This guide to the new ICC rules 2026 starts with the change fans notice first: a five-run penalty for batters who aren’t ready to face. The rules came into force on 1 October. You’ll see what changed, which matches it applies to, and what five penalty runs do to a target in a T20 chase.
Quick Answer
From 1 October 2026, a batter who isn’t ready to face within the allowed time gets a warning, then a final warning. On the third offence, and every one after it, the fielding side is awarded five penalty runs. The rule applies to international series that start on or after 1 October 2026. The same update makes the leg-side wide rule permanent in ODIs and T20Is, allows pink balls in daytime Tests, and redefines overthrows.
When the New Rules Apply
The ICC announced the new playing conditions in a media release on 1 October 2026. They cover Tests, ODIs and T20Is, and they bring international cricket into line with the new edition of the MCC Laws of Cricket, which took effect the same day.
The start date works by series, not by match:
- A series that started before 1 October 2026 keeps the old playing conditions until it ends, even for matches played after that date.
- A series that starts on or after 1 October 2026 uses the new conditions from its first match.
So in October 2026 you could see two international series on the same day under different rules. If a broadcast mentions a time-wasting warning, check when that series began.
Domestic leagues such as the IPL write their own playing conditions. A change in the ICC conditions doesn’t apply to them automatically.
The Time-Wasting Penalty: Old vs New
The idea isn’t new. The ICC playing conditions have long said a batter on strike should be ready when the bowler is ready to run in. What changed in October 2026 is the warning ladder.
| Before (ICC Test conditions, 2017 version) | From 1 October 2026 (ICC) | |
|---|---|---|
| First offence | One “first and final” warning, valid for the whole innings | Warning |
| Second offence | Five penalty runs to the fielding side | Final warning |
| Third and later offences | Five penalty runs each time | Five penalty runs each time |
| Repeated offences | Can be reported under the ICC Code of Conduct | Code of Conduct can still apply |
In practice, the batting side now gets one extra chance before it loses runs, and the penalty keeps coming after that.
How the offences are counted is a detail the ICC’s own release doesn’t spell out. According to the cricket.com.au report on the changes (2 October 2026), the count runs for an innings, or for a block of 80 overs in a Test, and the warnings reset after that.
The ICC release also says the umpire at the bowler’s end handles the process and informs the other umpire, the batters and the captains. The incoming batter’s time limit isn’t new: under the ICC conditions a new batter has two minutes after a wicket to be ready, or risks being timed out.
How Five Penalty Runs Change a Chase
Penalty runs don’t go to the side at the crease. They go to the fielding side, so the question is where they’re added. Under MCC Law 41 (Unfair Play), clause 41.17.4, and the matching ICC clause, five penalty runs awarded to the fielding side go onto its most recently completed innings. If it hasn’t batted yet, they go onto its next innings.
That gives two very different outcomes in a limited-overs match. Both examples below are hypothetical.
Case 1: the chasing side is penalised. Team A makes 171 in 20 overs, so the target is 172. Team B is 98 after 11.2 overs when one of its batters commits a third time-wasting offence.
- Team A has already completed its innings, so the five runs go there: 171 becomes 176.
- The target moves from 172 to 177.
- 11.2 overs is 11 overs and 2 balls, which is 68 legal balls (11 × 6 + 2). That leaves 120 − 68 = 52 balls.
- Before the penalty, Team B needed 74 off 52 balls, a required run rate of 8.54.
- After it, Team B needs 79 off the same 52 balls: 79 × 6 ÷ 52 = 9.12 runs per over.
Case 2: the side batting first is penalised. This time a Team A batter commits the third offence while Team A is batting. Team A again finishes on 171, so the target stays 172.
- Team B hasn’t batted yet, so the five runs go onto its coming innings.
- Team B starts its chase on 5 without a ball being bowled.
- It needs 167 from 120 balls, a required run rate of 8.35 instead of 8.60.
Analysis: the size of the hit depends on timing. Five runs is the same in both cases, but Case 1 moves the asking rate by more than half a run an over because it lands late in the chase, when fewer balls are left to absorb it.
The Other Changes at a Glance
The ICC release lists several more changes. Here they are in brief, with the format each applies to.
| Change | What it means | Formats |
|---|---|---|
| Separate ball specifications | Men’s, women’s and junior cricket each get their own size and weight specification, instead of one ball being used for both women’s and junior cricket | All |
| Pink ball in daytime Tests | Allowed if both teams agree before the match. It’s used for the whole match, with no switch from red to pink once play starts | Tests |
| Final over of the day | A wicket in an unfinished last over no longer ends play, as long as conditions allow it to continue | Tests |
| Overthrows | An overthrow is now defined as an attempt to throw the ball at the stumps. A misfield, or a throw to a teammate, is not an overthrow | All |
| Ball finally settled | Umpires have more discretion. The ball no longer has to be in the bowler’s or wicketkeeper’s hands to be treated as settled | All |
| Held in hand | For a run-out or stumping, the fielder must have complete control of the ball. Touching it while the stumps are broken isn’t enough | All |
| Innings interval | A fixed 15-minute break, which can be cut to 10 minutes when time has been lost | T20Is |
| Drinks | The head coach, or someone they nominate, may come onto the field at drinks breaks | ODIs, T20Is |
| Leg-side wide | The trial version of the leg-side wide rule is now permanent | ODIs, T20Is |
The last-over change is the one most likely to come up in a Test. Under the old approach, a wicket late in the final over ended the day and the new batter walked out fresh the next morning. Now the remaining balls are bowled the same evening if the light and weather allow.
Important Points
- The penalty isn’t for slow bowling. The new ladder is about batters not being ready. The fielding side has its own over-rate and time-wasting rules, which work separately.
- Penalty runs are extras, not batting runs. They count in the team total but aren’t credited to any batter.
- It isn’t retrospective. Matches in a series that began before 1 October 2026 still use the old conditions.
- Club and school cricket follow the MCC Laws, plus whatever your league or board has agreed. The 2026 Laws edition, also in force from 1 October 2026, has 73 changes. One that matters to club players is that laminated bats, previously limited to junior cricket, are now legal in open-age cricket, subject to your national body’s regulations.
- If you run a local tournament, write down whether you’re using a time-wasting penalty and how many warnings come first. Settling it before the first match avoids an argument at the toss.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new ICC time-wasting rule?
From 1 October 2026, a batter who isn’t ready to face within the allowed time gets a warning for a first offence and a final warning for a second. From the third offence on, the umpires award five penalty runs to the fielding side each time.
Who gets the five penalty runs for time-wasting?
The fielding side. They’re added to its most recently completed innings, or, if it hasn’t batted yet, to its next innings. So a penalty during a chase raises the target, while a penalty in the first innings gives the chasing side a five-run start.
Do the new ICC rules apply to the IPL?
Not automatically. The ICC playing conditions cover international matches. The IPL publishes its own playing conditions each season, so check the IPL’s rules for the coming season to see whether it adopts the same changes.
When did the new ICC rules start?
They apply to international series that start on or after 1 October 2026. A series already under way on that date finishes under the previous playing conditions, even if some of its matches are played after 1 October.
What changed about overthrows?
An overthrow is now defined as a fielder’s attempt to throw the ball at the stumps, to stop runs or to try for a run-out. If the ball gets away because of a misfield, or a throw meant for a teammate, that no longer counts as an overthrow.
Can a pink ball be used in a day Test now?
Yes, if both teams agree before the match starts. The aim is to reduce play lost to bad light. Once the Test begins the choice is fixed, so a match can’t switch from a red ball to a pink one partway through.
Related Criko Tools
- Target score calculator: enter the first-innings total (after any penalty runs) to get the new target.
- Required run rate calculator: see how far the asking rate moves when the target changes mid-chase.
Related Cricket Guides
Conclusion
The headline change in the new ICC rules 2026 is a clearer warning ladder: warning, final warning, then five runs to the fielding side for every further offence. Those runs can raise a target in the middle of a chase, so the timing of a penalty matters as much as the penalty itself. The other changes, from overthrows to pink balls, mostly tidy up how umpires already judged the game.