What’s changed · 2026/27
What’s Changed – Year 5 & 6 Super 8s, 2025/26 to 2026/27
Sources:
- 2025/26: CJCA Year 5 Hardball, Year 5/6 Super 8’s and Girls Division 4 rules, “as at 26th September 2025”. See the Super 8s rules (2025/26).
- 2026/27: the same CJCA document, “as at 26th August 2026”. See the Super 8s rules (2026/27).
- Cross-checked against: the CJCA’s 2026/27 announcements and the CJCA Mixed Grade Summary (as at 1 August 2026).
This compares the two documents clause by clause for Year 5 & 6 ‘Super 8s’ Incrediball. It is the same joint document as Year 5 Hardball, so most rows match the Year 5 Hardball “what’s changed” page.
How to read the table:
- Same means the 2026/27 rule means the same as the 2025/26 rule.
- Rows whose rule name is in bold are the ones coaches and umpires need to apply differently this season.
- ⚠ marks a rule where the 2026/27 rules and the 2026/27 announcements or grade summary don’t agree.
Rules: Christchurch Junior Cricket Association (CJCA). Reformatted as coaching notes; see the source PDF for the official wording.
What’s changed – at a glance
- Ball (changed): the rules now name a Kookaburra Star Softaball, 130–133 g (previously a “Club Junior Club weight” Incrediball, with no brand or weight given).
- Fielding restriction (new): a maximum of 3 fielders on the boundary, so at least 3 fielders must be closer to the batter than the boundary. The bowler and wicketkeeper don’t count.
- More than 8 players: coaches may now retire batters after fewer balls (even before a 5-over block finishes) as well as giving each player fewer overs.
- Fewer than 8 players: opposition players are asked to field so there are 8 in the fielding team (previously “6 or 8”).
- Recording: stumpings and the fielders involved in run-outs should now be recorded on the scoresheet or in PlayHQ, as well as catches.
- Unchanged: pairs cricket, 16 m pitch, 35 m boundary, hitting-tee free hits, 20 overs a side, 6-ball overs with no re-bowls, 2 overs per bowler, +3 runs per dismissal.
- ⚠ Run-up: the rules still say a 10 m maximum run-up, but the CJCA’s 2026/27 changes announcement and the Mixed Grade Summary say 12 m for Year 5/6.
- ⚠ Ball description: the Mixed Grade Summary describes the Super 8 ball as a “Junior Match Incrediball 130-134 gram”, not the rules’ Kookaburra Star Softaball (130–133 g).
Rules table
Format, players and ground
| Rule | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Pairs cricket (“All grades are pairs-based cricket”) | Same |
| Team size | 8 a side | Same |
| Maximum players on the field | 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 | Ask the opposition to lend players “to ensure there are 8 players in the fielding team”; bowling limits can be extended to 3 overs each |
| More than 8 players | Maximise participation: “batting and bowling for less overs” | Maximise participation: “batting less balls before retiring batters”, which “may mean that players are retired before a 5 over block of overs is completed”, and bowling fewer overs |
| Start time | 9.00 am Saturday, or 4.30 pm for a Friday round | Same |
| Pitch length | 16 m (blue lines); pitches painted with numbers | Same |
| Boundary | 35 m or natural boundaries | Same |
| Ball | “Year 5&6 Incrediball: “Club Junior Club weight” Incrediball” – no brand or weight given | “Year 5&6 Incrediball: Kookaburra Star Softaball Cricket Ball (weight range 130-133grams)”, with a link to a retailer’s product page – ⚠ the Mixed Grade Summary says “Junior Match Incrediball 130-134 gram” |
| Bats | Wooden bats only from Year 5 upwards | Same |
| Hitting tees | “SMALL Hitting tees should be used in Super 8 and Year 5 Hardball. TWO tees should be set up.” | Same |
| Protective equipment | Full protective gear and helmet for batters (NZC Helmet Policy); wicketkeepers always wear helmets | Same |
Match structure
| Rule | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| Innings | One innings each; “Super 8 Year 5/6: 20 overs per side”; coin toss for who starts | Same |
| Expected duration | About 3 hours maximum | Same |
| Bowling end | “All bowling is to be from the same end”, in 5-over blocks | Same |
| Exclusion zone | 10 m zone that does not apply to the wicketkeeper; cones may mark it; fielders don’t enter until after the shot or the hit off the tee | Same |
| Pitch map | Appendix 1 pitch map (May 2024): 10 m exclusion zone, two hitting tees 1 m in front of the popping crease, slips and gullies permitted backward of the wicket | Same (the same map) |
| Scoresheet | Appendix 2 scoresheet (“Year 5 Hardball & Super 8”), with a Catches column | Same (the same sheet) |
Batting and dismissals
| Rule | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| Batting order and time | Pairs numbered 1–4; each pair bats 5 overs (30 balls); aim for 15 balls each, changing ends mid-over after dot balls if needed | Same |
| Switching ends and run-outs | Dismissed batter doesn’t face the next ball; batters change ends each over; on a run-out the batting side keeps the runs attempted if the batters crossed | Same |
| Ways of being out | Bowled, caught, stumped, hit wicket, run out; no LBW; also out if bails don’t fall after the ball hits the base of the stumps | Same |
| What happens when a batter is out | Batter stays in; X recorded; batters swap ends; bowling side +3 runs | Same |
| Free hits | Every wide or no-ball in “Super 8 or Year 5 Hardball” gives a free hit off a tee; batter stays on strike; run-out only; may hit off either tee | Same (still labelled “Change in 2024/25 Season”) |
Fielding
| Rule | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| Fielders on the boundary | Not stated | Maximum 3 on the boundary, so at least 3 fielders closer to the batter than the boundary (bowler and wicketkeeper don’t count) – highlighted as new |
| Byes and overthrows | Not limited (“ARE NOT LIMITED”), with encouragement to use relay throws | Unlimited “in Year 5 & older and Girls Division 4 Cricket” (relay-throw sentence removed) – effectively Same |
| 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 and scoring
| Rule | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| Overs per bowler | Every bowler bowls 2 overs; everyone bowls 1 before anyone bowls a 2nd; no consecutive overs | Same |
| Balls per over | No re-bowls: maximum 6 deliveries | Same |
| Run-up | Maximum 10 m | Same – ⚠ the 2026/27 announcement and Mixed Grade Summary say 12 m (see below) |
| Wides and no-balls | Wide outside the off-side cone or halfway to the leg side; four no-ball conditions | Same |
| Throwing | No penalty for a thrown delivery; a batter shouldn’t be given out off an obvious throw | Same (that sentence is now in bold) |
| Runs for dismissals | +3 for each dismissal | Same |
| Runs for wides and no-balls | None, other than runs from hitting off the cone | Same |
Cross-check with the 2026/27 announcements
Announcements and posters
The CJCA’s 2026/27 announcements that touch Super 8s: the Grade and Playing Conditions changes document and the Fielding Restrictions, Grace Period, Retirement Level and Retired and Additional Batters posters.
| Announcement says | 2026/27 Super 8s rules |
|---|---|
| “In all CJCA grades at least 3 players must be closer to the Batter than to the Boundary.” | Matches the new fielding restriction (the rules word it as “A maximum of 3 players can be on the boundary”; see note 4). |
| Fielding Restrictions poster: no fielders closer than 10 m to the batter; slips and gullies (off side) may be closer than 10 m; keepers in hardball, Super 8 and Division 4 Girls must wear helmets at all times. | Matches the exclusion zone, pitch map and helmet rule. |
| Bonus runs for wickets in all pairs cricket remain at 3; the Grace Period poster gives pairs cricket “3 runs to bowling team”. | Matches (+3 per dismissal). |
| ⚠ Grace Period poster: a 6-ball grace period in all grades except Premier, and it lists Super 8. | Not in the rules: Super 8s is pairs cricket, where a batter who is out stays in and swaps ends. There is no grace period. |
| Retirement Level poster, panel 4 (“Pairs cricket – no change”): Year 5 & 6, Super 8 and Division 4 Girls bat in “5-over blocks per pair”, with “Legitimate balls shared”. | Matches the 5-over blocks. ⚠ The rules don’t say whether wides and no-balls count towards each batter’s 15 balls, and the appended scoresheet heads its grid “BALLS FACED (include extras)”. |
| Retired and Additional Batters poster, panel 3: in pairs cricket, teams with odd numbers should rotate batters into the vacant position throughout the season. | Consistent with the rules’ “equal opportunity to bat twice … throughout the season”. |
| ⚠ Changes document and Retired and Additional Batters poster (“All grades”): coaches are not allowed to retire batters earlier than the retirement limits for competitive advantage “unless they are playing with more than 9 players”. | The new More than 8 players rule allows “batting less balls before retiring batters” for any team with more than 8 players. A team of 9 is covered by the rules but not by the announcement’s exception. |
| Full byes and overthrows in all grades other than Kiwi, Years 3 and 4 and Mini Mags. | Matches. |
| “Byes should not be run when a Free Hit has been signalled so the same Batter remains on-strike to take the Free Hot off the Tee.” | Not stated in the rules, but consistent with “Batters should remain on-strike if they receive a Wide or No-ball and take their Free Hit.” |
| In grades with hits off tees after wides and no-balls, run-outs remain the only dismissal; catches do not count. | Matches (“Free hits in these grades can only result in RUN OUTS”). |
| ⚠ Run-ups should be no longer than 12 m in Year 5/6 cricket, marked by a cone if necessary. | Not updated: the 2026/27 rules still say “a maximum of a 10-metre run up”. |
| Should wicketkeeping be shared, each keeper should bowl 2 overs when not keeping (in the bowling changes for 27/30-over grades). | Not stated for Super 8s. Every Super 8s bowler already bowls 2 overs, so this makes no practical difference. |
CJCA Mixed Grade Summary (as at 1 August 2026)
The summary’s Super 8 (Year 5 & 6) column agrees with the rules on team size (8), 20 overs, 16 m pitch, 35 m boundary, two small tees, 5 overs per pair, 15 deliveries each, no LBW, run-out-only free hits, ×3 per wicket, no runs for wides and no-balls other than the free hit, a 10 m exclusion zone and unlimited byes and overthrows. It disagrees on:
| Mixed Grade Summary says | 2026/27 Super 8s rules |
|---|---|
| ⚠ Ball: “Junior Match Incrediball 130-134 gram” | “Kookaburra Star Softaball Cricket Ball (weight range 130-133grams)” |
| ⚠ Max run up: “12m” | “a maximum of a 10-metre run up” (the changes announcement agrees with the summary) |
| ⚠ “5 overs bowled each end” | “All bowling is to be from the same end” |
| ⚠ Max overs per bowler “3”; max overs per spell “2”; and “All must bowl 2 overs before anyone bowls a 3rd” | “All bowlers should bowl 2 overs, unless you are playing with less than 8 players” (then up to 3); “all bowlers should bowl 1 over before any bowler bowls a 2nd”; “A bowler may not bowl two overs in a row” |
| ⚠ Equipment: “Minimum front pad and all other safety equipment – box optional” | “Full Protective equipment should be warn by batter including a Helmet” |
| Free-hit cones “1m ahead of popping crease” | The text says cones “set up on each side of the wicket beside the batter”; the pitch map shows the tees 1 m in front of the popping crease, as the summary does. |
| Start time “9am” | 9.00 am Saturday, “or if there is a Friday round, then it will be a 4.30pm start”. |
| Boundary limits: “3 Fielders required to be closer to the Batter than the Boundary - - ALL GRADE YEAR 5 AND OLDER”, “Does not include Bowler or Wicket Keeper” | Matches the new fielding restriction. |
Possible errors or inconsistencies
Affecting how the game is played
- Run-up length: the 2026/27 rules say “Bowlers should have a maximum of a 10-metre run up”, but the 2026/27 changes announcement says “no longer than 12m in Year 5/6 cricket” and the Mixed Grade Summary says “12m”. Worth asking the CJCA which applies.
- Which ball: the grade is still called “Year 5 & 6 ‘Super 8s’ Incrediball” and the rules line is labelled “Year 5&6 Incrediball:”, but the ball named is a “Kookaburra Star Softaball Cricket Ball (weight range 130-133grams)”. The Mixed Grade Summary says “Junior Match Incrediball 130-134 gram”. The 2025/26 wording, “Club Junior Club weight” Incrediball, gave no brand or weight. Worth confirming which ball clubs should supply.
- Fielding on the boundary: the Match Setup note still says “Fielders can therefore be encouraged to field on the boundary giving them the ability to stop the ball”, which now sits uneasily with the new “maximum of 3 players can be on the boundary”.
- Fielding restriction worded two ways: the rules say “A maximum of 3 players can be on the boundary which means that AT LEAST 3 remaining Fielders must be closer to the Batter than the Boundary”; the changes announcement says “at least 3 players must be closer to the Batter than to the Boundary”. The two halves of the rules sentence only say the same thing when there are exactly 6 fielders, and being “on the boundary” is not the same as being closer to the boundary than to the batter. With 8 on the field (6 fielders plus bowler and keeper) the practical meaning is the same: at least 3 fielders in close.
- Retiring batters early: the rules now allow teams with “more than 8 players” to retire batters “before a 5 over block of overs is completed”, but the announcement and poster say coaches may not retire batters early “unless they are playing with more than 9 players”.
- Balls faced: the Retirement Level poster says pairs cricket uses “Legitimate balls shared”, while the scoresheet’s grid is headed “BALLS FACED (include extras)” and the rules say only “This is 30 balls, and we would like each batter to face 15 balls”.
- Overs carried over from 2025/26: innings are 20 overs, but “All bowlers should bowl 2 overs” covers only 16 overs with 8 players, and no maximum per bowler is given. The Mixed Grade Summary gives “3”.
- Other summary disagreements (see the cross-check): “5 overs bowled each end” against “All bowling is to be from the same end”; “All must bowl 2 overs before anyone bowls a 3rd” against “all bowlers should bowl 1 over before any bowler bowls a 2nd”; “Minimum front pad … box optional” against “Full Protective equipment … including a Helmet”.
Document and wording issues
- Stumpings column: the new rule says catches and stumpings should be recorded “in a column of the new scoresheets or on PlayHQ”, but the appended scoresheet is unchanged from 2025/26 and has only a “Catches” column. The older sentence “Catches should be recorded against the player who took the catch in a column of the new scoresheets” is still in the Dismissals section as well.
- The 2026/27 table of contents contains a Word error: “Byes / Overthrows ……… Error! Bookmark not defined. Bowling”. The three new sections (Catches and Stumpings, Run Outs, Fielding restrictions) are not in the contents.
- The Free Hits section still carries the box “Change in 2024/25 Season. All players may hit of either tee”. It is no longer a change, and “of” should be “off”.
- The Girls Convenor email address on page 1 links to a file path on someone’s OneDrive (
d.docs.live.net/…/girls@cjca.org.nz) rather than an email link. The same broken link was in the 2025/26 document; only the convenor’s name and number changed (“Emma Norrish 027 4043093” → “Kelly Hodder 021 08821475”). The new number has an unusual extra 0 after “021” and may be mistyped. - The grade-format paragraph says the grades are “split into two grades”, but the document covers three (Year 5 Hardball, Super 8s and Girls Division 4).
- Typos carried over: “should be warn by batter” (worn); “so it important”; the missing closing bracket after “(Bowlers can bowl from a shorter distance if needed”. New in 2026/27: “The Bowler and Wicker Keeper do not count as Fielders” (Wicket), and the run-on sentence “batting less balls before retiring batters this may mean that players are retired …” (fewer balls; a full stop is missing after “batters”).