What are the rules for stoolball?

Answer 1

The Rules for Stool Ball

Stoolball originates from Sussex in England. The game dates to the 15th century when milkmaids used their milking stools as wickets. Its rules are similar to the rules of cricket and it can be played on any open area of grass with a boundary of 262 feet

Equipment

The wicket in a game of stoolball is essentially a piece of wood that is one foot square and half an inch thick, mounted on a stake that is four feet and eight inches from the ground. The wickets are placed opposite each other and are 16 yards apart. The bottom 24 inches of the stake is painted a different colour to represent the "no-ball" area. The bat should be less than 19 inches in length and no more than eight inches in diameter, similar to a Baseball bat. The ball should be white and weigh between two and three ounces.

Teams

There are two teams in a match of stoolball. Each team has up to eleven players and there is a maximum of six men in a team for a mixed match. Each team must have a captain who will decide after the toss of a coin whether to bat or bowl first. The team that wins is the one that scores the most runs over a set number of "overs."

Objectives of the game

Each team has one inning in which the players try to score runs. The opposing team attempts to get the batsmen 'out' and prevent runners from scoring. If a bowler hits the backboard of the wicket, or the batter hits the ball and it is caught by a member of the other team, then they are replaced by another member of the batting team. When all members of the team are out, then the teams switch so the batters become the bowlers and the bowlers become the batters..

Bowling

A ball must be bowled underarm and there are eight balls in every over. A bowler is not able to bowl more than one "over" consecutively. Each over is bowled alternatively to each wicket. During a mixed match, female and male players must take turns to bowl an over. A ball must not bounce before it hits the wicket. If the ball is thrown too low, then a "no ball" is called and the ball must be thrown again.

Batting

A run is scored if both of the batsmen run from one wicket to the opposite one and touch the wicket. They can run as many times after one ball as they feel safe to do so. If the ball reaches the boundary without hitting the floor, then six runs are scored. If it hits the ground on the way to the boundary, then four runs are scored.

Dismissals

There are three ways that a batsman can be dismissed. If a bowler hits the backboard, even if the ball touches the bat on the way, then the player is out. If a ball is caught by a fielder without it first touching the ground, the batter also is dismissed. The other way that a batsman can be out is if a fielder hits the backboard with the ball while the batsmen are running between the wickets.