Item 2026-12D App G Lightning Safety 30-30 Rule

WHAT'S THIS ABOUT

Premier Cricket has adopted a 40/30 scheme in place of the 30/30 protocol for lightning safety.

DISCUSSION

QSDCA cricket is an outdoor sport. It needs to have a safety protocol to reduce the risk of participants being struck and injured (even killed) by lightning.

None of this is new. (Even if some people seem to act as if it is...)

The reason for increasing the lightning/thunder gap to 40 seconds is so as to reduce the risk of measuring the time incorrectly. Sometimes approaching storms are slow to build up but are nonetheless inevitable. So staying out on the field for another 5 or 10 minutes will make very little difference to the result of the match. 

But the participants' safety is slightly better ensured.

PROPOSAL

No guideline text is available at the time of this post.

There are two pieces of Playing Regs which will require some adjustment.

Modify App G to suit. (and Reg 10.12)

OLD REGULATIONS	What does this mean?/Why does it need change?	PROPOSED NEW REGULATION
Appendix G LIGHTNING SAFETY 30-30 RULE Applies to all Competitions		Appendix G LIGHTNING SAFETY 40-30 RULE Applies to all Competitions
Play will be suspended in Dangerous or Unreasonable Conditions The following will apply in addition to Law 2.8 (2017 Code 3rd ed.):	Update the 30 second lightning/thunder gap to 40 seconds.	Play will be suspended in Dangerous or Unreasonable Conditions The following will apply in addition to Law 2.8 (2017 Code 4th ed.):
G1 [30/30 Rule] If thunder follows a lightning flash by 30 seconds or less, play must cease immediately.		G1 [40/30 Rule] If thunder follows a lightning flash by 40 seconds or less, play must cease immediately.
G2 Players and umpires must leave the field immediately and must not return until 30 minutes after the initial lightning flash.		No change
G3 If during the suspension of play thunder follows a lightning flash by 30 seconds or less, the 30 minute suspension period is to recommence.		G3 If during the suspension of play thunder follows a lightning flash by 40 seconds or less, the 30 minute suspension period is to recommence.
SUSPENSION IN DANGEROUS OR UNREASONABLE CONDITIONS		SUSPENSION IN DANGEROUS OR UNREASONABLE CONDITIONS
10.11 Play will be suspended in Dangerous or Unreasonable Conditions	This section is redundant.	10.11 See Appendix G LIGHTNING SAFETY 40-30 RULE
10.12 The following will apply in addition to Law 2.8 (2017 Code 3rd ed.)		10.12 Nil
10.13 [30/30 Rule] If thunder follows a lightning flash by 30 seconds or less, play must cease immediately.		10.13 Nil
10.14 Players and umpires must leave the field immediately and must not return until 30 minutes after the initial lightning flash.		10.14 Nil
10.15 If during the suspension of play thunder follows a lightning flash by 30 seconds or less, the 30 minute suspension period is to recommence.		10.15 Nil
10.16 Refer to Appendix G Lightning Safety 30-30 Rule.		10.16 Nil

 

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