Officials
Powerplay and Fielding Restriction Guide
Fielding restrictions and bowling limits by format and by over, in one place.
Format
One Day International, 50 overs
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
- 1Bowling limitNo bowler may bowl more than 10 overs, one fifth of the innings.
- 2Catching positionsTwo fielders must be in catching positions for the first 10 overs.
| Phase | Fielders outside the circle | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Overs 1 to 10 | Two fielders outside the 30 yard circle | Powerplay 1 |
| Overs 11 to 40 | Four fielders outside the circle | Powerplay 2 |
| Overs 41 to 50 | Five fielders outside the circle | Powerplay 3 |
How the number is worked out
The formula
Fielders permitted outside the 30 yard circle, by phase- the circle
- A 30 yard boundary marked around the pitch. Restrictions limit how many fielders may stand outside it.
- bowling limit
- No bowler may bowl more than one fifth of the innings, so 10 overs in an ODI and 4 in a Twenty20.
A worked example: an ODI innings
A 50 over innings runs through three fielding phases.
- 1Overs 1 to 10two fielders outside the circle, and two in catching positions
- 2Overs 11 to 40four fielders outside the circle
- 3Overs 41 to 50five fielders outside the circle
- 4Bowling limitno bowler may exceed 10 overs
The field spreads in two steps, which is why scoring patterns change sharply at overs 11 and 41 rather than gradually across the innings.
Rules and edge cases
The situations that change the answer, and the ones most calculators get wrong.
A shortened innings scales the powerplay in proportion
A 20 over ODI innings does not keep a 10 over first powerplay. The playing conditions carry a scaling table that reduces each phase, and getting it wrong changes the whole shape of the innings. Check the table rather than estimating.
The catching requirement is separate from the circle
In the first powerplay of an ODI two fielders must be in catching positions, which is a rule about where fielders stand rather than how many are outside the circle. Sides sometimes satisfy one and breach the other.
Breaching the restriction is a no ball
Too many fielders outside the circle makes the delivery a no ball, which gives a run and a free hit in most limited overs conditions. It is an expensive mistake and it happens most often immediately after a phase change.
Domestic and franchise competitions vary these constantly
Several leagues have added their own phases, impact substitutes or strategic timeouts that interact with the restrictions. What is shown here is the standard international shape, and your competition may well differ.
Frequently asked questions
Two in the first ten overs, four from overs 11 to 40, and five in the last ten.
For captains and officials
The conditions your competition actually plays under
Crickslab holds the playing conditions for each competition it runs, so the format, the restrictions and the bowling limits are set once rather than remembered at the ground.
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.