Moving up · 2026/27
Moving Up – Year 6 Hardball Post-Christmas (2025/26) to Year 7 & 8 Morning Hardball (2026/27)
Source: Year-6-Hardball-Grade-POST-Christmas-as-at-15th-July-2024.pdf (2025/26) compared with Year-7-8-Morning-Hardball-Grade-as-at-26th-August-2026.pdf (2026/27); general conditions from the matching *-common-general.md files.
Sources:
- Year 6 Post-Christmas: CJCA Year 6 Hardball Grade – POST Christmas rules, “as at 15th July 2024” (the date is in the file name; the cover has no “as at” date). The CJCA did not republish this document for 2025/26, so it was still the current version that season. See the Year 6 Post-Christmas rules (2025/26).
- Year 7 & 8 Morning: CJCA Year 7 & 8 Hardball rules for the Morning grades, “as at 26th August 2026” (the cover title is “Year 7 & 8 Hardball”; “Morning” is in the file name). See the Year 7 & 8 Morning rules (2026/27).
Comparing the two shows what changes for a player moving from Year 6 Hardball (after Christmas) up to a Year 7 & 8 Morning grade.
⚠ The Year 6 rules compared here are the 2025/26 post-Christmas rules (the CJCA document dated 15 July 2024). Players moving up in 2026/27 played under these rules last season. The Year 6 post-Christmas rules also changed a lot for 2026/27 (see Year 6 Post-Christmas, 2025/26 to 2026/27). Changes the CJCA made to the Year 7 & 8 Morning grades for 2026/27 are covered in Year 7 & 8 Morning, 2025/26 to 2026/27.
The general CJCA conditions (pages 1–2) are almost the same in both documents: the same aims, Code of Conduct, health and safety rules and “MCC Laws of Cricket apply unless otherwise stated”. The Year 7 & 8 version lists the Year 7 and Year 8 grade convenors, drops the paragraph about Year 6 changing to post-Christmas conditions, no longer lists hitting tees among the gear each team brings, drops the recommendation of dark-coloured bottoms for female players, and says “connection to conventional cricket” (Year 6: “international cricket”). Both say a player eligible for a grade in October stays eligible all season, except Year 8 boys who move to Youth cricket after Christmas.
How to read the table:
- Same means the Year 7 & 8 Morning rule means the same as the Year 6 post-Christmas 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, umpires and coaches need to apply differently in Year 7 & 8.
Rules: Christchurch Junior Cricket Association (CJCA). Reformatted as coaching notes; see the source PDF for the official wording.
What changes – at a glance
- LBW: no LBW → LBW can be given, but only on appeal, and only if the ball pitched in line with the stumps, hit the pad in front of the stumps before the bat, was definitely going on to hit the stumps, and the batter had gone onto the back foot and stayed there. “ANY doubt – not out.”
- Bigger team, longer game: 8 a side, 20 overs → 9 a side, 27 overs per side. Still a 9.00 am Saturday start, now with drinks after 14 overs, the first innings finished by 10.30 am and the match completed by 12.15 pm.
- Six-ball overs: wides and no-balls were re-bowled (up to 8 balls an over) → a maximum of 6 balls, with no extra balls for wides or no-balls, except in the last over (6 legitimate balls). A wide or no-ball is still worth 1 run.
- Grace period: still the first 6 balls faced, but a dismissal in it now gives the bowling side 5 runs (was 3), and the batter changes ends with the non-striker.
- Retirement: at the end of the over in which the batter had faced 25 balls, counting wides and no-balls → immediately after 25 balls, not counting wides and no-balls. Coaches may not retire batters earlier unless they have more than 9 players.
- Bowling: max 3 overs, nobody bowls a 3rd until all have bowled 2 → normally max 4 overs, and nobody bowls a 4th until all the others have bowled 3 (the 9th player can be a specialist wicketkeeper). Keepers who share the gloves bowl 2 overs each. New 15 m maximum run-up.
- Fielding: a new limit of 4 fielders on the boundary; the fielders involved in run-outs are now recorded.
- Also new: a no-ball if the ball doesn't land on the pitch; the POD system for rotating the batting order; when a team is short, dismissed batters with the fewest balls faced bat again; scoring on PlayHQ. No longer stated: the early-finish rule (bowl the remaining overs) and the Year 6 bails rule.
- Unchanged: individual batting with a 6-ball grace period, 18 m pitch, 40 m boundary, 142 g leather ball, the 10 m exclusion zone with slips, gully and keeper allowed closer, 1 run per wide or no-ball, umpire-judged wides, free hits after no-balls, last batter standing, unlimited byes and overthrows, and no penalty for a thrown delivery.
- ⚠ Free hits in 6-ball overs: the Morning rules keep wording written for 8-ball overs – a free hit follows a no-ball “in the first to SEVENTH ball of an over”, and a wide or no-ball “on the 8th ball of an over” gets 2 runs – although Morning overs have at most 6 balls.
- ⚠ Overs per bowler: the same bullet says “No bowler may bowl more than 4 overs total in a 27 or 30-over game unless agreed to by both teams” and “Max 5 overs per bowler”.
Rules table
Format, players and ground
| Rule | Year 6 Post-Christmas (2025/26) | Year 7 & 8 Morning (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Individual batting with a 6-ball grace period, not pairs cricket (“a transitional half season”) | Same |
| Grade description | Year 6 after Christmas: a longer pitch (18 m) and a grace period instead of pairs cricket | “for players primarily in Year 7 & 8 but talented Year 6 players can also be included into Year 7”, split into sections by the number of teams; “The top grades are called Year 7 & 8 Premier” |
| Grading | Teams may be split again, especially after Christmas, so “like vs like” matches can be played; non-competitive | Same |
| Team size | 8 a side | 9 a side |
| Maximum players on the field | 8 (“MAXIMUM OF 8 PLAYERS ON THE FIELD”); extra players are rotated on and off the field | 9 (“only 9 may field at any one time”) |
| Fewer players than the team size | Ask the opposition for players; “bowling limits can be extended”; opposition players asked to field “to ensure there are 6 or 8 players in the fielding team” | Ask the opposition for players; bowling limits “can be extended to 4 overs each”; dismissed players may bat a second time to make up 9 batters, chosen by the “least number of balls faced” (retired batters return first; their runs count); borrowing opposition fielders is encouraged |
| More players than the team size | Maximise participation: “batting and bowling for less overs” | Only 9 field at a time. All may bat and bowl, but the innings ends at the 9th wicket against a team of 9. If both teams have extra players, all may bat by agreement and the innings stops at the 9th wicket |
| Batting order | Rotated from game to game; reticent players needn't open but should be encouraged to bat 3 and 4 | Rotation required, and “the CJCA recommends the POD system being used” (CJCA directive, August 2026, for all non-pairs grades) |
| Start time and Friday rounds | 9.00 am Saturday, or 4.30 pm for a Friday round | Same times, plus “Year 7 and 8 games will be adjusted to a 20/20 format if a Friday or other evening round be utilised” |
| Pitch length | 18 m (yellow lines on artificial wickets) | Same (the Year 7 & 8 pitch map shows 18 m; the Year 6 map was labelled “16m pitch”) |
| Boundary | 40 m or natural boundaries; may be shortened by agreement | Same |
| Ball | 142 g leather | Kookaburra 142 g leather – effectively Same |
| Protective equipment | Full protective gear and helmet for batters (NZC Helmet Policy); wicketkeepers always wear helmets | Same |
Match structure
| Rule | Year 6 Post-Christmas (2025/26) | Year 7 & 8 Morning (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Innings | One innings each; coin toss for who starts | Same |
| Overs per side | 20 overs | 27 overs (“a maximum of 27 (six ball) overs”) |
| Timings | “Coaches and managers must keep the game moving”; no times given | Start 9 am; drinks after 14 overs (target 9.45 am); “1st inning finish by 10.30am”; second innings starts by 10.45 am, drinks after 14 overs (target 11.30 am); “Match completed by 12.15pm” |
| Bowling ends | Sets of 5 overs from each end | Same (“only change bowling ends after each 5 over block”) |
| Next batter in | Ready to bat as soon as a wicket falls | ⚠ Not stated |
| When an innings ends | When the overs are bowled or all 8 batters are out | When the overs are bowled or the 9th wicket falls (“the team score concludes when the 9th wicket is taken”) |
| Early finish | CJCA strongly encourages bowling the remaining overs; batters who faced the fewest balls bat again; extra runs don't change the result | ⚠ Not stated |
Batting
| Rule | Year 6 Post-Christmas (2025/26) | Year 7 & 8 Morning (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Grace period | First 6 balls faced | Same |
| Dismissal in the grace period | Batter stays “IN”; 3 bonus runs to the bowling side | Batter stays “IN” and changes ends with the non-striker; 5 bonus runs to the bowling side |
| Dismissal from the 7th ball | Fully out: “NO BONUS RUNS FOR THAT DISMISSAL” | Fully out (implied by the grace-period rule). ⚠ The Scoring section adds 5 runs “for each dismissal obtained” |
| Grace-period batters and retirement | Batters dismissed in their grace period “may not return as a retired batter” | Same |
| Retirement | At the end of the over in which the batter has faced 25 balls “INCLUDING wides and no balls”; retirements only at the end of an over | Immediately after 25 balls “NOT INCLUDING wides and no balls”. Coaches may not retire batters earlier unless they have more than 9 players |
| Retired batters return | In the order they retired, once all others are out or retired | Same |
| Last batter standing | Last batter keeps batting and takes all the strike; the last batter out stays on as non-striker; either may be run out to end the innings | Same |
Dismissals
| Rule | Year 6 Post-Christmas (2025/26) | Year 7 & 8 Morning (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Ways of being out | Bowled, caught, stumped, hit wicket, run out. No LBW | Bowled, caught, stumped, hit wicket, run out and LBW (limited – see the next row) |
| LBW | Not applicable | On appeal only, and only if the ball (1) pitched in line with the stumps, (2) hit the batter on the pads in front of the stumps before the bat, (3) was definitely going to hit the stumps, and (4) the batter had gone onto the back foot and stayed there. Not out if it pitched outside the line or the batter played forward, “even if the player is hit on the back pad or 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 “has passed between two wickets” | ⚠ Not stated (the MCC Laws apply) |
Extras, free hits and wides
| Rule | Year 6 Post-Christmas (2025/26) | Year 7 & 8 Morning (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Runs for a wide or no-ball | 1 run plus any runs scored | Same |
| Balls per over | Minimum 6, maximum 8: wides and no-balls are re-bowled; the last over must have 6 legitimate balls | Maximum 6: “No extra balls are bowled for wides or no balls in Year 7 & 8 Morning grades”, except the last over, which must have 6 legitimate balls |
| Free hit after a no-ball | The ball after a no-ball (balls 1–7) is a free hit; run-out is the only dismissal; the field can't change except for a left/right-hander change | Same wording – ⚠ written for 8-ball overs, but Morning overs have at most 6 balls |
| Hitting a would-be wide or no-ball on a free hit | Would-be wide becomes a normal delivery (can be out); a no-ball scores 1 run plus runs from the shot and the next ball is still a free hit | Same |
| Extras on the last (8th) ball | A no-ball on the 8th ball: 2 runs, no free hit (a wide isn't mentioned) | A wide or no-ball “on the 8th ball of an over”: 2 runs (“manually entered”), no free hit – ⚠ Morning overs have no 8th ball |
| Wide definition | Umpire judgement: so wide the batter has no reasonable opportunity to hit it; “Normal test match wides on the offside and halfway to that on the legside” as the guide; not a wide if it hits the batter; the ball stays live | Same, plus coaches and umpires “should meet before the game to agree on a stand[ard]” |
| No-ball conditions | Bounces twice or rolls; full toss above the waist; above the shoulder after bouncing; fielders (not the bowler) encroach into the exclusion zone | Same, plus the ball “does not land on pitch” |
Fielding
| Rule | Year 6 Post-Christmas (2025/26) | Year 7 & 8 Morning (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Exclusion zone | No fielders within 10 m of the batter from point, forward of the wicket, round to down leg side; slips, gully and keeper may be closer; no leg slip, silly point or close mid-off/mid-on | 10 m fielding exclusion zone that “excludes the wicket keeper”; “Slips and Gullies on the offside may be closer than 10 metres” – effectively Same |
| Fielders on the boundary | ⚠ Not stated | Max 4 on the boundary, “which means that the 3 remaining Fielders must be closer to the Batter than the Boundary” |
| Byes and overthrows | Unlimited; coaches should encourage good throws and relay throwing | Unlimited – effectively Same |
| Recording catches | Against the catcher on the scoresheet | Against the catcher on the scoresheet or on PlayHQ – effectively Same |
| Recording run-outs | ⚠ Not stated | “those involved should be noted on the Scoresheet or in PlayHQ” |
Bowling
| Rule | Year 6 Post-Christmas (2025/26) | Year 7 & 8 Morning (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Overs per bowler | Max 3 | Normally max 4: “No bowler may bowl more than 4 overs total in a 27 or 30-over game unless agreed to by both teams” – but also “Max 5 overs per bowler” (⚠ see the notes) |
| Bowling order | Nobody bowls a 3rd over until all others have bowled 2; no successive overs | Nobody bowls a 4th over until all others have bowled 3 (“A minimum of 8 players must have bowled 3 overs each … provided the ninth player is the designated specialist wicketkeeper”); no successive overs |
| Season share | All players bowl the same number of overs across the season | Same |
| Wicketkeepers | ⚠ Not stated | If keeping is shared, each keeper “should bowl 2 overs when not wicket keeping” |
| Run-up | ⚠ Not stated | Maximum 15 m, marked by a cone if necessary |
| 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 | Year 6 Post-Christmas (2025/26) | Year 7 & 8 Morning (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Scorers | A parent/supporter from each team; be careful announcing winners (non-competitive) | Same |
| PlayHQ | Enter the net score on PlayHQ (runs plus runs gained from wickets) | Results entered on PlayHQ by the team or its club/school convenor; scoring itself “should be done on PlayHQ” where possible (the net-score instruction isn't repeated) |
| Score starts at | Zero | Same |
| Runs for dismissals | 3 for each dismissal “DURING THE GRACE PERIOD” | 5 “for each dismissal obtained” (⚠ the grace-period rule gives bonus runs only within the grace period) |
| Runs for wides and no-balls | 1 run each plus runs scored – ⚠ but the Scoring section also says “No extra runs scored for wides or no balls other than the runs obtained from hitting off the cone” | 1 run each plus runs scored (the contradictory sentence is gone) |
| Scoresheet | Year 6 after-Christmas sheet: 20 overs, 6-ball grace period, “3 runs per wicket taken in Grace Period”, 4 overs per bowler | Year 7 & 8 Morning sheet (June 2026): 27 overs, 6-ball grace period, 5 bonus runs per grace-period wicket, 9 wickets, 5 overs per bowler |
Possible errors or inconsistencies
Most of these are already listed in Year 6 Post-Christmas, 2025/26 to 2026/27 and Year 7 & 8 Morning, 2025/26 to 2026/27; they are repeated briefly here because they affect players moving up. They may be worth raising with the CJCA (gm@cjca.org.nz).
Affecting how the game is played
- Free hits and the 8th ball (Year 7 & 8 Morning): “If a NO BALL is bowled in the first to SEVENTH ball of an over, the next ball is a 'Free Hit'” and “Where a wide or a no ball is bowled on the 8th ball of an over, 2 runs will be scored (manually entered)”, but Morning overs are “a maximum of 6 balls” with no extra balls. The CJCA Mixed Grade Summary says the 6th ball.
- Overs per bowler (Year 7 & 8 Morning): “No bowler may bowl more than 4 overs total in a 27 or 30-over game unless agreed to by both teams. Max 5 overs per bowler.” With fewer than 9 players, “bowling limits can be extended to 4 overs each” – no extension if 4 is already the limit.
- Bonus runs (Year 7 & 8 Morning): “5 runs are added to the bowling side for each dismissal obtained”, but the grace-period rule gives bonus runs only for dismissals within the grace period (the Year 6 wording was “DURING THE GRACE PERIOD”).
- Runs for extras (Year 6, 2025/26): “No extra runs scored for wides or no balls other than the runs obtained from hitting off the cone” contradicts “The batting side is awarded 1 run for each wide or no ball” in a grade with no hitting cones.
- Rules that stop at Year 6: the Year 7 & 8 rules don't carry over the early-finish rule (“the remaining overs be bowled”) or the Year 6 bails rule (“…or has passed between two wickets”). Under the MCC Laws, which apply “unless otherwise stated”, a batter isn't bowled unless a bail is dislodged.
- Grace period and extras: neither document says whether wides and no-balls count towards the 6 grace-period balls, although the Year 7 & 8 retirement limit excludes them (“NOT INCLUDING wides and no balls”).
Document and wording issues
- Premier text in the Morning document: “Premier Year 7 and 8 starts at 12.30pm on Saturdays”, the italic paragraph on the Premier grades, “up to 8 balls can be bowled in each over ONLY IN YEAR 7 and 8 PREMIER AFTERNOON CRICKET”, and “within the first 6 balls morning grades (3 balls in Premier grade) they face”.
- Year 7 & 8 general conditions: the Exclusion Zones paragraph says the same thing twice (“…a safe distance from the facing batter (and outside the fielding exclusion zone) and wearing the appropriate safety equipment. Coaches are to ensure fielders are a safe distance from the facing batsmen (and outside the fielding exclusion zone).”) – also true of the Year 6 general conditions. “Coaches seeking rule changes should provide their suggestions to the CJCA .” is cut short, with a stray space (Year 6 continues “rather than litigate rule differences each week with their new opposition.”). Both email links point to “about:blank”.
- Fielders on the boundary: 9 players less 4 on the boundary leaves 5, so “the 3 remaining Fielders” only adds up if the bowler and wicketkeeper aren't counted, which the Year 7 & 8 rules don't say. (The 2026/27 Year 6 rules do: “The Bowler and Wicker Keeper do not count as Fielders”.)
- Year 6 pitch map is labelled “16m pitch”, although the post-Christmas pitch is 18 m. The Year 7 & 8 map shows 18 m.
- Year 6 scoresheet has columns for 4 overs per bowler, but the limit was 3.