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A NSW Government website – Education

School Sport Unit

Cricket

Version control: Original 1990/ Updated 1999/ Updated 2003/ Updated 2010/ Updated 2015/ Updated Feb 2023/

Updated Mar 2023 / Updated 2025/ Updated Oct 2026

Introduction

Teachers must follow these Specific sport and physical activity guidelines together with the Sport and physical activity procedures and Supporting tools and resources to meet duty of care and manage risks effectively at the local level.

All teachers delivering sport and physical activity should be familiar with the Concussion information and protocols included in the Supporting tools and resources and have completed the School Sport Unit - Recognising and responding to concussion MyPL online course.

The guidelines support safe, inclusive and compliant sport delivery through:

  • weekly school sport
  • one-off events or gala days
  • the Representative School Sport Pathway.

They outline compliance measures to address inherent risks, offer advice on modifying traditional rules and equipment to reduce risk, and provide guidance on adapting activities to support the inclusion of all students.

Key

The following key indicates the level of teacher qualification required to deliver a specific activity as part of a school sport program:

Note: This key does not determine the WHS risk level for an activity. It may inform local risk assessment as one component of the broader WHS risk management process, as outlined in the WHS Risk Management procedure.

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Modified cricketLow risk (Green)

Cricket can be modified by adjusting rules, equipment and playing conditions to reduce injury risk and support inclusion. Modifications may include, but are not limited to:

  • using a softer ball, for example, tennis ball, plastic/rubber modified style
  • using plastic bats with well-maintained grips
  • using self-standing plastic stumps
  • pitch length and bowling speed are closely monitored for fairness and safety
  • all fielders, including wicketkeepers, are a safe distance from the batter (5 m+)
  • adjusting participant numbers and other rules to match student ability, increase involvement and increase safety
  • delivering the activity as a non-competitive program that prioritises skill development, confidence, decision-making and full participation.
Teacher qualifications

There is no additional professional learning/accreditation required for modified cricket.

Permission

Parent/carer permission is not required for students to participate in modified cricket activities that are delivered by teachers on school grounds or within walking distance.

See Permission page for more information. 

Equipment

Field of play

  • Equipment must be checked prior to use and not used if defective.

Personal safety

  • No personal safety equipment is required for modified cricket.
Safety

The ground surface and immediate surrounds must be clear of obstructions, loose objects and obstacles, including equipment, seating and school bags.

Activities must be suitable for safe participation in the clothing, footwear and personal items students are wearing. Jewellery, ornaments and other items likely to cause injury must be removed or secured before participating.

Activities should be adjusted to support participation for students with minor pre-existing injuries or temporary limitations, ensuring the activity remains safe.

Resources

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CricketModerate risk (Yellow)

Cricket has the following characteristics:

  • a hard cricket ball, either leather or synthetic
  • typically includes training for, or playing in, structured match conditions, for example, set field of play, team roles and batting and bowling formats, officiating and competition rules
  • may be played competitively
    • as part of an interschool event
    • as part of the Representative School Sport Pathway.

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Teacher/instructor qualifications and experience

Teacher

There are no mandatory qualifications required for a teacher to deliver cricket. The following course(s) are recommended to strengthen teacher knowledge and confidence, depending on experience and competition level.

Instructor

If a non-teacher is engaged to coach a cricket team or deliver a cricket program, they must have a recognised and current cricket coaching qualification.  

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Permission

All students must have parent/carer permission to play cricket.

See Permission page for more information. 

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Supervision

Supervision ratios must not exceed average class size. Where a non-teacher provides instruction, a teacher must be present for each class sized group to take overall supervision responsibility and to hold duty of care.

Accompanying teachers must have completed the department’s mandatory Emergency Care training. At least one accompanying teacher must hold current department-approved CPR training.

Officiating should be appropriate for the level of play. Where possible, a suitably qualified or experienced umpire(s) should officiate competitive matches, particularly for higher level competition.

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Equipment

A first aid kit that meets the checklist in the First Aid Plan, as outlined in the department’s First aid procedure, is required.

Field of play

  • Equipment must be checked prior to use and not used if defective.

Personal safety

  • The wicketkeeper must wear pads, wicketkeeping gloves, a genital protector and a helmet when keeping up at the stumps.
  • Batters must wear a cricket-specific helmet, batting pads, batting gloves and genital protector.
  • Appropriate footwear must be worn at all times. Cricket-specific shoes are encouraged. Rubber-soled shoes should be worn on hard wickets, while spiked cricket shoes may be worn on turf wickets.
  • Players classified as close-to-the-bat fielders, that is, fielders positioned closer than 10 m from the batter, must wear pads/shin guards, a helmet and a genital protector.

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Venues

The playing area and immediate surrounds must be free of obstructions, loose objects and obstacles, including equipment, seating and school bags. The playing surface must be of a suitable and safe standard.

Spectators must be positioned at an appropriate distance from the playing area.

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Safety

Schools must ensure students are adequately prepared for the level of competition they are participating in and be familiar with event rules and relevant safety requirements.

Teams and individual students participating in competitions or programs not aligned to the NSWPSSA or NSWCHSSA handbooks should follow the corresponding age group format and laws guided by Cricket Australia.

Students must remove jewellery and other ornaments likely to cause injury.

Sun exposure must be managed in line with the department’s Sun safety guidance. Strategies should be appropriate to the event, venue, weather conditions and duration of exposure, including adjustments to activity timing where required.  

Students must not participate or continue to participate if injured. If a teacher or instructor suspects an injury, the student must be removed and must not return until fully healed or medically cleared.

If an injury involves bleeding, follow the department’s Infection control procedures.

  • Appendix B: Procedures for spills of blood and other body substances
  • Appendix C: Procedures for contact with blood or body fluids

Where possible, ice should be available for the treatment of injuries.

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Resources 

Risk assessment support

Representative School Sport Pathway

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*Disclaimer: In line with the NSW Government’s full disclaimer regarding links to external sites, links are provided with the intention of increasing the information available to you and do not imply that the department endorses those websites or the people or companies who own them. The NSW Department of Education has no control over linked websites, and is not responsible for the views, opinions, standards or information expressed on them.