What’s changed · 2026/27
What’s Changed – Year 6 Hardball Pre-Christmas, 2025/26 to 2026/27
Sources:
- 2025/26: CJCA Year 6 Hardball Grade – PRE Christmas rules, “as at 26th September 2025”. See the Year 6 pre-Christmas rules (2025/26).
- 2026/27: the same CJCA document, “as at 26th August 2026”. See the Year 6 pre-Christmas rules (2026/27).
This compares the two documents clause by clause for Year 6 Hardball before Christmas, and cross-checks the CJCA’s 2026/27 announcements and grade summary. The general conditions on pages 1–2 are word for word the same in both years.
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
- 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.
- Balls faced count only legitimate balls: each batter should face at least 15 legitimate balls (wides and no-balls don’t count). A pair’s 5 overs are now described as “a maximum of 40 balls” (was “a minimum of 30 balls”), and the suggestion to change ends “mid over after dot balls” has gone.
- More than 8 players: coaches may now retire batters after fewer balls, even before a 5-over block finishes, and give each player fewer overs. The 2025/26 option to extend the game by one partnership (with the opposition’s agreement) has been removed.
- 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, 8 a side, 16 m pitch, 35 m boundary, 20 overs of 6–8 balls with wides and no-balls re-bowled, free hit after a no-ball, a maximum of 3 overs per bowler, +3 runs per dismissal, the 10 m exclusion zone, and the same pitch map and scoresheets.
- ⚠ Run-up: the CJCA’s 2026/27 changes announcement says run-ups in Year 5/6 cricket should be no longer than 12 m, and the Mixed grade summary says “12m”. The Year 6 rules (both years) set no run-up limit.
- ⚠ Retiring batters early: the rules let teams with more than 8 players retire batters early, but the 2026/27 announcements say coaches may not retire batters early “for competitive advantage” unless they have more than 9 players.
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” | Same |
| More than 8 players | Maximise participation: “batting and bowling for less overs, OR with the agreement of the opposition, you can extend the game by up to ONE partnership”; “Scoring should be stopped at the 12 or 16 overs for the normal innings. (Unless both teams can bat extra)” | 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 “individual bowling for less overs”. The extra-partnership option is gone – highlighted as changed |
| Start time | 9.00 am Saturday, or 4.30 pm for a Friday round | Same |
| Pitch length | 16 m (blue lines); “Move to 18m after Christmas NOT BEFORE” | Same |
| Boundary | 35 m or natural boundaries | Same |
| Ball | 142 g leather | Kookaburra 142 g leather – effectively Same |
| Bats | Wooden bats only from Year 5 upwards | 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, 20 overs per side (8-ball maximum); coin toss for who starts | Same |
| Expected duration | About 3 hours maximum | Same |
| Bowling end | “All bowling is to be from the same end” (Time of Innings), and “5 overs bowled at the same end to speed up the innings” (Bowling) | Same – ⚠ the Mixed grade summary says “5 overs bowled each end” |
| Next pair in | Ready immediately after the previous pair’s partnership | Same |
| Exclusion zone | 10 m zone that “excludes the wicket keeper”; cones may mark a 10 m circle; fielders don’t enter until after the shot; fielders needn’t stand on the markers | Same |
| Pitch map | Appendix 1 pitch map (May 2024): 16 m pitch, 10 m exclusion zone, slips and gullies permitted backward of the wicket | Same (the same image) |
Batting and dismissals
| Rule | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| Batting order | 8 batters in pairs numbered 1–4 by coach or captain | Same |
| Balls per pair and per batter | Each pair bats 5 overs, “a minimum of 30 balls”; each batter to face “a minimum of 15 balls”, changing ends “including mid over after dot balls” if needed | Each pair bats 5 overs, “a maximum of 40 balls”; each batter to face “a minimum of 15 LEGITIMATE balls” (wides and no-balls don’t count); the mid-over change of ends after dot balls is no longer 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 the runs being attempted if the batters crossed on the final run; fielding side still gets 3 runs | Same |
| Ways of being out | Bowled, caught, stumped, hit wicket, run out; no LBW | Same |
| What happens when a batter is out | Batter stays in; X recorded; bowler credited; batters swap ends (not for a run-out); bowling side +3 runs as extras | Same (“3 bonus runs” now highlighted) |
Extras, free hits and wides
| Rule | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| Runs for a wide or no-ball | 1 run plus any runs scored; re-bowled up to 8 balls per over; 6 legitimate balls in the final over | Same |
| Wide or no-ball on the last (8th) ball | 2 runs, no free hit | Same |
| Free hit | Ball after a no-ball (balls 1–7) is a free hit; run-out the only dismissal; field can’t change except for a left/right-hander change | Same |
| Wide definition | Passes outside the off-side cone and not hit; or passes halfway towards the leg side and not hit | Same |
| No-ball conditions | Bounces twice or rolls; above the waist on the full; above the shoulder after bouncing; fielders (not the bowler) encroach into the exclusion zone | Same |
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) |
| Byes and overthrows | “Byes and overthrows are UNLIMITED” | “Byes and overthrows are unlimited.” – 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Balls per over | Minimum 6, maximum 8 | Same – ⚠ the Mixed grade summary says “6” |
| Overs per bowler | Max 3; nobody bowls a 3rd over until everyone has bowled 2; no consecutive overs; equal overs across the season | Same |
| Run-up | Not stated | Same – ⚠ the 2026/27 announcement and the Mixed grade summary say 12 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 |
| Scorers and results | A parent or supporter from each team; enter the net score on PlayHQ; be careful announcing winners | Same |
| Runs for dismissals | +3 for each dismissal | Same |
| Scoresheet | Appendix 2: CJCA Year 6 sheet, one per innings | Same (the same images) |
Cross-check with the 2026/27 announcements
The CJCA published several announcements for 2026/27 that touch Year 6 before Christmas: the Grade and Playing Conditions changes document, and posters on fielding restrictions, grace-period settings, retirement levels, retired and additional batters and wides and no-balls not counting as balls faced. The Mixed grade summary is also checked.
| Announcement says | 2026/27 Year 6 pre-Christmas rules |
|---|---|
| “In all CJCA grades at least 3 players must be closer to the Batter than to the Boundary.” | Matches the new fielding restriction. |
| Fielding Restrictions poster: no fielders closer than 10 m to the batter; slips and gullies (off side) may be closer than 10 m; hardball keepers must wear helmets at all times. | Matches the 10 m zone and helmet rule. ⚠ The rules text exempts only “the wicket keeper”; slips and gullies appear only on the pitch map. |
| Bonus runs for wickets in all pairs cricket, including “Year 6 Pre-Christmas”, remain at 3. | Matches (+3 per dismissal). |
| Retirement poster, pairs cricket “no change”: Year 5 & 6 bat in “5-over blocks per pair”, “legitimate balls shared”. | Matches: 5 overs per pair, at least 15 legitimate balls each. |
| Wides and no-balls “do not count” as balls faced (poster applies to “Year 6, 7 & 8”). | Matches “a minimum of 15 LEGITIMATE balls”. ⚠ The poster’s wide guide (“Full wides on the offside and halfway to that on the legside”) and no-ball examples (“landing off the pitch”, overstepping) are not the pre-Christmas rules: wides here are judged by the off-side cone, and landing off the pitch is a no-ball only after Christmas. |
| Retired and additional batters poster: in pairs cricket, “Teams with odd numbers should rotate batters into the vacant position throughout the season”. | Not stated. The rules ask the opposition to lend players and allow 3 overs each. |
| ⚠ Coaches are not allowed to retire batters earlier than the retirement limits “FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE unless they are playing with more than 9 players and spreading the innings equally” (applies to “All grades”). | The rules let teams with more than 8 players retire batters early, before a 5-over block finishes. For a team of 9 the two disagree. |
| ⚠ “Run Ups should be … no longer than 12m in Year 5/6 cricket”. | Not stated: the Year 6 rules have no run-up limit. |
| Should wicketkeeping be shared, each keeper should bowl 2 overs when not keeping (in the bowling changes for 27- and 30-over grades). | Not stated before Christmas (the post-Christmas rules now say it). |
| PODs are recommended in non-pairs cricket only. | Not applicable: Year 6 before Christmas is pairs cricket. |
| Full byes and overthrows in all grades other than Kiwi, Years 3 and 4 and Mini Mags. | Matches. |
| Mixed grade summary, “Year 6 Sections (until Xmas)”: 20 overs, 16 m, 142 g ball, 35 m, “Each batter to face 15 deliveries”, max 3 overs, x3 per wicket, free hit after a no-ball run-out only. | Matches. |
| ⚠ Mixed grade summary: “5 overs bowled each end”, “Max Balls per over 6”, wides/no-balls worth “Runs scored from ‘Free Hit’ only”, “Max Run up 12m”, “Max overs per spell 2”, exclusion zone “exc slips/gully (off side)”, “Rotate Positions No”. | Disagree: the rules say all bowling from the same end, 6–8 balls per over, 1 run per wide or no-ball and re-bowled, no run-up or spell limit, only the keeper exempt from the zone, and (general conditions) fielders should be rotated through positions. |
Possible errors or inconsistencies
These are quoted word for word from the CJCA documents. They may be worth raising with the CJCA (gm@cjca.org.nz).
Affecting how the game is played
- Run-up length: the 2026/27 changes announcement says “no longer than 12m in Year 5/6 cricket” and the Mixed grade summary says “12m”, but the Year 6 rules give no run-up limit, and the Year 5 rules say “a maximum of a 10-metre run up”.
- Retiring batters early: the 2026/27 rules say teams with “more than 8 players” may retire batters early (“batting less balls before retiring batters”), but the announcements say coaches may not retire batters early “unless they are playing with more than 9 players”.
- Bowling end conflicts with itself (both years): Time of Innings says “All bowling is to be from the same end”, but the Bowling list says “5 overs bowled at the same end to speed up the innings”, and the Mixed grade summary says “5 overs bowled each end”.
- Exclusion zone text and map disagree (both years): the text says the 10 m zone “excludes the wicket keeper”, but the pitch map and the Fielding Restrictions poster also allow slips and gullies inside 10 m.
- “bowling limits can be extended to 3 overs each” (both years) when the normal limit is already “Max 3 overs per bowler”.
- Wide on the 8th ball (both years): the Batting section says “If the last ball (up to 8) of an over is a wide or no-ball then 2 runs are awarded”, but the Free Hits bullet mentions only “a no ball … bowled on the 8th ball”.
- 2025/26 only – overs: “Scoring should be stopped at the 12 or 16 overs for the normal innings” in a 20-over game (removed in 2026/27).
- Mixed grade summary vs rules: the summary’s “Max Balls per over 6” and “Runs scored from ‘Free Hit’ only” for wides and no-balls don’t match the rules (“Minimum Balls per over 6 – Maximum 8”; “Wides and no-balls score 1 run plus any extra runs scored and are re-bowled”). The free-hit-off-a-tee wording belongs to Year 5 and Super 8s.
Document and wording issues
- The new fielding restriction isn’t highlighted as new in the pre-Christmas document, although the post-Christmas document labels the same rule “(new 2026)”.
- Wides says “(See graphics below)”, but there are no graphics (both years).
- The table of contents has two empty entries, after “Bowling Not Throwing” and after “Appendix One – Pitch Map” (both years).
- Typos (both years): “should be warn by batter” (worn); “so it important” (it’s important); “no 'Free Hit' is given can be given”; “receives 3 bonus runs add to their Batting total”; a 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”.
- The general conditions on page 2 repeat the Exclusion Zones sentence twice (“…facing batter…” / “…facing batsmen…”), unchanged from 2025/26.