Rounders Rules

Preparing for the game

• Pitch dimensions: the distance is 12 metres between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd post and 8.5 metres between the 3rd and 4th. The distance between the batting and bowling square is 7.5 metres.
• The game is played in teams of 9.
• One team bats while the other team fields.
• Batters waiting should be stood in the backward area well away from the 4th post.
• You can either play for one or two innings or play a limited number of balls, e.g. 20 balls or until the batting team is out.

Rules

1. Bowlers can bowl underarm only.
2. A ‘no ball’ is awarded when the ball is bowled above the head or below the knee, if it is too wide, it bounces before it gets to the batter or if the bowler’s foot is outside of the bowling square.
3. A penalty half a rounder is scored if two consecutive ‘no balls’ are bowled to the same player.
4. A batter can still run on a ‘no ball’ in the same way as if a ball was good.
5. A batter cannot be caught out or stumped out at 1st post by a ‘no ball’.
6. When the batter hits the ball they should aim to run around as many posts as possible before the fielders return the ball to the post they are running too.
7. Batters must carry the bats around the posts with them.
8. If the batter hits the ball backwards they must wait at the 1st post until a fielder returns the ball into the forward area, once in the forward area the batter can choose whether to continue running or can stay at 1st post.
9. If you do not hit the bowled ball you still have to run unless it is a ‘no ball’.
10. Batters can use two hands.
11. If the batter reaches the 2nd or 3rd post they have scored half a rounder. If the batter gets to the 4th post in one hit this is a full rounder.
12. If a batter reaches the 4th post but did not hit the ball they score half a rounder.
13. When the bowler has the ball in their hand in the bowling square you cannot move to the next post.
14. If you stop at a post you must keep contact with the post until you decide to run.
15. You cannot have more than one batting player waiting at a post.
16. A batter is out if; a member of the fielding team catches the ball before it bounces, if the fielding team get the ball to the post that the batter is running to, you overtake another batter on the track or if you run inside the posts (unless obstructed).
17. The fielding team cannot obstruct a batter from running between posts.
18. Batter must run around the outside of the posts.
19. The team with the highest number of rounders wins.

Other Resources You May Find Helpful

• Rounders Glossary
• Running around the post