CricPulse
Someone rolls an ankle chasing a ball to the boundary and limps off. Within a minute a teenager from the pavilion is pulling on a spare shirt, and the match carries on. It looks informal, but a substitute fielder is one of the most tightly defined roles in the Laws of Cricket: what they may do is narrow, what they may not do is long, and it has consequences for whoever is keeping the scorebook.
This guide covers what a substitute can and cannot do, what happens when the original player wants to come back, why runners are no longer part of international cricket, and how to record a substitute’s catch so the scorecard still reconciles. It is about fielding substitutes. A concussion substitute is a different thing, covered below.
What Is a Substitute Fielder?
A substitute fielder is a person who takes the field in place of a member of the fielding side who is absent, so the side still has eleven in the field. The umpires allow it when they are satisfied that a fielder has been injured or become ill during the match, or for any other wholly acceptable reason. The substitute is not part of the match’s playing XI. They are a stand-in for fielding duties, and the player they cover for is expected to return if they can.
What a Substitute Can and Cannot Do
The Laws put the restrictions on the substitute rather than listing every permission. In practice:
| Action | Substitute allowed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Field in any position | Yes | Including close catching positions and the boundary |
| Take a catch or effect a run out | Yes | The dismissal is valid and the bowler is credited as normal for a catch |
| Bowl | No | Unless the Laws or playing conditions provide a replacement (see concussion and Impact Player below) |
| Act as captain | No | The captain stays one of the named players |
| Keep wicket | Only with umpire consent | If the keeper is injured, the umpires decide whether a substitute may take the gloves |
| Bat | No | A substitute is not on the batting card |
The wicket-keeping point trips up club sides most often. A substitute does not get to take the gloves just because the regular keeper is hurt. The umpires must agree, and they are entitled to say no. Where they do agree, the fielding side has to be comfortable that the batting side is not being disadvantaged.
Leaving the Field and Coming Back
The substitute rule only covers the stand-in. The absent player has their own obligations: an umpire must be told why they left, and they may not return to the field during a session of play without an umpire’s consent. The reason this matters is that, without it, a bowler could slip off for a rest and reappear when needed.
The ICC playing-conditions text adds two refinements that many other competitions mirror in some form. If a player has been off the field for more than eight minutes, they are not allowed to bowl until they have spent the same amount of time either fielding or watching their team bat, and that “penalty time” is capped at 40 minutes. The text also says that if a player comes onto the field in breach of the consent requirement and touches the ball while it is live, the ball becomes dead and five penalty runs go to the batting side. Those figures are the ICC’s; a village league or a school competition may have a simpler rule or none, so check your own competition’s playing conditions before you quote them to an umpire. If the penalty runs ever arise, our scorer’s guide to umpire signals covers how they are signalled and logged.
Substitute Fielder vs Other Replacements
Four different things get called “a substitute”, and the differences are exactly the things scorers get asked about after the game:
| Role | Can bat or bowl? | Original player |
|---|---|---|
| Substitute fielder | No. Fielding only | May return, with umpire consent |
| Concussion substitute | Yes. Full replacement | Out of the match |
| IPL Impact Player | Yes, within tournament conditions | Out of the match |
| Retired hurt | Batter pauses an innings, no replacement fielder involved | May resume the innings |
What About Runners?
A runner is a different problem: an injured batter who can bat but not run. Runners were part of the game for a long time, but the ICC announced in 2011 that runners would no longer be allowed in international cricket from 1 October of that year, on the grounds that the provision was being abused and that an injured bowler cannot be replaced either. The MCC Laws still carry a runner provision, which means that in club and recreational cricket the answer depends on the league. Some competitions allow runners, some do not, and some leave it to the captains.
If your league does allow them, the practical points for the scorer are straightforward. Runs the batter and their runner complete are credited to the batter, not the runner. The runner is drawn from the batting side. And you should agree before the first ball how a runner is handled, because the argument over it never happens until a close finish.
How a Scorer Records a Substitute
Nothing about a substitute fielder changes the arithmetic of the innings. The one place the scorebook has to flex is a dismissal in which a substitute is involved.
Catch by a substitute. Record it as caught, naming the fielder as a substitute, usually written c sub (Name). The bowler is credited with the wicket exactly as for any other catch.
Run out by a substitute. Record it the same way, with the substitute named in the fielder column. It remains a run out, so the bowler is not credited.
Name unknown. Write sub and fix it at the end of the over. Do not hold up the scoring to ask.
Season statistics. Whether a substitute’s catch appears in anyone’s fielding record varies by competition, since the substitute may not be a registered player for that fixture. If your end-of-season prizes depend on it, read how your league handles it before the first substitute turns up. Our guide to end-of-season averages and qualification rules covers the wider bookkeeping.
If you want to see where a substitute’s contribution sits in the bigger scorecard picture, the guide to reading a cricket scorecard explains the fielding column, and how to score a cricket match walks the whole process ball by ball.
A Worked Example
The fielding side has 11 named players. In the 12th over their cover fielder, Sam, leaves the field with a hamstring problem and the umpires accept it. A substitute, Priya, who is not in the XI, takes Sam’s place in the covers.
- Over 14: Priya runs in from the boundary and holds a catch off the bowler’s delivery. Scorer writes c sub (Priya) b Bowler. The bowler’s wickets go up by one.
- Over 15: the captain asks if Priya can bowl a spare over. She cannot. The over goes to one of the named bowlers.
- Over 22: Sam is back after 15 minutes. He needs the umpires’ consent to return. If the competition uses the ICC wording above, he would not be allowed to bowl until he has made up that time on the field or watching his side bat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a substitute fielder bowl in cricket?
No. Under the Laws a substitute may not bowl or act as captain. They can take catches, make run outs and field anywhere, and may keep wicket only with the consent of the umpires.
Can a substitute fielder take a catch or run someone out?
Yes. The catch or run out is a legitimate dismissal. How it appears in season statistics depends on the competition, since a substitute is often not a registered player for that match.
Why is a substitute fielder allowed in cricket?
The umpires allow a substitute when they are satisfied that a fielder has been injured or become ill during the match, or for another wholly acceptable reason. The aim is to keep eleven people in the field, and the substitute is a stand-in for fielding only.
Can the original fielder come back on after leaving the field?
Yes, but they must tell the umpires why they were absent and get their consent to return during a session of play. Under the ICC clause, an absence of more than eight minutes also bars them from bowling until they have made up the time, capped at 40 minutes. Club leagues often have their own version.
Is a substitute fielder the same as a concussion substitute or an Impact Player?
No. A substitute fielder can only field and the original player is expected to return. A concussion substitute is a full like-for-like replacement and the original player is out of the match. The IPL Impact Player is a tactical swap available once per match for any reason.
Are runners still allowed in cricket?
Not in international cricket, where the ICC stopped them from 1 October 2011. The MCC Laws still contain a runner provision, so for club matches it depends on your league. Agree it with the opposing captain before the match.
How do you record a substitute fielder’s catch in the scorebook?
Write it as caught with the substitute named, commonly c sub (Name), and credit the bowler as usual. If you do not know the name, write sub and fill it in later. The wicket, the bowler’s figures and the batter’s score are unaffected.
How CricPulse Fits In
A substitute is the one fielder who is not in your squad list, which is where scoring apps usually trip. In CricPulse you can type a name on the wicket screen when you pick the fielder for a catch or run out, and the new name joins the bowling side for the rest of the match, so you do not have to stop and edit the team. Want to record this automatically during your next match? Score your match with CricPulse.