Ties, Super Overs and Bowl-Outs: Deciding Tied Matches
By the Cricket Score Counter Editorial Team · Updated · 6 min read
A tie is rare, but when it happens everyone wants to know the rules at once. This guide explains what the Laws say about ties and draws, how the Super Over works in ICC competitions, and how local leagues can settle tied games fairly without arguments.
Key takeaways
- Under the Laws a tie is a valid result; a Super Over only happens if the competition's playing conditions require one.
- In ICC Super Overs, each side faces one over with three batters, and two wickets end the innings.
- If a Super Over is tied, another is played, and the boundary-count tie-breaker no longer applies.
- Bowl-outs are historical at international level but can still be a fair local tie-breaker.
What the Laws say about a tie
Law 16 covers results. A match is tied when the scores are equal at the end of the match and the side batting last has completed its innings. In a limited-overs game, that usually means the chasing side finishes its overs, or is bowled out, on exactly the same total.
A tie is different from a draw. A draw is an unfinished match, common in multi-day and timed cricket, where the side batting last has not been bowled out and has not reached the target. In a draw the scores need not be level at all.
The Laws themselves do not require a tie to be broken. A tie is a perfectly good result, and many leagues simply split the points. Super Overs, bowl-outs and other tie-breakers come from competition playing conditions, so the first question in any tied match is always: what do our rules say?
| Result | When it happens | Typical league points |
|---|---|---|
| Win | One side scores more runs and the match is completed | Full points to winner |
| Tie | Scores level and side batting last has completed its innings | Points shared, unless a tie-breaker is used |
| Draw | Time runs out without a result in timed or multi-day cricket | Set by league rules |
| No result | Not enough play for a result, often due to weather | Points shared or none |
How the Super Over works
The Super Over is the standard tie-breaker in ICC white-ball cricket and most professional T20 leagues. Each team bats for one over, and the team with more runs wins. It is short, dramatic and easy to understand, which is why so many local leagues have copied it.
The details below follow ICC playing conditions, which other competitions often adapt. If you run a league, write your own version into the rules so captains are not reading them off a phone at the end of a match.
- Both captains nominate three batters and one bowler for their Super Over.
- The team that batted second in the match bats first in the Super Over.
- Each side faces one over. Losing two wickets ends the side's Super Over immediately.
- Normal extras apply, and a wide or no-ball means an extra delivery as usual.
- The side with more runs from its over wins the match.
When the Super Over is tied too
Until 2019, a tied Super Over in ICC events was decided by the number of boundaries each side had hit across the match and the Super Over. That rule decided the 2019 men's World Cup final in England's favour against New Zealand, and the outcry led the ICC to change it.
Under the current ICC playing conditions, if a Super Over is tied, another Super Over is played, and this repeats until there is a winner. Any batter dismissed in an earlier Super Over cannot bat in the next one, and the bowler from the previous Super Over cannot bowl the next one. If time or weather stops the Super Overs being completed, the match is recorded as a tie.
Runs and wickets from a Super Over do not normally count in individual batting or bowling records. They decide the match only. Keep them on a separate part of the scoresheet so they do not end up in a player's season average.
Scoring and umpiring a Super Over
Start a fresh section of the scoresheet, or a new innings in your app, for each Super Over. Write the three nominated batters and the bowler at the top before the first ball. It sounds fussy, but it saves an argument when a captain tries to send in a fourth batter after two quick wickets.
Umpires usually stay at the same ends they finished the match at, and fielding restrictions normally follow those for the last over of the main innings. Teams typically use the ball from the end of the match or a spare of similar age, which is worth agreeing before you begin, especially in tennis-ball cricket where balls go soft quickly.
Check the total twice before announcing the target. A Super Over decided by a scoring slip, such as a missed wide or a leg bye recorded as runs off the bat, is the worst possible ending to a close match. Read the over back ball by ball with the other scorer before anyone shakes hands.
Bowl-outs: a short history
Before Super Overs, some competitions used a bowl-out. Five bowlers from each side bowled at an unguarded set of stumps, and the team that hit the stumps more often won. It was quick and needed no batting, which made it useful when a rain-ruined match had to produce a winner.
The most famous international bowl-out came at the 2007 World Twenty20, when India beat Pakistan after a tied group game. The ICC replaced bowl-outs with the Super Over soon afterwards, because a contest of bowling at empty stumps did not reflect the game that had just been played.
Bowl-outs still have a place locally. They can be played indoors or in a small dry area when the outfield is too wet for a Super Over, and they are a fair, fun way to separate two school teams who finished level.
Fair tie-breakers for local leagues
Whatever you choose, agree it before the season or at the latest at the toss. Changing tie-breakers after a tie is the fastest way to lose a team from your league. Write the rule on the match sheet and make sure both scorers know it.
Using a scoring app makes the end of a tight game easier. Cricket Score Counter keeps the extras and wickets accurate ball by ball, so when the scores are level there is no dispute about whether it was really a tie before the Super Over starts.
- Super Over: best for T20 and shorter matches with time and light remaining.
- Fewer wickets lost: simple, but favours sides that bat conservatively.
- Bowl-out: good for wet outfields and junior cricket.
- Shared points: the fairest option in league tables when no tie-breaker is agreed.
Put it into practice
Score your next match ball by ball for free and share a live scorecard link with everyone watching. No sign-up needed.
Frequently asked questions
Who bats first in a Super Over?
Under ICC playing conditions, the team that batted second in the main match bats first in the Super Over. Local leagues can set their own rule, but most follow this one.
What happens if the Super Over is a tie?
In ICC matches, another Super Over is played, repeating until there is a winner. The old boundary-count rule from the 2019 World Cup final was removed after that match.
How many wickets does each team have in a Super Over?
Each side nominates three batters, so losing two wickets ends that side's Super Over even if balls remain. A run out counts towards those two wickets like any other dismissal.
Is a tie the same as a draw in cricket?
No. A tie means the scores are level at the end of a completed match. A draw means the match ended without a result, usually because time ran out before the side batting last was bowled out or reached its target.
Do Super Over runs count in a player's career stats?
Generally no. Super Over runs and wickets decide the match but are not added to the main scorecard or to players' official batting and bowling records.
This guide follows the MCC Laws of Cricket and common competition playing conditions. Local leagues and friendly matches often use their own rules, so always agree them before the toss. Spotted something we should correct? Contact us.