Reference · 2026/27
CJCA Girls Grade Summary (2026/27)
Source: CJCA-Girls-Grade-Summary-as-at-1st-August-2026.pdf, pages 1–5.
The CJCA’s Girls Grade Summary as at 1 August 2026: a quick overview of the four girls’ grades for the 2026/27 season. It is a summary only. Where it differs from a grade’s rules, the grade rules take precedence; the differences found are listed in the last section.
The summary names grades by age and ball rather than by division. The CJCA rules documents match them up like this:
- Girls Mini Mags (up to Year 4) – Division 5, in the Year 3–4 and Mini Mags rules: see the Division 5 (Mini Mags) rules.
- Girls Junior Super 8 (up to Year 6) – Division 4, in the Year 5 Hardball, Super 8 Incrediball and Girls Section 4 rules: see the Division 4 rules.
- Girls Intermediate Hardball (up to Year 8) – Division 3 (“Girls Year 7–8”, a 9-a-side hardball grade): see the Division 3 rules.
- Girls Intermediate Incrediball (up to Year 8) – no separate 2026/27 rules document has been published for this grade.
How this page is laid out:
- One card per CJCA heading (General, Batting, Bowling & Fielding), with one column per grade.
- The wording is as published, including capitals. Highlights (like this) and bold follow the PDF; whole cells set in bold are shown plain.
- Where the CJCA merges one cell across several grades, its text is repeated in each grade’s column.
- Labels in italics are editor additions (the PDF leaves that row unlabelled).
Rules: Christchurch Junior Cricket Association (CJCA). Reformatted as coaching notes; see the source PDF for the official wording.
General
| Rule | Girls Mini Mags (Up to Year 4) | Girls Junior Super 8 (Up to Year 6) | Girls Intermediate Incrediball (Up to Year 8) | Girls Intermediate Hardball (Up to Year 8) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team size | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 for Hardball |
| Overs | 16 Overs – Pairs Cricket | 20 Overs – Pairs Cricket | 20 Overs - Pairs Cricket Pre-Christmas - Age & Stage (Grace period) – - Post-Christmas | 20 Overs |
| Bowling ends | All bowling from one end | All bowling from one end | 5 overs bowled each end | 5 overs bowled each end |
| Pitch Length | 14m | 16m | 18m | 18m |
| Ball | Junior Club Incrediball 88-92 gram | Junior Match Incrediball 130-134 gram | Match Incrediball 130-134 gram | 142g leather ball (PINK or RED) Red to be phased out by 2027/28 |
| Equipment | Bats Plastic or Wooden + TWO SMALL TEES NB: At Year 3 or 4, plastic gear can be used by those new to cricket or with different abilities, but coaches must ensure that plastic gear is NOT being used by competent batters to gain an advantage. | Small Tees. Minimum front pad and all other safety equipment. Keepers to wear gloves and helmets | Pre-Christmas Small tees Minimum front pad and all other safety equipment. Keepers to wear gloves and helmets | Full protective equipment (Hardball) Keepers to wear gloves and helmets |
| Boundary Size | 25 m or Natural boundaries | 30 m or Natural boundaries | 35m where possible | 35m where possible |
| Day | Saturday | Saturday | Saturday | Saturday |
| Start time | 9am Saturday or 5.30pm Fridays | 9am | 9am | 9am |
Batting
| Rule | Girls Mini Mags (Up to Year 4) | Girls Junior Super 8 (Up to Year 6) | Girls Intermediate Incrediball (Up to Year 8) | Girls Intermediate Hardball (Up to Year 8) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 4 overs per pair – Swap ends when out | 5 overs per pair. Swap ends when out. | Pre-Christmas – 5 overs per pair. Swap ends when out. Post-Christmas - 6 ball minimum Swap ends during grace period if batter is Out Retired batters can return (see below). Out when out AFTER 6 balls | 6 ball minimum Swap ends during grace period if batter is Out Retired batters can return (see below). Out when out AFTER 6 balls |
| Retiring | Each Batter to face 12 deliveries | Each batter to face 15 deliveries | Pre-Christmas – Each batter to face 15 deliveries Post Christmas – Immediately after 15 Legitimate Balls BATTERS DISMISSED DURING THEIR GRACE PERIOD MAY NOT RETURN (retired can return) | Immediately after 15 Legitimate Balls BATTERS DISMISSED DURING THEIR GRACE PERIOD MAY NOT RETURN (retired can return) |
| LBWs | NO | NO | Back foot | Back foot |
| Free Hit | Off Tee – EITHER SIDE No Balls and Wides – Run out only | Off Tee – EITHER SIDE No Balls and Wides – Run out only | Pre-Christmas – No Balls and Wides - Off tee – Run Out only Post Christmas – after No Balls – Run Outs only | After No Balls – Run Outs only |
| Last Batter Standing | NO | NO | NO YES AFTER CHRISTMAS | YES |
Bowling & Fielding
| Rule | Girls Mini Mags (Up to Year 4) | Girls Junior Super 8 (Up to Year 6) | Girls Intermediate Incrediball (Up to Year 8) | Girls Intermediate Hardball (Up to Year 8) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Overs per bowler | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Max Balls per over | 6 | 6 | 6 pre-Christmas 6 *** post-Christchurch | 6 |
| Bonus Runs | x3 / wicket | X3 / wicket | Pre-Christmas – X5 /wicket Post-Christmas X5 / wicket in grace period | X5 / wicket in grace period |
| Wides/ No Balls value | Runs scored from ‘Free Hit’ only | Runs scored from ‘Free Hit’ only | Pre -Christmas – runs scored from the Free Hit only Post Christmas – 1 plus any extra scored. 2 plus any extras on last ball of Over ** except 20th see *** below | 1 plus any extra scored. 2 plus any extras on last ball of Over ** except 20th over see *** below |
| Max overs per spell | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 - No one can bowl 4th until all have bowled 3 |
| Max Run up | 5m | 10m | 15m | 15m |
| Exclusion zone | 10m from batsman ex slips/gully and keeper | 10m from batsman ex slips/gully and keeper | 10m from batsman ex slips/gully and keeper | 10m from batsman ex slips/gully and keeper |
| Boundary Limits | (blank) | 3 Fielders required to be closer to the Batter than the Boundary - - ALL GRADE YEAR 5 AND OLDER Does not include Wicket Keeper or Bowler | 3 Fielders required to be closer to the Batter than the Boundary - - ALL GRADE YEAR 5 AND OLDER Does not include Wicket Keeper or Bowler | 3 Fielders required to be closer to the Batter than the Boundary - - ALL GRADE YEAR 5 AND OLDER Does not include Wicket Keeper or Bowler |
| Byes and Overthrows | Mini Mags– Maximum 1 Bye or Overthrow | No limit on Byes or Overthrows | No limit on Byes or Overthrows | No limit on Byes or Overthrows |
| Rotate Positions | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Notes Below the Table
** Extras worth 2 runs on 6th ball of an over – no free hit on first ball of next over. Where a wide or a no ball is bowled on the 6th ball of an over, 2 runs will be scored as no 'Free Hit' can be given as the maximum deliveries in an over are 6.
*** 6 legitimate balls must be bowled in the last over
Field Configurations
The summary’s “CJCA Field Configurations” pages (pages 4–5): a note for each grade beside its pitch map.
Mini Mags up to Year 4
Players may only hit the ball off the Tee FORWARD OF THE WICKET on EITHER SIDE
Key: dotted area – fielder exclusion zone; red dots – hitting tees (“Batter and may hit either ball forward of the wicket”); pink dots – exclusion zone markers (“Players do not have to stand on these markers”). “Bowl only from this end.”
Girls Junior Super 8s up to Year 6
Players may start in the middle of the crease and move towards and hit EITHER BALL
Key: blue dot – fielder exclusion zone; red dot – “Small Tee with ball on top. 1m in front of crease. • Hardball Year 6 • Incrediball Year 5/6 Batter must start from crease and may hit either ball forward”.
Up to Year 8 – Girls Intermediate Incrediball
Players may start in the middle of the crease and move towards and hit EITHER BALL
Key: red dot – “Free Hits off cones pre-Christmas”, “Tees 1m in-front of batters”; blue dot – “markers for fielding exclusion zone”.
Up to Year 8 – Girls Intermediate Hardball
NO BATTING TEES
Minimum of 3 Fielders closer to the Batter than the Boundary at all times
Key: fielder exclusion zone; stars – slips and gullies permitted backward of the wicket.
The Summary as Published
The three table pages of the CJCA PDF, as published.
Possible errors or inconsistencies
Checked against the 2026/27 rules for Divisions 5, 4 and 3. Where they differ, follow the rules.
Affecting how the game is played
- Max overs per bowler (Intermediate Hardball): the summary says “4”. The Division 3 rules say “Max 5 overs per bowler.”
- Boundary (Junior Super 8): the summary says “30 m or Natural boundaries”. The Division 4 rules say “35 metres or natural boundaries”.
- Boundary (Mini Mags): the summary says “25 m or Natural boundaries”. The Mini Mags rules say “Year 3 & 4, Mini Mags: 30 metres or natural boundaries”.
- Day (Mini Mags): the summary says “Saturday”, but its own start time is “9am Saturday or 5.30pm Fridays”. The rules say “Year 3 & 4 and Mini Mags start at either 5.30pm on a Friday or 9am on a Saturday morning.”
- Exclusion zone (Mini Mags): the summary says “10m from batsman ex slips/gully and keeper”. The rules say “this excludes the wicket keeper” and “Cones should be placed around a 10m circle”; slips and gullies aren’t mentioned. (The CJCA Mixed summary gives Year 3 and 4 “10m square from each stumps”.)
- Rotate positions (Intermediate Hardball): the summary says “No”. The Division 3 general conditions say “Coaches and Managers should rotate fielders through positions”.
- Bowling order (Junior Super 8): the summary says “3” overs per bowler and “2” per spell. The Division 4 rules say “A bowler may not bowl two overs in a row, and all bowlers should bowl 1 over before any bowler bowls a 2nd” and “All bowlers should bowl 2 overs, unless you are playing with less than 8 players”. None of the rules set a spell length.
- Extras on the last ball (Intermediate Hardball): the ** note covers “a wide or a no ball” on the 6th ball. The Division 3 rules mention only the no ball: “Where a no ball is bowled on the 6th ball of an over, 2 runs will be scored”.
- Bonus runs (Intermediate Hardball): the summary’s “X5 / wicket in grace period” matches the rules (“a bonus 5 runs”). But the Division 3 scoresheet says “3 runs per wicket taken in Grace Period”, so the rules contradict themselves.
- Junior Super 8 equipment and ball: the summary says “Small Tees.” and “Minimum front pad and all other safety equipment.” The Division 4 rules name tees only for “Super 8 and Year 5 Hardball” and say “Full Protective equipment should be warn by batter including a Helmet”. They name no ball for Division 4, and give the Super 8 ball as “Kookaburra Star Softaball Cricket Ball (weight range 130-133grams)”.
- Mini Mags rules that only name Year 3 & 4: for the ball, bats, overs, free hits and byes, the rules say “Year 3 & 4” (for example “In YEARS 3 AND 4 Byes and overthrows should be limited to ONE only”). The summary applies the same rules to Mini Mags (“Mini Mags– Maximum 1 Bye or Overthrow”).
Document and wording issues
- Typo: “6 *** post-Christchurch” (post-Christmas) in the Intermediate Incrediball balls-per-over cell.
- Overs cell (Intermediate Incrediball): the cell reads “20 Overs - Pairs Cricket Pre-Christmas - Age & Stage (Grace period) – - Post-Christmas”, with the “Post-Christmas” on a separate line from the “Grace period” it belongs with.
- Starting position: the Field Configurations notes say “Players may start in the middle of the crease and move towards and hit EITHER BALL” (Junior Super 8, Intermediate Incrediball). The map key beside them says “Batter must start from crease and may hit either ball forward”, and the CJCA Mixed summary’s map says “Batter must start on crease”.
- Map key: the Junior Super 8 map (“Year 5 and Year 5/6 Super 8”) lists the tee for “Hardball Year 6” and “Incrediball Year 5/6”. The Year 6 rules set out no batting tees (the pre-Christmas rules mention “Off-the-Tee” only in passing), and the CJCA Mixed summary’s Year 6 Hardball map shows none. The Mini Mags map key reads “Batter and may hit either ball forward of the wicket”.
- Things the rules don’t say (Intermediate Hardball): “35m where possible” (no boundary distance is given), “Red to be phased out by 2027/28” (the rules say “142g Leather ball (PINK or RED)”), “Keepers to wear gloves” (the rules say “Wicket keepers should ALWAYS wear Helmets”) and “Does not include Wicket Keeper or Bowler”.
- Girls Intermediate Incrediball has no 2026/27 rules document, so its column can’t be checked. The Division 3 rules don’t mention Incrediball.