Cricket

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Includes cricket variations (for example, T10 Cricket, Kanga Cricket/Cricket Wicket/Continuous Cricket)

Elementary - Intramural 2023
  • Modified cricket lead-up and development games/activities can be played both indoors/outdoors.
  • The official game of cricket is not an appropriate activity at the Elementary Curricular level.
  • Consult Risk Management.
  • This activity page must be presented to the activity provider prior to the activity taking place. The activity provider must meet the minimum requirements listed on this page. For more information on planning trips using outside providers, consult Outside Activity Providers.
Equipment
  • Determine that all equipment is safe for use (for example, no sharp corners, cracks, or splinters). Students must be encouraged to report equipment problems to the teacher.
  • Regulation cricket equipment must not be used.
  • Indoors or Outdoor only non-regulation cricket bats, wickets, and balls must be used.
  • Non regulation cricket equipment includes:
    • Bats (for example, made from moulded plastic)
    • Wickets (for example, sprin back wicket stumps, made from moulded palstic)
    • Balls must be suitable for the types of bats chosen and have a softer core (for example, foam core, Incrediball, soft rubber cricket ball, cricket tennis ball, PVC soft cricket training ball).

Refer to the First Aid section for first aid equipment requirements.

Clothing/Footwear/Jewellery
  • Appropriate clothing and footwear must be worn. Studded cricket shoes are not permitted.
  • No exposed jewellery permitted.
  • When long hair poses a safety risk it must be secured. Devices (for example, hair pins, elastics and barrettes) used to tie back long hair must not present a safety concern.
  • Students must not participate when the length of fingernails poses a safety risk to themselves or others.
Facilities
  • Determine that all facilities are safe for use. Students must be encouraged to report facility problems to the teacher.
  • Playing surface and surrounding area must be free of all obstacles and must provide safe footing and traction.
  • For both indoor and outdoor, the cricket pitch (area from wicket to wicket) must be level and smooth (for example indoors use gym floor, mat wicket and outdoors use natural turf, artificial turf or mat wicket).
  • Walls, stages, equipment, trees, and posts must not be used as turning points, finish lines, end zones, or boundaries. Establish a clearly delineated boundary line away from the hazards, using visual markers (for example, lines, pylons), to prevent contact/collision.
  • When running takes place off school site for a warm up:
    • Teachers must do a safety check ‘walk through’ in order to identify potential problems prior to initial use of route or course.
    • Teachers must outline to the students the route or course (for example, notice of areas to approach with caution) before the start of the run.
    • Teachers must determine that students are not crossing busy intersections unless directly supervised.

For outdoor cricket:

  • Holes, hazards (for example, glass, rocks, sprinkler heads, sewer grates), and severely uneven surfaces must be identified. The conditions must be made safe or the activity must be modified or moved to a safe location. Hazards which cannot be removed must be brought to the attention of the participating students. Teacher must notify principal/designate of unsafe field conditions.

For indoor cricket:

  • The playing surface and surrounding area must be free of all obstacles (for example, table, chairs, piano) and provide safe footing and traction. Hazards which cannot be removed must be suitably marked and must be brought to the attention of the participating students. Teachers must notify the principal/designate of unsafe gymnasium conditions.
  • Check that the size of the gymnasium can accommodate the activities.
Environmental Considerations
  • When environmental conditions may pose a risk to student safety (for example, thunderstorms [lightning] or student(s) with asthma, triggered by air quality), teachers must take into consideration their school board/school’s protocols and procedures related to:
    • environmental conditions (consult Weather); and
    • insects (for example, mosquitoes and ticks [consult the school/school board’s protocols and/or regional Public Health Department’s website]).
  • Students must receive instruction on safety procedures related to environmental conditions and be made aware of ways to protect themselves (for example, sun burn, heat stroke).
  • At all times the school board’s weather and insect procedures are the minimum standards. In situations where a higher standard of care is presented (for example, outside activity providers, facility/program coordinators), the higher standard of care must be followed.
Special Rules/Instructions
  • Be aware of students whose medical condition (for example, asthma, anaphylaxis, casts, previous concussion, orthopaedic device) may affect participation. Consult Medical Conditions.
  • Students must not participate in the activity until they receive information on concussion prevention specific to the activity, inherent risks of the activity (for example, outline possible risks and ways to minimize the risks), and procedures and rules for safe play. Students must receive instruction on the importance of reporting symptoms related to a suspected concussion.
  • Refer to school board policies and procedures (i.e., transportation, excursion/field trip) for communication with parents/guardians, the location of an off-site activity, means of transportation, supervision ratios, and parent/guardian permission.
  • Activities must be modified according to the age, ability level, language, and experience of students, number of participants, and the facility available.
  • Previous training, fitness level, and the length of time and intensity of physical activity must be taken into consideration.
  • Activities must be based on skills that are taught.
  • Skills must be taught in proper progression.
  • Fielding skills should include communication skills (for example call the ball and yielding to another student who has called the ball).
  • The bowler standing behind a designated line must underhand lob or roll the ball (grades 1-3) at the batter’s wicket.
  • Types of throws by the bowler (grades 4-8) may include underhand lob, overhand lob, straight arm overhand throw as determined by the abilities of participants.
  • Bowlers must send the ball towards the wicket in a manner that reaches the batter below the batters’ waist.
  • Bowlers should not aim at the batter or throw the ball above the batters’ waist.
  • The students must be informed about the importance of keeping their eyes on the flight of the ball when playing offense and when playing defense.
  • Sliding is not permitted by batters.
  • The players must be taught to carry the bat with them after they hit the ball and not to drop or lay it down.
  • Establish a designated area, away from the batter, where the wicketkeeper must retrieve the bowled ball to avoid being hit by a swinging bat.
  • A proper warm-up and cool-down must be included.
  • Warm-ups and drills (for example, bowling, batting, throwing, stretching) must each be in a dedicated area so that one activity does not present a hazard to another.
  • While moving, students must not be required to close their eyes or be blind-folded.
  • Emphasize controlled movement when requiring students to walk or run backwards. Backward-running races are not permitted.
  • When a student displays hesitation (verbally or non-verbally) with participating, the teacher must determine the reason(s) for doubt. If the teacher believes that a potential hesitancy during the skill could put the student at risk, the student must be directed toward a more basic skill, or be permitted to select a role within the activity at their comfort level, including the choice to not participate.
  • Prior to participation, the teacher must reference and apply their school board's policy on equity and inclusion as it affects student participation and makes appropriate accommodations/modifications to provide a safe learning environment. Consult the Intent subsection within the About section.
  • Adequate liquid replacement (personal water bottles, water fountains) must be accessible for students before, during, and after physical activity to prevent dehydration.
  • Establish and communicate to students a designated area away from the field of play, where non-active players can wait, to avoid interfering/colliding with players on the field.
  • Establish and communicate to students a designated area where batter can make an uninterrupted swing and avoid hitting other players (for example wicketkeepers, fielders, student umpires).
  • When the activity involves a student swinging a bat, during instruction or in a game situation (indoors or outdoors) establish a designated area where the batter can make an uninterrupted swing and avoid hitting other students. If students (for example, wicket keepers) need to enter this designated area during the activity, face protection must be worn (for example, mask or helmet and mask that protects the face from the ball).

If playing indoors:

  • Games should focus on hitting skills and placement of the ball and not hitting for distance.
  • Safety modification may include establishing a height limit on the walls which the ball must stay below (for example, the height of the basketball net, a line 3 metres from the floor that goes around the gymnasium). If the ball hits above the height limit the batter is out.
Supervision
  • All activities must be supervised.
  • On-site supervision is required.
  • The level of supervision must be commensurate with the inherent risk of the activity. The level of risk is related to the number of participants, the skill level of the participants, the type of equipment used, and environmental conditions.
  • A volunteer could assist in the supervision of physical education activities. Examples of volunteers are educational assistants, retired teachers, co-op students, parents/guardians, early childhood educators, and teacher candidates. Refer to your school board’s policy regarding volunteers. These volunteers must be accompanied by a supervisor.
First Aid
  • A working communication device (for example, cell phone) must be accessible.
  • Follow the school's first aid emergency response (consult First Aid Plan and First Aid Emergency Response) and the school board’s concussion protocol (consult Concussions).
  • An emergency action plan and response to deal with evacuations and lock downs must be followed and communicated to students.
Definitions
  • In-charge Person:
    • Some activities refer to an “In-Charge” person. While the teacher is in-charge and responsible for the overall safety and well-being of students under their care, sometimes there are other personnel who must be identified as “In-Charge” related to specific situations (for example, a pool lifeguard). In activities where an “In-Charge” person is designated, that person, in consultation with the teacher, must make final decisions regarding safety of the students
  • Supervision:
    • The vigilant overseeing of an activity for regulation or direction. Activities, facilities, and equipment have inherent risks, but the more effectively they are supervised, the safer they become.
    • The Ontario Physical Activity Safety Standards in Education designate three categories of supervision, Constant visual supervision, On-site supervision, and In-the-area supervision. The categories take into consideration the risk level of the activity, the participants’ skill level and the participants’ maturity. The three levels of supervision described are not hierarchical but represent the type of supervision that an activity requires and the type of supervision that is inherently possible.
  • Supervisor:
    • A supervisor is defined as a teacher, vice-principal or principal with a current certification from the Ontario College of Teachers and under contract by the school/school board. The supervisor is legally responsible for the students.
  • Types of Supervision:
    • Constant Visual Supervision:
      • Constant visual supervision means that the teacher is physically present, watching the activity in question. Only one activity requiring “Constant visual” supervision may take place while other activities are going on.
      • Curricular example: During a track and field session, some students are involved in high jump, some are practising relay passing on the track while a third group is distance running around the school. For high jump, the teacher is at the high jump area and is observing the activity.
      • Intramural example: During a school outdoor special events day, some students are involved in parachute games, some in relay games, and others in a team scavenger hunt around the school. For parachute, the intramural supervisor is at the event and is observing activity.
    • In-the-area Supervision:
      • In-the-area supervision means that the teacher could be in the gymnasium while another activity is taking place in an area adjacent to the gymnasium. In-the-area supervision requires the teacher to be readily accessible.
      • In-the-area supervision occurs:
        • in activities in which students may be out of sight for periods of time and the location of the teacher is not nearby (for example, alpine skiing, cross-country running). At least one of the following criteria must be in place:
          • The teacher is circulating
          • The location of teacher has been communicated to students and volunteers
        • in single activities and those that may be combined (for example, other in- the- area activities such as badminton, table tennis, handball – wall) with the following criteria in place:
          • The teacher must be circulating between the activities and readily accessible
          • The teacher informs students of the location of the activities
      • Curricular example: During a track and field session, some students are involved in high jump, some are practising relay passing on the track while a third group is distance running around the school. For distance running, the students are running around the school and at times may be out of sight.
      • Intramural example: During a school outdoor special events day, some students are involved in parachute games, some in relay games, and others in a team scavenger hunt around the school. For a scavenger hunt, the students are running around the school grounds and at times may be out of sight.
    • On-site Supervision:
      • On-site supervision entails teacher presence but not necessarily constantly viewing one specific activity. Momentary presence in adjoining rooms (for example, equipment room) to the gym is considered part of “on-site supervision”.
      • Curricular example: During a track and field session, some students are involved in high jump, some are practising relay passing on the track while a third group is distance running around the school. For a relay, the students are practising on the track and can be seen by the teacher who is with the high jumpers.
      • Intramural example: During a school outdoor special events day, some students are involved in parachute games, some in relay games, and others in a team scavenger hunt around the school. For relay games, the students are participating on the playground and can be seen by the intramural supervisor.