Umpire (cricket)
The umpires in cricket are not to be confused with the referee who usually presides only over international matches and makes no decisions affecting the outcome of the game.
A new structure of cricket umpiring and scoring qualifications has now been put into place and the ACO provides training and examinations for these.
In accordance with the tradition of cricket, most ordinary, local games will have two umpires, one supplied by each side, who will fairly enforce the accepted rules.
If the square-leg umpire elects to stand at point, they are required to inform both the batsmen, the captain of the fielding team, and their colleague.
They may also move to the point position later in the afternoon if the setting sun prevents a clear view of the popping crease at their end.
This is nowadays rare, especially in Tests and first-class matches for contentious decisions; however, it is the norm for a batsman to walk when they are bowled or obviously caught.
The most usual causes for no-balls are foot faults or a ball passing above a batsman's waist without bouncing, each of these being under the jurisdiction of the umpire at the bowler's end.
The square-leg umpire will rarely have to call a no-ball, as their jurisdiction is limited to infringements that occur less frequently such as short pitched deliveries which pass the batting crease above the batsman's shoulders.
[6] In matches under the auspices of the ICC, it may also be a no-ball if the umpire feels that the bowler's arm is bent more than 15 degrees (throwing rather than bowling).
The ICC have chosen to amend Law 21.2 (Fair Delivery – the arm) as a result of controversy concerning the legality or otherwise of bowling actions of certain prominent bowlers.[who?]
In certain forms of limited overs cricket, such as T20s and ODIs, a no-ball that is the result of the bowler overstepping the crease or bowling above a batsman's waist will be penalised by the next delivery being a free hit.
During a free hit delivery, batters cannot be dismissed caught, bowled, leg before wicket or stumped.
An umpire will signal this by crossing and uncrossing their wrists below their waist with the call Dead Ball, if they are required to do so under certain Laws, and also may do it if they think it is necessary to inform the players.
[8] It is important that the scorers note down the play accurately and therefore the appropriate signals will be made by the umpire when the ball is dead (see Law 2.13).
If a batsman scores four when they hit the ball across the boundary (not by actually running them), the umpire signals this by waving their arm back and forth in front of the chest.
[9] Whichever way the umpire signals a four they must, by law, finish with their arm across the chest (so as to avoid confusion about whether a No Ball was delivered as well).
The on-field umpire signals a referral using both hands to mime a TV screen by making a box shape.
First, there is a minimum number of overs (20 in the Laws of Cricket, fifteen in Tests) that must be bowled in the last hour.
ICC introduced a system of Powerplays in limited-over cricket which restricts the number of fielders outside the 30-yard circle, among other things.
The Golden Bails Award is given by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to umpires who have stood (officiated) in 100 Test matches.
The leading n became attached to the article, changing it to an oumper around 1475; this sort of linguistic shift is called false splitting.
The word was applied to the officials of many sports, including association football (where it has been superseded by referee) and baseball (which still uses it).
