Officials
Follow On Calculator
Whether a first innings lead is enough to enforce the follow on, by the scheduled length of the match.
Follow on
Can be enforced
lead of 220, 200 required
Lead
220
Required lead
200
Match length
5 days
Beyond the calculator
Umpires and scorers using Crickslab get the revised target, the par score and the over rate on screen, signed off and shared in seconds.
- Rain rules applied as the match runs
- Results and points posted automatically
- Live streaming with the score on the picture
How this was worked out
- 1Work out the lead520 - 300 = 220
- 2Compare against the threshold220 is at least 200
How the number is worked out
The formula
Lead = first innings of the leading side - first innings of the other side- threshold
- 200 runs for a match of five days or more, 150 for three or four days, 100 for two days and 75 for one day.
Law 14.1.2: if no play takes place on the first day, the match counts as one of shorter length for this purpose and the threshold drops accordingly.
A worked example: a big first innings
In a five day match, the side batting first makes 520 and the other side is dismissed for 300.
- 1Work out the lead520 - 300 = 220
- 2Threshold for a five day match200
- 3Compare220 is at least 200, so the follow on may be enforced
The lead of 220 clears the 200 threshold, so the captain may enforce the follow on. Whether to do so is a separate question entirely.
Rules and edge cases
The situations that change the answer, and the ones most calculators get wrong.
The threshold depends on the scheduled length, not the days remaining
A five day match keeps its 200 run threshold even if it reaches the fourth day with the first innings unfinished. The one exception is Law 14.1.2, covering a first day washed out entirely.
Losing the first day lowers the bar
If no play at all takes place on the first day, the match is treated as one day shorter for this purpose. A five day match becomes a four day match and the threshold falls from 200 to 150.
Enforcing it is a choice, not an obligation
Reaching the threshold gives the captain the option, nothing more. Many decline it, either to rest a tiring attack or to avoid batting last on a pitch that is breaking up. Both are perfectly ordinary reasons.
It only applies where each side has two innings
The follow on is a multi day concept. It has no meaning in a limited overs match, where each side bats once.
What counts as good
Law 14 thresholds by scheduled match length.
| Match length | Lead required |
|---|---|
| Five days or more | 200 |
| Three or four days | 150 |
| Two days | 100 |
| One day | 75 |
Frequently asked questions
200 runs in a match of five days or more, 150 in a three or four day match, 100 in a two day match and 75 in a one day match.
For officials and scorers
The playing conditions applied for you, ball by ball
Crickslab knows the format, the thresholds and the regulations your competition runs under, so the questions officials ask mid match are answered before anyone reaches for a rule book.
Talk to our teamLast reviewed 17 August 2026. Playing conditions change, so if your competition uses a different rule, its regulations take precedence over anything here.