CONCORDE PREMIER LEAGUE (CPL)
Revised Rule Book – 2025 Onwards
Read the Rules
FOREWORD
- CPL has grown from a friendly society tournament into a league with history, rivalry, emotion, and legacy.
- With growth comes responsibility — to be fair, inclusive, competitive, and enjoyable for everyone.
- This Revised Rule Book reflects lessons learned across previous seasons and introduces structured improvements to ensure:
- Equal opportunity for all players
- High-quality competition
- Stronger sportsmanship
- Sustainable legacy for future seasons
- These rules are not temporary and not seasonal experiments.
- They form the official playing framework of CPL from 2025 onwards, unless explicitly amended by the tournament committee.
INTRODUCTION
- This document contains general guidelines, rules, regulations, and constraints governing CPL matches.
- Rules are designed to:
- Maintain competitive balance
- Encourage participation of all squad members
- Protect the spirit of the game
- It is not possible to list every ICC rule; only key CPL-specific adaptations are mentioned.
- Any rule not explicitly stated here will follow:
- Standard Concorde ground norms
- Commonly accepted Bangalore tennis ball tournament rules
- Captains are encouraged to clarify doubts with the tournament committee in advance.
- Above all, every participant is expected to play in the spirit of the game.
- The success and continuity of CPL is the collective responsibility of players, captains, owners, umpires, and organizers.
SECTION A: CORE CPL PRINCIPLES (REVISED)
- All principles below apply as official CPL framework from 2025 onwards unless amended by the committee.
1. PARTICIPATION & INCLUSIVITY RULE
- Every nominated player matters.
- Every non-regular player must:
- Bat at least once in any one league match
- Face a minimum of 6 balls or bat until dismissal
- Field for a minimum of 3 overs
- This ensures meaningful participation beyond token appearances.
2. OPENING BATSMAN ROTATION RULE
- Opportunities must be shared.
- Each team will play 4 league matches.
- 8 different players must open the innings.
- No player is allowed to open more than once during the league stage.
- This guarantees:
- At least 8 out of 10 players get mandatory batting opportunities
- Tactical depth for captains
- Wider skill exposure for teams
3. CPL FAIR PLAY & LEGACY AWARD
- How you play defines who you are.
- Introduction of the SS Memorial Award – Fair Play Legacy.
- Awarded to the team demonstrating:
- Respect towards umpires
- Respect towards opponents
- Discipline under pressure
- Adherence to rules and spirit of the game
- Fair Play scoring applies throughout the tournament, including knockouts.
- Winning matches wins trophies. Winning respect builds legacy.
4. KNOCKOUT STAGE FLEXIBILITY RULE
- Merit earns freedom.
- Participation & opening rotation rules apply only to league matches.
- Knockout matches allow:
- Best possible team combinations
- Full tactical freedom to captains
- Fair Play scoring continues until the final.
5. MANDATORY FIELDING ROTATION RULE
- No passenger cricket.
- All selected players present at the ground must field.
- No player is allowed to sit out fielding for two consecutive matches without fielding for at least 3 overs.
- This ensures:
- Equal workload
- Stronger team involvement
- No bench-only participation
6. RAIN, INTERRUPTION & POSTPONEMENT RULE
- Fairness over convenience.
- If a match is stopped due to rain or any other interruption, play will resume from the exact stage and situation at which it was stopped, wherever possible.
- The existing score, wickets, over, ball position, batsmen, bowlers and match situation will continue from the point of stoppage.
- If the match cannot be completed on the scheduled day, the interrupted match will be rescheduled after the last scheduled match published in the CPL fixture, unless the tournament committee announces an alternative arrangement.
- Interrupted matches may receive scheduling priority depending on ground availability, tournament timelines and committee decisions.
- Teams may be required to play back-to-back matches in order to complete fixtures.
- If only part of a match is postponed or carried forward, the match will continue with the same eligible players from the original match.
- If the entire match is postponed and rescheduled to another day before any play has taken place, players who are available on the new date may participate, subject to the tournament's normal team selection rules.
SECTION B: GENERAL & MATCH RULES
- All existing general, ground-specific, bowling, no-ball, wide, and miscellaneous rules continue to apply unless specifically revised below.
7. MATCH TIE & SUPER OVER RULE
- If a match ends in a tie, the result will be decided through a Super Over.
- The team winning the Super Over will be declared the winner of the match.
- The tournament committee or umpires will decide the procedure in any exceptional situation where a Super Over cannot be completed.
8. FIELDING RESTRICTION & EXTENDED INNER CIRCLE RULE
- From CPL S14 onwards, the designated inner-circle fielding area will be extended in line with the CPL/CWC-style ground format.
- The exact inner-circle boundary applicable to the ground will be explained or identified by the umpire/captains before the match.
- A maximum of 6 fielders may remain outside the designated inner fielding area.
- All remaining fielders must stay inside the designated inner fielding area.
- The wicketkeeper and bowler will be positioned according to normal playing requirements.
- If there is any doubt regarding whether a fielder is inside or outside the restriction area, the umpire's decision will be final.
9. TEAM OWNER PLAYING RULE
- A team owner who is part of the registered playing squad is allowed to play whenever they choose.
- There is no mandatory rotation restriction preventing an eligible team owner from playing a match.
- All other applicable match and tournament rules will continue to apply.
10. PLAYER AVAILABILITY RULE
- A player must be available on the scheduled match date in order to participate in that match.
- If a player has declared or confirmed that they are unavailable for a particular match date, they cannot join or participate in that match later on the same scheduled date.
- If the entire match is postponed to another day without any play taking place, the match will be treated according to the new scheduled date and an eligible player available on that new date may participate.
- If a match has already started and is only being resumed on another day due to rain or interruption, it remains a continuation of the original match and does not become a fresh match.
11. BOWLER SIDE DECLARATION RULE
- A bowler must inform the umpire when changing the side from which they are bowling.
- If a bowler changes the bowling side without informing the umpire, the bowler will receive a Warning.
- Changing the bowling side without informing the umpire will not automatically be called a No Ball.
- The umpire may instruct or remind the bowler regarding the bowling side where necessary.
12. WICKETKEEPER POSITION & MOVEMENT RULE
- The wicketkeeper must maintain the declared or established keeping position during the delivery.
- If the wicketkeeper changes position before the delivery without informing the umpire, the delivery will be called a No Ball.
- The wicketkeeper must inform the umpire when coming up to the stumps or moving back from the stumps.
- Failure to inform the umpire when moving up to or back from the stumps will result in a Warning.
- Any movement by the wicketkeeper after the bowler has started the bowling run-up that materially changes the keeper's position will result in a No Ball.
- If the wicketkeeper collects the ball before it reaches or passes the stumps in a manner prohibited under CPL playing conditions, the delivery will be called a No Ball.
- The umpire will determine whether the wicketkeeper's movement or collection constitutes a violation.
- The umpire's decision will be final.
13. BALL STUCK IN TREE / ELEVATED OBJECT RULE
- If the ball enters, becomes temporarily stuck in, or is obstructed by a tree or another elevated object but subsequently moves or falls, the ball may continue to be considered live.
- If the ball subsequently comes down and is caught cleanly by a fielder before touching the ground, the batsman may be declared OUT.
- The amount of time the ball remains in the tree or elevated object alone will not determine whether the ball is dead.
- The umpire will determine whether the ball remained live and whether the catch was completed fairly.
- The umpire's decision will be final.
14. BALL GOING OUTSIDE THE GROUND RULE
- If the ball goes outside the playing area directly without touching the ground, wall, or any designated ground structure, no runs will be awarded.
- If the ball touches the ground, wall, or another designated part of the playing area before going outside, runs will be counted according to the applicable ground rules.
- The umpire will decide whether the ball touched the ground, wall, or another relevant structure before leaving the playing area.
- The umpire's decision will be final.
15. UMPIRE AUTHORITY & CAPTAIN-ONLY COMMUNICATION
- The umpire has the final authority on all on-field decisions.
- No fielder, bowler or batsman should argue, challenge or unnecessarily debate an umpire's decision.
- If there is any clarification or confusion regarding:
- Field placement
- Bowling position
- Wicketkeeper position
- Playing conditions
- Ground-specific situations
- Any other on-field decision
- Only the team Captain should approach and communicate with the umpire.
- Individual players must raise concerns through their Captain and should not surround or approach the umpire to debate a decision.
- For unusual ground situations including:
- Ball getting stuck in a tree
- Ball touching a wall or ground structure
- Ball leaving the playing area
- Unclear catches
- Other ground-specific situations
- The umpire will make the final decision based on what occurred during play.
- Players and captains are expected to respect the umpire's final decision and continue the game without unnecessary delay.
16. FIELDERS SPEAKING / DISTRACTING AFTER BOWLER'S RUN-UP
- Once the bowler has started the bowling run-up, fielders should not deliberately speak, shout or otherwise distract the batsman.
- For deliberate and disruptive communication:
- First instance: Warning
- Second instance: No Ball
- Normal cricket communication that does not unfairly distract the batsman may be permitted at the umpire's discretion.
- The umpire will decide whether any communication was deliberate, disruptive or unfair.
- The umpire's decision will be final.
17. INJURED BATSMAN & RUNNER RULE
- If a batsman suffers an injury during the match and is unable to run normally, a runner will not automatically be permitted.
- The default CPL rule is that no runner is allowed for an injured batsman.
- A runner may be permitted only in an exceptional situation if the opposition Captain agrees.
- Neither the injured player's team nor the batsman can demand a runner as a right.
- If the opposition Captain does not agree, the injured batsman must either:
- Continue batting without a runner, if medically and physically able to do so, or
- Retire from batting.
- Any decision regarding a runner should be communicated through the Captains and acknowledged by the umpire before play resumes.
18. INJURY / CONCUSSION SUBSTITUTE & REPLACEMENT RULE
- If a player suffers an injury, concussion, or any other medical issue during a match and is unable to continue, no like-for-like replacement will be allowed.
- A substitute or replacement player will not be permitted to bat or bowl in place of the injured player.
- This restriction applies regardless of whether the injury is:
- Minor
- Serious
- A concussion or suspected concussion
- Any other injury or medical condition occurring during the match
- If the injured player cannot continue, the team must continue the match without that player's remaining batting or bowling participation.
- A substitute fielder may be permitted only for fielding, subject to the umpire's approval and existing CPL playing conditions.
- A substitute fielder cannot bat, bowl, or otherwise take over the playing role of the injured player.
- No like-for-like concussion substitute or injury replacement exists under CPL rules.
- The loss of an injured player's batting or bowling participation will be treated as part of the normal risks of the match.
19. SPIRIT OF THE GAME & MATCH DISCIPLINE
- CPL is competitive, but the objective is to enjoy the game while maintaining fairness, discipline and mutual respect.
- Captains are responsible for communicating with umpires on behalf of their teams.
- Players are expected to accept umpiring decisions and continue with the game.
- Unnecessary arguments, delays, surrounding the umpire, or repeated debates over decisions are against the spirit of CPL.
- Simple principle for CPL S14: Captain talks. Umpire decides. Players play.
SECTION C: EXISTING RULES CONTINUE TO APPLY
- All previously documented CPL rules that are not specifically changed by this Revised Rule Book remain applicable.
- This includes:
- Team format
- Tournament structure
- Bowling limits
- No-ball and wide-ball rules
- Ground-specific conditions
- Umpire authority
- Discipline & penalties
- Where a revised rule conflicts with an older CPL rule, the revised rule will take precedence.
CLOSING NOTE
- CPL is no longer just a tournament. It is a tradition being built season by season.
- These revised rules exist to ensure that:
- Talent is discovered
- Effort is rewarded
- Respect is preserved
- Captain talks. Umpire decides. Players play.
- Because the cricket we play today is the legacy our children will inherit tomorrow.