What’s changed · 2026/27
What’s Changed – Year 7 & 8 Premier, 26 August to 13 October 2026
Sources:
- 26 August 2026: CJCA Year 7 & 8 Premier Hardball rules, “as at 26th August 2026” – the first 2026/27 version, now superseded (not built as a page).
- 13 October 2026: the same CJCA document, “as at 13th October 2026” – the current version. See the Year 7 & 8 Premier rules (2026/27).
This compares the two versions clause by clause. For the changes since last season, see Year 7 & 8 Premier, 2025/26 to 2026/27.
How to read the table:
- Same means the 13 October rule means the same as the 26 August rule.
- Rows whose rule name is in bold are the ones coaches and umpires need to apply differently from 13 October.
- ⚠ marks a rule missing from one version or contradicted by another CJCA document.
Rules: Christchurch Junior Cricket Association (CJCA). Reformatted as coaching notes; see the source PDF for the official wording.
What’s changed – at a glance
- LBW in Year 7 Premier (new section): limited, back-foot-only LBW, on appeal, with “ANY doubt – not out” – the same wording as the Morning grades. The 26 August version had no LBW rule for Year 7 Premier.
- Unchanged: every other rule, including “FULL LBW” in Year 8 Premier, the 3-ball grace period, 5 bonus runs, retirement after 25 legitimate balls, and 30 overs of up to 8 balls. Apart from the new section, only the “As at” date, the table of contents and the page layout differ.
- ⚠ Between 26 August and 13 October, the only Year 7 Premier LBW rule was in the Morning document (“LBW in Morning Year 7 & 8 & Year 7 Premier (Afternoon) Cricket”). The CJCA website’s Year 7 Premier and Year 8 Premier links pointed at different versions, so check which copy your team is using.
Rules table
Dismissals
| Rule | 26 August 2026 | 13 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Ways of being out | “Players can be bowled, caught, stumped, hit wicket and run out and given out LBW if the following applies” | Same |
| LBW – Year 7 Premier | ⚠ Not stated (no section; only the Morning document mentions Year 7 Premier) | New section “LBW in Year 7 Premier (Afternoon) Cricket”: LBW only on appeal, if the ball pitches in line, hits the pads in front of the stumps before the bat, was definitely going to hit the stumps, and the batter “has gone onto the back foot and stayed on the back foot”; not out if the ball pitched outside the line or the batter played forward; “ANY doubt – not out” |
| LBW – Year 8 Premier | “FULL LBW to be applied in this grade”; “Only to be awarded when there was no doubt whatsoever in the umpire’s mind. ANY doubt – not out.” | Same |
Everything else
| Rule | 26 August 2026 | 13 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| General conditions (pages 1–2) | “As at 26th August 2026” | Same (only the date changes) |
| Format, players and ground | 9 a side, 18 m pitch, 40 m boundary, Kookaburra 142 g ball, 12.30 pm Saturday start, POD directive | Same |
| Match structure | 30 overs of up to 8 balls; change ends after each 5-over block | Same |
| Batting | 3-ball grace period, 5 bonus runs; retire immediately after 25 balls, not counting wides and no-balls; free hits after no-balls | Same |
| Fielding | Maximum 4 fielders on the boundary; unlimited byes and overthrows | Same |
| Bowling and scoring | Bowling over limits; 15 m run-up; 5 runs per dismissal | Same |
| Pitch map and scoresheet | Appendix 1 pitch map; Appendix 2 scoresheet | Same |
Cross-check with other CJCA documents
| Document says | 13 October rules |
|---|---|
| Morning rules (26 August 2026): “LBW in Morning Year 7 & 8 & Year 7 Premier (Afternoon) Cricket”, with the same back-foot conditions. | Matches – the new section uses the same wording. |
| Mixed Grade Summary (1 August 2026): LBW “Back foot” for Year 7 Premier and “Full – Year 8 Premier”. | Matches. |
Possible errors or inconsistencies
Affecting how the game is played
- Missing rule (26 August version): the Premier document had a Dismissals section allowing LBW “if the following applies”, followed only by the Year 8 Premier rule. Year 7 Premier coaches reading their own document had no LBW conditions until 13 October.
- CJCA website links: the Year 7 Premier and Year 8 Premier links on the CJCA website pointed at different versions of the document (26 August and 13 October 2026).
Document and wording issues
- Repeated text (13 October version): the new section prints “ANY doubt – not out.” twice, as the Morning document does.
- Highlighting (13 October version): the table of contents highlights “Grace Period” as well as the new LBW entry, although the Grace Period text is the same as on 26 August.