The lines on a cricket pitch mainly affect whether a bowling delivery is legal and whether a batter is safe from certain types of dismissal.
The lines, usually marked in white, are sometimes called a crease. While both conventions and the Laws (rules) of cricket affect the position of each line and how much must be marked out, the lines are usually treated as if they continued to the boundary of the field.
Bowling Crease
The bowling crease runs through all three stumps. Its only function is to show where the stumps must go and to act as a base and reference point for positioning the other lines. The two bowling creases are 22 feet apart from one another.
The bowling crease no longer plays any role during the game itself. (Originally bowlers had to have their back foot in front of the bowling crease when releasing the ball but this is no longer the case.)
Popping Crease
The popping crease is four feet in front of, and parallel to, the bowling crease. It serves three main functions:
- The batter must ground their bat past the popping crease (so, on the same side as the stumps) to be safe from being run out.
- The batter cannot be stumped if their foot or bat is grounded behind the popping crease (so, on the same side as the stumps.)
- The bowler must have some part of their front foot behind the popping crease when they release the ball, otherwise it’s a no ball.
Return Crease
The return creases are either side of the stumps, parallel to one another and each four feet from the middle stump. Both the bowler’s feet must be inside the return creases when they release the ball, otherwise it’s a no ball.
Other Lines
In limited over games, the wicket may have two short “wide lines”, each parallel to, and 17 inches inside, the return creases. These act as a visual aid and reference point for the umpire when deciding if a ball is wide. (However, this decision also takes into account the batter’s stance and position.) Normally these lines are marked in blue to aid vision and avoid confusion.
Sometimes pitches have a small marking five feet in front of each popping crease. This shows the “protected area”. Bowlers are not allowed to step into this area as it could cause damage and make it harder for the batter to predict how the ball will bounce. Repeatedly breaking this rule can mean a bowler is banned from bowling for the rest of the game.