out-of-date label “Change in 2024/25 Season”. “Should a ball be hit behind the batter should be allowed to retake the hit” is missing a word.
- “Mobile 027 6644999;” on page 2 has a stray semicolon.