Helmet regulations

As part of a campaign to make cricket as safe as possible for all players, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) set regulations for junior players, stipulating the wearing of helmets by batsmen and by wicket-keepers when they are standing up to the wicket. Any player who is under 18 on the day of the match must wear a helmet, complete with an effective face guard, when batting (including while he is the non-striker), acting as a runner, standing up to the stumps when keeping wicket or when fielding within 6 yards of the stumps (except behind the wicket on the off side). He must also wear an abdominal protector (box) and the normal, external protection for the job he is doing (i.e. pads and gloves as appropriate).
Before a match starts, umpires in recreational cricket in England and Wales will require captains to indicate on their team sheet which of their players are under 18 on that day. Provision is made for written parental permission to be given for youths to forgo the use of the helmet, though the regulations for many competitions do not permit this 'get-out' and insist that the helmet be used. Umpires will not allow play to proceed unless this condition is met.
There are also ECB regulations for young players in respect of fast bowling and how close to the wicket they are permitted to field.


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