Rounders

Rounders Festivals

Y5/6 Rounders Festival

Teams: 9 players with a maximum of 12 in the squad.  Substitutes can be made between batting and fielding and between each innings but may only take place during actual game play in the event of an injury.  There should always be a minimum of 3 girls in the team of 9.

Each innings will last 8 minutes unless all batting players are out before this time. The batting / fielding team order will be decided by a coin toss between the two captains. Please provide your own bats.

The key rules are listed below:

Scoring

• If the batter reaches the 2nd or 3rd post in one hit, the batting team scores ½ Rounder
• If the batter reaches 4th post in one hit, the batting team scores 1 Rounder
• If a batter misses the ball, they do not score at 2nd post but will score ½ rounder by reaching 4th post
• If the ball is hit behind the batting line, the batter must not pass first post until the ball crosses the batting line
• If the bowler bowls two ‘no balls’, ½ a rounder is awarded to the batting side

Competition Rules follow Rounders England guidelines

• Use of runners: Rounders England does not support the use of runners. At the beginning of the match you need to submit the nominated team sheet including any substitutes, who may be brought in to replace any injured batter. If a player is injured prior to the start of the game, they should not be added to the team sheet.
• Dead Ball: Whilst the batter is being changed or a substitution is being made and the bowler has the ball in the bowling square, the ball shall be deemed ‘dead’.  The bowlers umpire should call ‘play’ to restart the game after a stoppage for a dead ball situation
• Misfield Rule: There is a common misconception that a post can become ‘unstumped’ if the ball is misfielded but quite simply, a post cannot be unstumped. So…. if a batter managed to reach 3rd as 4th was stumped and the bowler dropped the returning ball, the batter may wish to run on (especially if there are only a couple of batters left in) but would not score. If the batter was between 2nd and 3rd when fourth was stumped, this would not stop them from scoring in the usual way as it has to be the post immediately in front of the batter that is stumped to prevent scoring.
• Umpires should have a keen eye for batters that ‘hover’ between posts so that they can still score. This is not allowed; any batter approaching a post and then not making contact must be asked to do so by the umpire, and if they refuse they will be out.
• Holding on to the Bat: A batter must hold on to the bat whilst running round the track. If losing the bat is a genuine accident, then once the game play is at a dead ball situation (ball back with bowler) the umpire should ask the batter to retrieve their bat. However if they drop or throw the bat deliberately, then the batter is out. A batter can still score without a bat.
• 2m zone line (turning the corner and running on): As long as a batter maintains contact with the post they may turn the corner and wait in anticipation of the next ball. They may decide not to run (a batter waiting at a base does not have to run on every ball bowled, unless of course there is another batter running to that post). The rule where an umpire orders the batter to run on comes in to force if they turn the corner, over the 2m zone line and do not make contact with the post, or if they have made contact initially, and then lost contact. Penalty: the umpire shall order the player back to the post they passed.
• Bowling to the Bat: The batter is allowed to stand anywhere in the batting square and the bowler should bowl to them appropriately. The bowler does not have to bowl within the batting square limitations, so if a batter stands with their toes up against the edge of the batting square, then obviously the arm and bat would be outside the square, and the bowler should still bowl in relation to where the batter is standing, not the batting square. This is not a wide ball. The umpire should determine this against where the ball is in relation to the batters body and not the batting square.
• Umpires should note that the accuracy of a ball is judged in relation to the batters’ position in the square when the ball is released and not the square itself. Therefore a ball bowled outside the square is not necessarily a wide ball.
• Side Out: Where there is no batter waiting their turn to bat, all the batters on the running track may be put out simultaneously by the ball being thrown full pitch, or placed by a fielder into the batting square before any batter has reached and touched 4th post.
• Any batters reaching 2nd or 3rd post will not score as this action puts them out.
• Where there is no batter waiting their turn to bat and the bowler has possession of the ball in the bowling square so that no batter can leave a post, the innings shall be declared over.
• Any batters in a scoring position will retain their score as this action does not put them out.
• Overtaking: A batter may not remain at the same post as another batter. Penalty: the umpire shall order the player who batted first to run on and may be put out in the usual ways. A batter completing the track shall not overtake any batter who is running ahead.
• Batters Leaving the Square: A batter is out if their foot projects over the front or back line of the batting square before they have hit the ball or it has passed them. However, once they have completed their batting action they may exit the square in any direction.