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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesUnder MCC Law 41.9, an umpire’s first response to fielding-side time-wasting is a first and final warning to the fielding captain. If the conduct happens again in the same innings, the consequence depends on its timing: five penalty runs if it is outside an over, or the bowler’s suspension for the innings if it happens during an over. A slow-over-rate charge is a separate matter governed by the competition’s playing conditions.
What counts as time-wasting under Law 41.9?
MCC Law 41.9 applies when an umpire considers that an over is progressing unnecessarily slowly or that the fielding captain or another fielder is wasting time in another way. It is a judgment about conduct, not an automatic penalty whenever the interval between overs seems long. As the MCC Law puts it, “It is unfair for any fielder to waste time.”
The procedure below concerns time-wasting by the fielding side under the MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 Code, 4th Edition (2026). A competition’s playing conditions may add to or replace Laws, so the conditions for the particular match still matter.
What happens the first time?
- The umpire identifies the conduct. Either umpire may judge that the over is progressing unnecessarily slowly or that the fielding captain or a fielder is wasting time.
- Dead ball is called if the ball is in play. The umpire concerned informs the other umpire.
- The fielding captain receives a first and final warning. The bowler’s-end umpire gives the warning and tells the batters what has happened.
The warning is the first step in the Law 41.9 escalation. A delay between overs does not, by itself, mean that five runs are immediately awarded.
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- Brand: Gray Nicolls
- Umpire Counter
- Cricket accessories
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What happens if time-wasting happens again?
For a further instance in the same innings, the umpire again calls and signals Dead ball if the ball is in play, then informs the other umpire. The consequence turns on whether the waste occurs during an over or outside one.
| When the further incident occurs | Law 41.9 consequence | What the umpires do |
|---|---|---|
| Outside an over | Five penalty runs to the batting side | The bowler’s-end umpire tells the fielding captain the reason for the award. |
| During an over | The bowler is suspended from bowling for the rest of the innings | The bowler’s-end umpire directs the fielding captain to suspend the bowler immediately. If necessary, an eligible replacement completes the over. |
If another bowler has to complete the over, that bowler must not have bowled any part of the previous over and must not bowl any part of the next over. The umpires inform the batters and, as soon as practicable, the batting captain. After the match, they jointly report the occurrence to the offending side’s executive and any responsible governing body for appropriate action.
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How does the rule apply to a delay between overs?
A deliberate delay restarting play between overs falls outside an over. If the umpire judges it to be fielding-side time-wasting and it is a further instance in that innings, Law 41.9’s outside-an-over branch provides for five penalty runs. The first instance still calls for the warning procedure. The Law does not make every long interval an automatic offence or penalty; the umpire must judge the conduct.
Is this the same as a slow-over-rate penalty?
No. Law 41.9 addresses time-wasting that an umpire judges to have occurred. A minimum-over-rate provision instead measures the fielding side’s rate over a defined period, applies the competition’s rules for allowances, and sets any resulting sanctions. The International Cricket Council says its playing conditions are used for international cricket and form the basis of many other conditions, but competitions vary. Check the applicable format and competition before quoting a rate target, timing requirement or penalty.
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Example: ICC World Test Championship, 2025–2027
For this competition only, clause 12.9 of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–2027 Playing Conditions sets a minimum rate of 15 overs per hour and specifies how the rate is calculated and which circumstances earn allowances. The conditions also require the third umpire to advise the current rate at least every 30 minutes, with the rate shown on a scoreboard or replay screen at regular intervals. A shortfall results in penalty overs; during the round stage, one competition point is deducted per penalty over. These are WTC provisions, not universal figures for cricket.
Example: the 2025 Lord’s Test
In its report on the 2025 Lord’s Test, the ICC said England were found two overs short after the target and time allowances had been assessed. On-field and third and fourth umpires levelled a charge, and the match referee imposed a deduction of two WTC points. This illustrates the competition’s formal over-rate process; it is not the Law 41.9 penalty for a judged incident of time-wasting between overs.
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What should spectators look for?
- A warning rather than an immediate run award: the first Law 41.9 instance brings the first and final warning.
- The timing of a later incident: outside an over, the Law specifies five penalty runs; during an over, it specifies suspension of the bowler for the innings.
- A separate rate process: a team can also face a competition-level slow-over-rate procedure, whose target, allowances and sanctions depend on the playing conditions.
MCC’s World Cricket Committee has urged umpires and match referees to be more proactive in enforcing Laws 41.9 and 41.10, and discussed a countdown clock between overs as a possible measure. That discussion was a recommendation, not a universal timing rule.
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