Cricket Rules Trivia Questions and Answers

Overs, maidens, LBW and five-day Tests: cricket's laws have a vocabulary all their own. These cricket rules questions cover the fundamentals — team sizes, the pitch, how an over works and what the common terms mean — each with a short explanation. A good primer for newcomers, and a quick check for anyone who has ever had to explain cricket to a friend.

6 questions · Every answer explained · Fact-checked October 2026

1. 1. How many players are on the field for one cricket team at a time?

   • A. 9
   • B. 10
   • C. 11
   • D. 12
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   C. 11 — Each cricket team fields 11 players.

2. 2. What is the standard length of a cricket pitch?

   • A. 18 yards
   • B. 20 yards
   • C. 22 yards
   • D. 24 yards
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   C. 22 yards — The pitch between the two sets of stumps measures 22 yards (about 20.1 meters).

3. 3. How many balls make up one standard over in cricket?

   • A. 4
   • B. 5
   • C. 6
   • D. 8
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   C. 6 — A standard over consists of six legal deliveries bowled from one end.

4. 4. What is the maximum length of a traditional Test cricket match?

   • A. 3 days
   • B. 4 days
   • C. 5 days
   • D. 7 days
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   C. 5 days — Test matches, the longest format of the game, are scheduled to last up to five days.

5. 5. In cricket's dismissal rules, what does LBW stand for?

   • A. Long Ball Wide
   • B. Leg Before Wicket
   • C. Lost By Wicket
   • D. Low Bowled Waist
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   B. Leg Before Wicket — A batter can be out LBW if the ball would have hit the stumps but strikes their body first.

   Did you know? A batter can't be given LBW if the ball pitches outside leg stump.

6. 6. What is a 'maiden over'?

   • A. An over with no runs conceded
   • B. An over in which a wicket falls
   • C. A bowler's first over
   • D. An over containing a wide
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   A. An over with no runs conceded — A maiden is an over in which no runs are scored off the bowler.

   Did you know? If the bowler also takes a wicket in it, it's called a 'wicket maiden'.