The approved 2026/27 BDCA Playing Conditions and General Rules are available on the Playing Conditions & Policies page. The 2026/27 Season Guide is still being finalised and will be published there once approved. Clubs will be notified when new or updated season documents are released.

Official BDCA senior fixtures, match results and competition ladders are maintained through PlayCricket and PlayHQ. Use the Fixtures & Results link on the BDCA website, then select the relevant Senior Men’s, Senior Women’s or T20 competition. Results and ladders are updated from match information submitted by clubs. If information appears incorrect, contact your club administrator so the matter can be checked with the BDCA.

Senior Men’s 1st Grade and 2nd Grade play 50-over matches throughout the 2026/27 season. Any reference in the current published Playing Conditions to these grades playing 45-over matches until 30 October is incorrect and will be corrected.
Third Grade plays 45-over matches, while Fourth and Fifth Grades play 40-over matches. Senior Men’s T20 matches are 20 overs per team. Start times and scheduled breaks are shown in the current fixtures and Playing Conditions.

A player must be properly registered in PlayHQ, with any required clearance, transfer or dual-registration approval completed. Players in Senior Men’s First and Second Grade must be registered by the Thursday before the match. Day-of-match registration is only available in Third, Fourth and Fifth Grade and Senior Women’s cricket when all conditions in the Playing Conditions are met. Generally, a player cannot participate in two BDCA matches in the same fixtured round, except that eligible junior and Senior Women’s players may also play Senior Men’s cricket. Additional restrictions apply when moving players from a grade with a bye. Clubs should obtain written BDCA Executive approval by Thursday where an exception is required.

The player’s registered club must first qualify for finals as shown on the BDCA ladder in PlayHQ. For Senior Men’s finals, a player must have played at least six matches for that club during the season; abandoned matches do not count. The grades in which the player competed determine the lowest grade they may represent during finals. For Senior Women’s finals, a player must have played at least four Senior Women’s matches for that club during the season. Special provisions apply to consecutive teams playing finals and to junior players used by a club’s lowest-grade finals team. Clubs should confirm any unusual eligibility situation with the BDCA before selecting the player.

Clearances are used when a player permanently moves between BDCA clubs or from another association into the BDCA and must be completed through PlayHQ. A player cannot represent a new club until the required clearance is approved. Clearance applications must be actioned within seven days and resolved within 14 days, and no new clearance or transfer into the BDCA is permitted after 31 January. Transfers are primarily used for junior player movements or representative-cricket administration. A player registered or playing in another association must receive written BDCA Executive approval before playing in the BDCA as a dual-registered player. Dual-registered players count as imported players, with a maximum of two imported or dual-registered players permitted per team.

A junior player must be at least 13 years old on the day of the match to participate in either the BDCA Senior Men’s or Senior Women’s competition. Clubs are responsible for confirming the player’s age and eligibility before selection. If a club fields an underage player, the team may lose five premiership points and the club may be fined $200. Junior fast-bowling workload limits and other player-safety requirements continue to apply when the junior participates in senior cricket.

Captains must identify players under 19 years of age as at 31 August before the season and advise the umpires. In Senior Men’s cricket, an Under 15 fast bowler may bowl a maximum of 5 overs per spell and 12 overs per day; an Under 17 fast bowler may bowl a maximum of 5 overs per spell and 16 overs per day. In Senior Women’s cricket, the limits are Under 13: 4 overs per spell and 8 per day; Under 15: 5 per spell and 12 per day; and Under 17: 5 per spell and 16 per day. Captains are responsible for monitoring and enforcing these limits.

Team lists must be entered into PlayHQ and complete before the toss. Immediately after the match, the home or host team must finalise and sync the electronic match, including the result, complete batting and bowling figures and dismissal details. First Grade match data must be complete by 7.00 pm Sunday. Captain’s umpire assessments are due by 8.00 pm Monday. For all matches, the home team must ensure all match results and player details are complete in PlayHQ by 7.00 pm Wednesday following the round.

Bonus points apply to all Senior Men’s grades. A winning team receives one bonus point when its run rate is at least 1.25 times the opposition’s run rate. A maximum of one bonus point can be awarded in a match.
The BDCA Administrator confirms competition points, which are updated by Wednesday midnight. If a club believes points have been allocated incorrectly, it must notify BDCA before the beginning of its next scheduled fixture.
Bonus points do not apply to the Senior Women’s competition or BDJCA junior competitions.
Refer to Rules 6.2.2 and 6.2.4 and the Bonus Point Summary in the current BDCA Playing Conditions and General Rules.
For examples covering 20, 30, 40, 45 and 50-over matches, download the BDCA Bonus Points Quick-Reference Chart from Other Resources & Documents on the Playing Conditions & Policies page.

In all senior competitions, no more than five fielders may be on the leg side at the instant of delivery. In Senior Men’s First and Second Grade one-day matches, a 27.5-metre fielding circle applies: no more than two fielders may be outside the circle in overs 1–10, four in overs 11–40 and five in overs 41–50. In Third, Fourth and Fifth Grade, no more than five players may be more than 30 metres from the batter at any time. In Senior Men’s T20 matches, only two fielders may be outside the circle during the first six overs and no more than five during the remaining 14 overs. In Senior Women’s cricket, no more than five fielders may be outside the 27.5-metre circle at any time. Adjusted tables apply when an innings is reduced.

The match should still proceed. If no BDCA-appointed umpire is available, each team must provide an umpire and the captains must ensure those umpires understand the Laws of Cricket, BDCA Playing Conditions and Code of Conduct. If only one BDCA-appointed umpire is present, that umpire stands at the non-striker’s end and the batting captain appoints a competent person at the striker’s end. Player umpires in Senior Men’s cricket must be over 18, or over 16 at square leg, unless certified or qualified. In Senior Women’s cricket, player umpires must be over 13. Player umpires must be clearly identified, appropriately dressed and act solely as umpires while performing the role.

Before play, both captains must inspect the wicket, playing surface and surrounding areas and complete the required risk assessment. Where BDCA-appointed umpires are present, they are the sole judges of whether the pitch, ground, weather and light are fit for play. If only one BDCA-appointed umpire is present, that umpire makes the decision. If no BDCA-appointed umpire is present, the captains must appoint umpires and decisions are made under Law 2. Play must stop immediately when lightning is followed by thunder within 30 seconds and cannot resume until 30 minutes after the last lightning flash. The BDCA may also cancel a round or finals cricket where extreme weather is forecast.

If time is lost before play begins, the available overs are reduced in accordance with the BDCA Playing Conditions. The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method is used when play is interrupted after a match has commenced because of rain, bad light, ground conditions or another acceptable reason.
Each interruption must be entered separately. The calculation may change the number of overs available, the target score, bowling limits and fielding restrictions. Umpires or captains must advise both teams of the revised conditions before play resumes.
The Cricket Australia online DLS Calculator is available through the Quick Links section of the BDCA Playing Conditions & Policies page. The current BDCA Playing Conditions and any directions from the appointed umpires or BDCA remain authoritative.

The host club is responsible for preparing the pitch and ground to the best possible standard, including the required crease and fielding-circle markings. Before play, the captains must inspect the wicket, playing surface and surrounding areas. If the pitch or ground is unreasonable or dangerous, the host club must take all reasonable steps to make it playable as soon as practicable. BDCA-appointed umpires are the sole judges of whether conditions are fit for play. First Grade must be played on turf, although a regular-season match may be moved to another ground after consultation with both clubs and the BDCA Administrator. Other grades may be transferred to a BDCA-allocated synthetic wicket when the turf wicket is unsuitable.

The current MCC Laws of Cricket, an explanation of the 2026 law changes and a summary of all 73 changes are available on the BDCA Playing Conditions & Policies page under Umpire Resources. These documents apply from 1 October 2026. Use the View/Download buttons on that page to access the documents.

No. Bonus points apply only to BDCA Senior Men’s grades under the current Playing Conditions. Bonus points are not awarded in the Senior Women’s competition or BDJCA junior competitions. Refer to the current BDCA Playing Conditions and General Rules for the applicable competition points arrangements.

When no official umpires are appointed, the two captains must agree on the votes after the match. Player votes must be awarded 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 to five players, and fielding votes must be awarded 3, 2 and 1 to three players. The home captain must email the agreed votes to competitions@bdca.asn.au by 8:00pm on the Monday following the match.

Confirmed BDCA meeting dates, Presidents’ meetings and other key association events will be published on the Calendar page. Club invoice dates, instalment due dates and umpire invoice dates are also listed in the current Treasurer’s Calendar under Other Resources & Documents on the Playing Conditions & Policies page. Clubs should check these pages regularly for updates.

The minimum number of overs depends on the competition and match format:
• Senior Men’s 50-over match: 25 overs per team
• Senior Men’s 45-over match: 23 overs per team
• Senior Men’s 40-over match: 20 overs per team
• Senior Men’s T20 match: 5 overs per team
• Senior Women’s 20-over or 30-over match: 10 overs per team
Each team must have the opportunity to receive the applicable minimum. If that is no longer possible, the match is abandoned and recorded as a No Result or draw under the relevant competition rules. A result may still be reached earlier if a team is dismissed or the team batting second reaches its target.