Umpires will need to update their law manuals, as new signals have been introduced by the MCC.This new code, which is the first update since 2000, will give umpires more control in taking disciplinary action.
Once the new Code comes into effect in October, on-field officials will have the power to send players off; either temporarily or permanently, and award penalty runs to the opposition.
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According to the MCC, umpires will have two brand-new signals to indicate a player has been sent off.
Umpires must put an arm out to the side of their body and repeatedly raise and lower it to indicate the sending off of a player.
To permanently send off a player (fourth level offence), they must point their index finger and hold their arm outstretched to the side of their body. For a temporary send off (third level offence), the umpire will follow the first gesture by raising both hands with all fingers spread to shoulder height, with their palms facing the scorers.
The occurrence of either of the levels will result in a five-run penalty for the guilty opposition. The umpire must repeatedly tap their shoulder to indicate the implementation of this law.
Umpires will ask the guilty player’s captain to ‘remove the offending player from the field’ and if the skipper does not do so, the umpires may call the game and declare the opposition side as the winners. If it transpires that both captains refuse to obey, the match can be abandoned.
‘The MCC has left no stone unturned in researching and redrafting the new Laws of Cricket, and has done so in order to make the Laws work in a way that makes sense to players, umpires and spectators,’ MCC laws manager Fraser Stewart explained.
‘The Laws are applicable worldwide, so they need to be as simple as possible to understand and be inclusive to all.
‘The Club hopes to encourage interest in the game at all levels, and believes these new Laws are reflective of the present time and easier for cricketers and umpires to interpret.’
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