Last Updated on 1 year by Charbel Coorey

Cricket News: Red card in cricket? CPL takes big steps to combat slow over rates | CPL introduces new rules for slow over rates

The upcoming men’s and women’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will see new and significant penalities for slow over rates. This includes a “red card” system, whereby the fielding team, if behind schedule at the start of the 20th over, needs to remove a player from the field of play.

CPL tournament operations director Michael Hall said the changes are vital to ensure that T20 matches don’t drag on.

“We have been disappointed that our T20 games have been getting longer and longer each year, and we want to do what we can to arrest this trend,” he said in a statement.

“It is the duty of those involved in cricket to ensure that the game keeps moving and we have sensitised both the franchises and our match officials to this duty ahead of the tournament. Our hope is that these in-game penalties are not needed, but we believe they are proportionate and necessary.”

CPL slow over rate penalties – red card system introduced

Fielding teams need to be on the move from the get go. Penalties will kick in from the 18th over. If the fielding side is behind the over rate at:

• 18th over: one additional player must enter the fielding circle (total of five players inside the circle)
• 19th over, two additional fielders must enter the fielding circle (total of six inside the circle)
• 20th over: teams will lose a player from the field and have six inside the fielding circle. This player will be selected by the captain.

With these penalties, fielding teams who are behind on the over rate can concede a significant amount of runs in the death overs.

However, what about the batting team? Can they be penalised? Yes. Batting teams, after a first and final warning by the umpires, will be handed a five-run penalty for each instance of time-wasting thereafter.

How long should each innings be?

According to the CPL statement, each innings should last for 85 minutes.

• 17th over must be completed by 72 minutes and 15 seconds;
• 18th by 76 minutes and 30 seconds;
• and the 19th by 80 minutes and 45 seconds, before the last over ends within 85 minutes.

The statement read, “Over rates will be monitored by the third umpire and communicated to the captains via on-field umpires at the end of every over, as well as to the crowd and TV audience, with graphics showing how far they are behind (or ahead of) the over rate.”

“Dispensations will be given for injuries, DRS and time-wasting by batting side where appropriate.”

The men’s CPL begins on August 17. Jamaica Tallawahs will take on St Lucia Kings. The women’s CPL will begin on August 31, with Barbados Royals and Guyana Amazon Warriors kicking off the tournament.