Welcome to the QSDCA Playing Regulations Review for 2026.
This is the blog site https://qsdcaplayingregsreview2026.blogspot.com
Link printed so it can be copied off paper printouts.
This is the first post of the QSDCA 2026 Playing Regulations Review.
This is part of a series of blogs which have been running for a number of years now.
The
aim as always is to present newly developed versions of QSDCA Playing
Regulations at the QSDCA AGM in July and have them adopted.
Topics as of 21-Jan-2026:
UPDATED 12-May-2026
This has come out a little late this year but here is the list of items under consideration.
ITEM 2026-01
Review Regs 3,4,5 and 35.15-35.24 Player Registration, Grading and Qualification for Finals (For all competitions)
These Regs. require a language review to make these rules more easily understood.
Each of these Regs is about the requirements for players to be properly registered in PlayHQ. Grade changes for players and qualification for finals are covered in these rules also.
These are very important regulations that support the integrity of each competition. That means they support the character and the quality of QSDCA cricket matches in a direct way.
AFAIC any cricket players (or teams or clubs) who feel unconstrained by such concepts are welcome to play in other cricket associations.
Player registration means the players, teams, clubs and the association are protected by insurance and player grading rules mean the standard of play in each grade is regulated (ie. stopping A graders scoring double centuries in half an hour in C grade.)
What is in these Regs is sound and worth havibg. These are good for QSDCA cricket but the current versions require a great deal of interpretation and can lead to confusion and may even be slightly misleading in some cases.
So we'll try rewriting 'em a bit.
LINK TO DISCUSSION COMING SOON
ITEM 2026-02
Review Regs 25 Innings Finish Time (For limited over competitions i.e. Sat 35, MLC 50, Over 40's)
Last season a section on Second Innings Finish Time was added to this Regulation.
The aim was to prevent negative tactics by bowling sides in the second innings (the "run chase") to allow batting sides to have a fair opportunity to face enough overs (to score enough runs) to win.
The new regulation is quite complicated and so, this review will try to make the rules simpler.
LINK TO DISCUSSION COMING SOON
ITEM 2026-03
Review Reg. 23.2 Unexpected Replacement Players (For Saturday 2 Day competition)
Reg 23.2 governs the process for replacing players who suffer an unexpected injury, a call up to Premier Cricket or some other kind of social or domestic problem which means the player is unable to take their place for day 2 of a match.
So in order to ensure that the match continues as 11 players v. 11 players on day 2 the unexpected replacement is permitted.
This rule has been in place since 2019.
Problem seems to be the admin is VERY demanding. The nature of the problem is that many applications for unexpected player replacement take place late in the week. This creates a rush of last minute approval admin which is done at a very anti-social point of the week (i.e Friday evening.)
The application deadline was revised from 10am Saturday to 8pm Friday for precisely these reasons a few seasons back.
It is considered that this might be better handled by doing the admin post match day 2.
There would be no reduction in admin load (the same work would be done) but it could be transferred from 8.05pm Friday to 9am-5pm Monday... and any post match inconsistency would result in point loss (or other penalty).
But it might be just as easy to move the deadline forward to (say) 4pm Friday (from 8pm Friday). This allows the permission of replacements prior to the game (i.e. work done at 4.05pm Friday) and will have marginal advantage in preventing some penalisations through error checking. (i.e. much less risk of disastrous non-complaince...)
LINK TO DISCUSSION COMING SOON
ITEM 2026-04
Review Reg. 23.6 to 23.11) Replacement Players (for Over 40's matches)
It's high time we revised the awkward allowance for a 12th batter in Over 40's matches.
Key problems are understanding of the requirements of Reg 23.9 and 23.10. In summary, in any situation where a 12th batter is allowed, that 12th batter must bat BEFORE any other retired batter returns to the crease (but only if that batter retired due to scoring 50 runs) AND there must be at least TWO earlier retirements in order to get the retired batter to the crease.
Great controversy and confusion has occurred when a chasing team has 9 wickets down, 12th batter is eligible and ready, the batting team still needs a few runs to win and tries to send the retired at 50 batter back to the pitch to bat out the match. In that situation the "wobbly" 12th batter is actually obliged to come in and the retired at 50 "gun" batter must sit it out.
There is a guidance rule which says that the spirit of the competition means the 12th batter must not simply face two balls and retire "hurt" (which would then permit the gun "retired at 50" batter to take over.). I'm not aware that anyone has actually tried this yet.
Umpires can easily misunderstand the rules and allow teams to get away with rorting this. Batting sides would merely claim ignorance or failure to understand. Fielding sides might protest *very* loudly.
By contrast the batting replacement rule used in MLC50 and Super 20 is easy to understand and simple to use. The "Supersub" rule features a swap of a 12th batter for anyone in the starting 11 at the innings break. The names are declared before the coin toss (on the team list).
In such a case as above the "retired at 50" batter would be able to resume their innings at the fall of the 9th wicket. The "wobbly" 12th batter has already had their bat earlier in the innings. The finish of the game would be exciting and not marred by complaints about rules violation.
What is stopping the over 40's 12th batter rule being made the SAME as for MLC50?
LINK TO DISCUSSION COMING SOON
ITEM 2026-05
Review Reg. 7 The Team List (for all competitions)
If the paper team list systems which we have coveted for decades can be replaced by using the electronic team lineup in PlayHQ then we should do so.
The key to this is figuring out how to do this so that all the rules we have now can be followed in the same or an equivalent way.
There are a number of subtle things that paper team lists do very well that need to be simulated effectively with e- team lists.
Issues such as " How do we identify slash replacements? (as in Reg 23.1) " or " prevent team lineups being changed illegally between day and day 2? " and (in Sunday cricket) identify supersubs.
The paper team list could become a thing of the past if we can achieve this.
LINK TO DISCUSSION COMING SOON
ITEM 2026-06
New edition of the Laws of Cricket in 2026 (Applies to All Competitions)
A new edition of the Laws of Cricket (to be known as The Laws of Cricket 2017 4th edition 2026) will come into force worldwide on 1-Oct 2026.
LINK There are two questions we must consider:
1. Do we adopt the new edition Laws? (this is 'yes' or 'no') (TBH we have NEVER failed to adopt new rules in the past so why would we start now?)
2. We should adopt the new edition of the Laws from the start of the 2026/27 season (i.e 19-Sep-2026) (or wait 12 days and then adopt 'em).
No matter how unnecessary and absurd these questions might seem it is necessary to pass a motion to accept (or not) the new Laws edition so there is no question of doubt or misunderstanding.
Apart from that all references in the Playing Regulations to the "Laws of Cricket 2017 3rd edition 2022" will need to be updated.
LINK TO DISCUSSION COMING SOON
ITEM 2026-07
Reg 5 Clear up the rules about players who can appear for two different clubs in the same competition. (Applies to all competitions)
The Association does not want to stop players from appearing in differing competitions on different days. Or to stop players from appearing for different clubs, provided clearances have been met.
In 2025/26 season we had a very strange case where Reg 5 failed to prevent a couple of players from appearing for two DIFFERENT clubs on the same weekend in same (Saturday 2 day) competition.
The circumstances which allowed this were bizarre but it did happen so Reg 5 must be amended to deal with it.
- There were 2 players who were simultaneously members of 2 separate clubs (I'll call 'em club A and club B.)
- Both players are paid up and properly registered in PlayHQ. They have both met the requirements to be financial members of each club. PlayHQ Permits were in place and acknowledged by both clubs.
- In normal weekends these guys would play Saturday afternoons for club A in the Sat 2d comp. And then normally they would appear on alternate Sundays for club B in the Super 20 comp.
- Club B also had a team in Sat 2d cricket. Club B's team and club A's team were in different grades.
- Due to poor availability of grounds for matches, one weekend the club B team was asked to play on Sunday afternoon instead of Saturday.
- Two players took the opportunity to play for club A in a B grade game on Saturday and then played AGAIN for club B's C grade team on Sunday.
- Cricketops asked these guys to replace themselves for day 2 of the Sunday game.
- This was not covered by the regulations but was simply made up on the spot.
- Luckily the players adopted a reasonable and understanding approach to this problem and bowed to the wishes of the Association. (They saved us some headache but the embarrassment is undimmed.)
A clause preventing this permutation may need to be added to Reg.5.
LINK TO DISCUSSION COMING SOON
ITEM 2026-08
Change a minor part of the Constitution.
There are several articles in the Assocation Rules (aka the "Constitution") which restrict the dates of various association meetings.
These include:
- Delegates Meeting dates (Sep, Dec, Feb)
- Secretary Meeting Date
- Annual General Meeting Date
- Season start date
(I have yet to look up the article numbers.)
It may become desirable to convert these restricted dates to something more flexible to allow the cricket season to be reprioritised. We live in times where seasons and dates are loosened.
When the Constitution was written (back in the 'olden' days) there was a very rigid concept of the "footy season" and the "cricket season". In 2026 this is clearly less defined and separate. Soccer and Rugby Union have played summer seasons for decades. Winter cricket in Brisbane and northern Australia is normal.
The current mood is to "play more cricket", not less.
These Constitutional restrictions might be getting in the way.
The task here is to identify the articles of the Constitution which control these dates.
The Draft rewrite will likely allow the association Executive or Management Committee to make a decision about variation of meeting and season start dates in an accountable yet pragmatic manner.
The only reason this needs to be approached carefully is to avoid the possibility that a poorly worded Constitutional amendment may lead to unanticipated consequences.
LINK TO DISCUSSION COMING SOON
ITEM 2026-09
Player Protection Appendixes.
In 2025/26 season we introduced new versions of App M Social Media Policy, App J Child Protection Policies, and App D Cincussion Guidelines.
These have been implemented without objection... which is good news.
Some research needs to be done to check if Cricket Australia has revised any of the Player protection Appendixes (App D to App M) and consider their adoption by this association.
Similarly the Behaviour Appendixes (App A to App C) need to be subjected to the same scrutiny.
LINK TO DISCUSSION COMING SOON
ITEM 2026-10
Reorganise the Playing Regs so that they follow a Laws of Cricket format.
The QSDCA Playing regulations are meant to be a modification layer which tells us how cricket in played in QSDCA but it is based on the Laws of Cricket.
The Laws (1 to 42) say a number of things which are not practical or desired for weekend community cricket in Brisbane.
For example, Law 12.6 Last Hour of match - Number of overs.
QSDCA Playing Regs have suspended Law 12.6 and, functionally, it has been replaced by Regulation 21 Minimum Overs in the Day.
Both Reg 21 and Law 12.6 are designed to ensure the climax of a match is not ruined by a bowling side slowing their over rate so that a batting side is prevented from having a fair chance to score enough runs to win.
It will help understanding the Laws and Regulations better if any QSDCA Playing regulations appear on the *same* page as any Laws.
This will make it much clearer for players, captains, teams and umpires about about what Regulations override what Laws.
LINK TO DISCUSSION COMING SOON
ITEM 2026-11 Reg 28 Limited Overs Wides
There's actually a difference between what gets called a wide in a limited overs game and what gets called wide in a 2 dayer.
Looking at the Regulation objectively you might be forgiven for not realising this.
The text of the wide Regulation is the same (almost) as the wide Law 22. The umpires are meant to interpret the conditions differently and come up with a different result for one dayers.
This is confusing and misleading especially for inexperienced and "player" umpires.
Can we do better?
LINK TO DISCUSSION COMING SOON
ITEM 2026-12 Appendix Updates
Appendix Updates to include:
App C Racial and Religious Vilification Code - new version
App D COMMUNITY CRICKET CONCUSSION GUIDELINES NEW VERSION... should we have a a concussion substitute in QSDCA? How would we do it?
App E BOWLING INJURY PREVENTION... Premier Cricket will be moving to this being a restriction (rather than recommendation) for 2026-27 What do we wanna do?
App G LIGHTNING SAFETY 30-30 RULE... Premier Cricket has added 40/30 to the original 30/30 Easy change (administratively) but culturally, some will struggle.
App K PLAYING CONDITION – HELMETS .... Premier Cricket is moving to neck guards being compulsory for all players in 2026-27 Currently QSDCA is at “recommended”. I think I saw about 1 all last season… can we phase this in?
Details to come
LINK TO DISCUSSION COMING SOON
ITEM 2026-13 Player Absences
This regulation is simplistic and easy to rort at present.
It does not prevent bowlers from running off the field between overs and having a lie down (or similar).
Compared to the modern Law 24 and 25 this is somewhat twee.
Can we do better?
LINK TO DISCUSSION COMING SOON
ABM 13-May-2026
Update 21-May-2026
Update 3-Jun-2026
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HISTORY
Previous editions of the QSDCA Playing Regulations Review cane be seen here. LINK
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LINK TO THE INDEX LIST (Coming Soon)
DO YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES YOU WANT TO SEE DISCUSSED?
Please feel free to join in the discussions. (See below.)
There will be a page of this blog dedicated to each issue. (coming soon...)
Click on LINK TO DISCUSSION links to read more. (also coming soon...)
On every page readers may make any comment or suggestion they wish.
Such comments are subject to moderation (which means I can control any irrelevant stuff).
ABM 21-Jan-2026
TO ADD YOUR COMMENT
Click on this link for a guide on how to post a comment. https://tinyurl.com/kmkvpub
If you can't do a comment perhaps it would be easier to send me an email at a.martin at qsdca.com.au
Comments can be entered on each discussion page. (They are subject to moderation.)
Useful comments are appreciated.
The overall aim is to present reviewed regulations at the QSDCA AGM in July for adoption by the Association.
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We
must avoid the lazy and hopeless practice of the distant past where
poor quality regulations are composed in patchy and piecemeal fashion on
the floor of the AGM.
This work is focussed on improvements. This does not come for free.
The challenge is vast, the task enormous... ish. But it's a long way from impossible.
But the benefits are better games, better cricket, better umpiring, expectations matching outcomes.
The alternative is putting up with things that annoy us... and that is what we're trying to avoid.
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