User:Reale/Courtyard Cricket

Courtyard Cricket is a varient of the sport of Cricket, the bat-and-ball team sport. The equipment and style of play are the same as that of most variations of cricket, however the playing arena and method of scoring and playing differ dramatically.

Equipment
The equipment used in Courtyard Cricket is nearly identical to that of the original game of cricket. The cricket equipment used in Courtyard Cricket are as follows:
 * Bat;
 * Wickets;
 * IncrediBall.

Rules of Play
Courtyard Cricket is a team sport with each team consisting of three players. At any one time during a match of Courtyard Cricket there will be one Batsman, one bowler, and four fielders. What is known as the wicket-keeper in the original cricket format is physically non-existent in Courtyard Cricket, however the concept still remains. The wickets are placed in front of a wall and if the ball is hit directly into the wall behind, it is classed as caught and will be given out. This is called an automatic wicket-keeper. The automatic wicket-keeper also comes into play for stumping; if the ball hits the wall without being hit by the batsman and the batsman is out of their crease, the decision will be that the batsman is out.

At the beginning of each match, the captain of each of the teams come together to toss a coin. The loser of this coin toss must then determine what order their team will rotate in. The winner of the coin toss then has the advantage of choosing their order based upon the order of the opposing team, thus determining who will bowl to who.

The scoring and playing style of Courtyard Cricket also differs from any other variation of the game of cricket. Two teams of three play at a time with a rotating field. The batsman from one team faces the bowler from the other team. The batsman is surrounded with the bowler directly in front, two fielders on the leg-side and two fielders on the off-side. The two fielders directly on either side of the batsman are on the opposing team (the bowler's team) whilst the next two fielders, standing directly on either side of the bowler, are on the batsman's team. For each bowl that the batsman manages to stay in, one run is added to the batsman's team. The batsman also cannot get out on the first bowl of the batsman's innings, however if the batsman manages to get out first ball, the run the batsman's team would normally receive will not be added to their total. The ways in which the batsman can get out are as follows:
 * Bowled;
 * Caught (Both caught on the full (by fielder or automatic wicket-keeper) and by the one-hand one-bounce rule.);
 * Stumping;
 * Hitting buildings on the full;
 * Not playing a shot for three consecutive balls;
 * Receiving two warnings per innings. (See Batting)

Once the batsman is out, everyone on the field rotates one position anti-clockwise and the process is repeated. Once everyone has faced an innings of bowling and is out, the order of batting and bowling is changed so that batsman can face different bowlers and vice-versa. At the end of this innings, each team's respective runs are added and the totals are compared. The team with the highest amount of runs is the winner.

Bowling
The method of bowling in Courtyard Cricket differs dramatically to the bowling that is characteristic of the original game of cricket. It must be slow and the arm does not have to be straight however the delivery must be overarm (see the underarm bowling incident of 1981). As long as the ball is not deemed to wide and is not delivered too fast, it is a legitimate delivery. Spin may be used and is a popular bowling method. If the bowling becomes consistently too fast, a warning may be issued to the bowler. If the bowler receives two warnings, a three run penalty may be issued to the batting team after the second warning and for every warning proceding.

Popular Bowling Deliveries
There are several types of deliveries that are popular with Courtyard Cricket bowlers. They include:
 * Leg Spin;
 * Off Spin;
 * Seamer;
 * Bouncer (This delivery is currently under scrutiny by the governing body of Courtyard Cricket, the International Courtyard Cricket Council).

Wides
A wide delivery in Courtyard Cricket is defined by a delivery that is too far for the batsman to reach from where they are standing. As the batsman will be deemed out if they do not play a ball for three consecutive shots, the batsman may decide to not play a wide and not be penalised whilst still acquiring a run. The bowler will, in no way, be penalised for a wide delivery, save for it being a wasted delivery if the batsman chooses not to play it.

Batting
The batting technique in Courtyard Cricket differs slightly from that of the original form of the game. No padding is required as the bowling is only slow. Only block shots (see Batting (cricket)) are permitted and any attempt to play a shot other than a block shot may be seen as aggressive. In a batting situation considered aggressive, a warning is given. If two warnings are received in an innings, the batsman will be out with no additional points awarded to either team and the rotation will continue as per usual. The batsman is also allowed to leave any ball that is delivered to them providing that the batsman does not deliberately leave three consecutive balls. If and when three consecutive balls are left, the batsman will be out with three (3) points awarded to the bowling team. If the batsman plays a shot and misses, with the intention of hitting the ball, it will not be counted as a leave.

Popular Batting Shots
There are several popular shots in the game of Courtard Cricket. They are as follows:
 * The orthodox block (defensive and reliable, however prone to edges due to spin-bowling;
 * The orthodox sweep;
 * The reverse sweep;
 * The bunt;
 * The reversed hill (Bat is held with the flat side facing the opposite direction. This provides unpredictability and confusion in the fielders. However, it is also unpredictable for the batsman.)
 * The Tom-Block. (This shot was first seen in 2007 by Co- President of the International Courtyard Cricket Council (ICCC), Tom Reale. Difficult to execute, the shot is played by following the ball to the ground with the bat and bringing it down directly on top of the ball, stopping it completely, making it impossible for the fielders to catch.)

The Automatic Wicket Keeper
The Automatic Wicket Keeper is always on the bowler's team on every rotation and is always to the batsman's off-side 150cm's and 50cm's to the batsman's legside. The Automatic Wicket-Keeper is essential due to the ever rotating teams as the Automatic Wicket-Keeper will always remain neutral.

Tactics
There are few recorded tactics in the modern game of Courtyard Cricket as there are very few rules of playing etiquette. Most tactics are simple, e.g. the positioning of the fielders, the amount and direction of spin on behalf of the bowler and the batsman following the ball after it has been hit (this puts the fielders off).

Sledging
Sledging is common in Courtyard Cricket by all parties and is expected and ecouraged by all players. Thus far, sledging has not been deemed a problem and will continue until a problem arises.

Scoring
Courtyard Cricket consists of a complicated yet effective scoring system. As was mentioned prior, every ball in which the batsman stays in, one point is added to the batsman's team. On top of this, if the batsman is caught by their own team member, five (5) points will be added to the batsman's team, but as a result of being caught, the batsman will be out. If the batsman is caught by a player on the opposing (bowler's) team, the batsman will be out and three (3) points awarded to the bowling team. This also applies when the batsman gets out first ball and when the batsman is out via other methods. (E.g. three (3) points will be awarded to the bowling team if the batsman is bowled, caught behind, etc.) This method of scoring can open the opportunity for foul play on behalf of the batting team however. As two of the fieders, whose aim is to get the batsman out, are actually on the batsman's team, they may have the tendency to deliberately drop a catch. In this case, an umpiring body may issue a warning to the batting team's fielders. A second warning to the batting team's fielders may see the batsman out without any points added to any team's total.

Tew Terrace Ball
The Tew Terrace rule was introduced into Courtyard Cricket in 2007 after Australian Nathan Morey, whilst playing a legitimate orthodox block, edged the ball past a fielder and so far outside of the playing arena that he was awarded four (4) points. By precedent, this rule has been used ever since. The original Tew Terrace ball was found in a street called Tew Terrace, hence the name Tew Terrace Ball. With the introduction of this rule however, warnings were introduced that meant a batsman could not hit the ball past a certain, agreed distance out of the courtyard area, be it accidental or deliberate. If the ball is hit past this point twice in an innings, the batsman is out. (Of course, concessions will be made if the fielder deliberately misfields; the batsman will not be penalised and if the deliberate misfield occurs twice within an innings, the fielding/bowling team will be penalised by having three (3) runs added to the batting team's total.)

History
Courtyard Cricket as it is known today, first emerged as an informal, ad hoc, varient of the game of cricket, similar to that of backyard cricket, in Tasmania, Australia, in 2006, but it was not until around 2008 that the game started to really introduce the complicated rules and scoring system that are in place today. It was first invented as a compact, social game that gained instant popularity, not unlike Wiffle Ball. The first and only matches to have been played are domestic exhibition matches held for social and experimental reasons. This changed for Courtyard Cricket in 2010 however, when the game was introduced to the Australian Mainland States and Territories where it was met with relative approval by both Australians and International cricket enthusiasts. The first Courtyard Cricket International match will be held at the King's Cricket Courtyard in Hobart on March 12th, 2011, and will consist of four teams: Australia, Italy, England, Spain and The Philippines. The first known game of courtyard cricket was believed to have been played in 2005 by three players: Mitch Perry (Australia), Nik Sproule (Australia) and Justin Folloso (The Philippines). They played with such passion and vigour that the bat broke into two.

The International Courtyard Cricket Council (ICCC)
The ICCC is the regulating body of Courtyard Cricket around the world. Founded by Co-Presidents Justin Folloso and Tom Reale, the ICCC oversees, problems in the game, rule changing, and disciplinary issues (heard in the ICCC tribunal). In 2006, the ICCC developed a draft Constitution for Courtyard Cricket, which is still being scrutinised through the Council. A preliminary copy is expected to be released by the first Courtyard Cricket International on March 12th, 2011. It is on this date that it is expected that the ICCC will announce plans for a competitive Courtyard Cricket League to be established late 2011 or early 2012.

Variations Of Courtyard Cricket
An informal version of the game exists where each player plays for their own runs with as many players as one courtyard can fit. The field still rotates in an anti-clockwise position. This is opposed to the traditional tournament style of the game of 3 players per team.