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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Under MCC Law 41.9, an umpire who judges that the fielding side is wasting time first gives the captain a first and final warning. If the conduct happens again in the same innings, the consequence depends on timing: five penalty runs if it occurs outside an over, or suspension of the bowler for the innings if it occurs during an over. This is a judgment-based Law, separate from a competition’s calculated minimum-over-rate rules.
What counts as time-wasting under Law 41.9?
The Law applies if 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 does not make every long interval between overs an automatic offence: the umpire must judge that time is being wasted.
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The procedure below follows the MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 Code, 4th Edition (2026), Law 41.9.
What happens at the first instance?
- The umpire identifies the conduct. Either umpire may decide that the over is progressing unnecessarily slowly or that the captain or a fielder is wasting time.
- Dead ball is called if the ball is in play. The umpire concerned calls and signals Dead ball, then 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’s escalation process; it is not itself a five-run penalty.
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What happens if time-wasting happens again?
A further instance in the same innings triggers a different response depending on whether it occurs during an over.
| When the further time-wasting occurs | Consequence under Law 41.9 |
|---|---|
| Outside an over | The bowler’s-end umpire awards five penalty runs to the batting side and tells the fielding captain why. |
| During an over | The bowler’s-end umpire directs the fielding captain to suspend the bowler immediately. That bowler cannot bowl again in the innings. |
If a suspended bowler’s over needs to be completed, another bowler may finish it only if they did not bowl any part of the previous over and will not bowl any part of the next one. The umpire informs the batters and, as soon as practicable, the batting captain. The umpires jointly report the incident after the match to the offending side’s executive and any responsible governing body for appropriate action.
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Example: delaying the restart between overs
If, after the first-and-final-warning stage, an umpire judges that a fielder or captain is deliberately delaying the restart between overs, that is time-wasting outside an over. The five-run branch applies. A delay is not penalized automatically merely because the interval seems long; the Law turns on the umpire’s judgment and whether it is a further instance in that innings.
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Is this the same as a slow-over-rate penalty?
No. Law 41.9 addresses conduct an umpire judges to be time-wasting. Minimum-over-rate rules instead calculate the fielding side’s pace over a defined period under the playing conditions of a particular competition. Those conditions set the target, account for allowances, and specify any formal sanctions. The ICC says its playing conditions are used for international cricket and form the basis of many other conditions, but competitions can differ; check the rules for the match in question before citing a rate or penalty. See the ICC’s playing conditions.
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Example: ICC World Test Championship 2025–2027
For this competition, clause 12.9 sets a minimum rate of 15 overs per hour and defines how the actual rate is calculated, including allowances for specified interruptions and other circumstances. The current rate must be advised by the third umpire at least every 30 minutes and displayed on a scoreboard or replay screen at regular intervals. A side falling short incurs penalty overs under those conditions, with one WTC point deducted per penalty over during the round stage. These figures and consequences are specific to the 2025–2027 WTC conditions, not universal cricket rules.
The difference also appears in a real enforcement case: in its report on the 2025 Lord’s Test, the ICC said England were found two overs short after the target and time allowances were assessed, and had two WTC points deducted. That was a formal slow-over-rate process, distinct from a Law 41.9 time-wasting decision.
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What to check for a particular match
- For a time-wasting incident, establish whether it is the first instance or a further one in the same innings.
- For a further instance, establish whether the conduct occurred during an over or outside one; the Law’s consequence changes accordingly.
- For a minimum-over-rate question, identify the match format and governing competition, then consult its playing conditions for the target, allowances, monitoring, and sanctions.
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