When penalty runs are awarded
The umpires award penalty runs for offences such as a fielder deliberately distracting a batter, or for unfair play like deliberately stopping a ball with a helmet. The number of runs depends on the offence, and the Laws set it.
What the scorer records
- The penalty runs, added to the batting side's total.
- The reason, in the umpires' words.
- That the runs are not credited to any batter or bowler.
Penalty runs and the bowler
Penalty runs do not count against the bowler's runs conceded. They are an award to the batting side, not a run scored off the bowling.
Common mistakes
- Crediting the penalty to the batter who was on strike.
- Charging the penalty against the bowler's analysis.
- Forgetting to write the reason.
Citations
MCC Laws of Cricket, the sections on penalty runs and unfair play.
Match questions
Questions scorers actually ask
- 01 Who gets penalty runs?
- The batting side, as a total. They are not credited to a batter or the bowler.
- 02 Do penalty runs count against the bowler?
- No. The bowler’s runs conceded do not include them.
- 03 What is the usual number of penalty runs?
- It depends on the offence. The Laws set the number for each case, and the umpires announce it.
