Gully Cricket Rules: The Complete Guide to Street Cricket in India (2026)

Gully cricket is the most played form of cricket in India — and it has almost no written rules. Every colony, every street, every parking lot has its own variations, and half the fun is the argument over whether that catch was out. But if you want a proper game without it descending into a shouting match, having agreed-upon rules before the toss makes everything smoother.

This guide documents the most common gully cricket rules used across India. Think of it as a starting template — every group adapts these to their own ground, and that is perfectly fine.

The Basics

Team Size

Gully cricket is flexible. Common team sizes:

Players Available	Recommended Format
4–6 total	2-a-side or 3-a-side
6–10 total	3-a-side to 5-a-side
10–14 total	5-a-side to 7-a-side
14–22 total	Full 11-a-side (rare for gully)

The most common format in Indian gully cricket is 5-a-side or 6-a-side with 5–10 overs per innings.

Equipment

• Ball: Tennis ball (standard), tape ball (tennis ball wrapped in electrical tape for swing), or rubber ball
• Bat: Popular willow, Kashmir willow, or tennis ball cricket bat
• Stumps: Actual stumps, stacked bricks, a bag, a dustbin, a drawn line on the wall — anything works
• Boundary: Walls, cars, trees, drawn lines, or "whatever you hit it past"

Core Rules

1. One Tip One Hand Out

The most iconic gully cricket rule. If the ball bounces once (one tip) before a fielder catches it with one hand, the batsman is out. This rule exists because gully cricket grounds are small and direct catches are too easy.

Variations:

• "Full catch two hands" — a direct catch (no bounce) requires two hands
• "One tip one hand, no up" — the ball must stay below shoulder height after the bounce
• "No tip catch" — only direct catches count (stricter rule, less common)

2. Boundary Rules

Since gully cricket grounds are irregular, boundaries need to be agreed before the game:

Hit Lands	Common Ruling
Over the wall on full	6 runs
Over the wall on bounce	4 runs (some groups say 6)
Into the neighbour's compound	6 + you retrieve the ball (or you're out)
Hits a car/bike	Dead ball (usually)
Hits a tree on full	4 or 6 depending on tree location
Rolls past the agreed boundary	4 runs
Ball is lost	6 + batting team provides a new ball, or batsman is out

The "ball lost = out" rule is common in areas where tennis balls are expensive or hard to retrieve.

3. LBW (Leg Before Wicket)

LBW in gully cricket is the most disputed topic in Indian cricket history. Common approaches:

• No LBW — the most common rule. Simplifies the game and eliminates arguments. If it hits the pad, play on.
• LBW on full only — you can only be given out LBW if the ball would have hit the stumps without pitching. Reduces disputes.
• Full LBW rules — rarely used in gully cricket because there is no neutral umpire. Invites chaos.

Our recommendation: No LBW unless you have a neutral umpire that both teams trust. Save yourself the fights.

4. Bowling Rules

Rule	Common Version
Bowling style	Both pace and spin allowed; underarm usually not allowed
No-balls	Bowling above shoulder height = no-ball + free hit
Wides	Usually generous — only called if completely unreachable
Run-up	Short run-up (5–7 steps max due to space)
Overarm required	Yes — underarm bowling is considered unsporting
Bowling changes	Minimum 1 over per spell; max overs per bowler agreed in advance

5. Running Between Wickets

Two main systems:

System 1: Running (traditional)

• Both batsmen run between wickets as in normal cricket
• Requires two sets of stumps
• More space needed

System 2: Tip-and-run / Non-stop cricket

• Batsman must run on every ball they hit
• If you hit it, you run — no choice
• Faster game, suited for small teams

6. Last Man Stands

When a team is reduced to its last batsman, the rule varies:

• Out immediately — last wicket = all out (harsh but simple)
• Last man bats with the bowler as runner — the bowler's end batsman just turns and runs
• Last man continues alone — can bat but cannot take singles (boundaries only)
• Last man gets X balls — gets a fixed number of balls (usually 6) to score what they can

"Last man stands" with a runner at the other end is the most common in India.

7. Retirement Rules

Some groups use these to keep the game fair:

• Retire at 25 — batsman must retire after scoring 25 runs (or 30, 50 depending on overs)
• Retire and return — retired batsman can come back after everyone else has batted
• No retirement — bat as long as you can

Retirement rules prevent one good batsman from hogging the entire innings when teams are small.

Common Disputes and How to Settle Them

"Was that a wide?"

Solution: Before the game, agree that wides are only called if the ball passes more than one bat-width outside off stump or down the leg side. Keep it simple.

"That was a no-ball!"

Solution: Mark a bowling crease with chalk or a stick. Any delivery bowled from beyond the crease is a no-ball. No arguments.

"I wasn't ready!"

Solution: The batsman must tap the crease with their bat when ready. Until they tap, the ball is dead. This is actually a real cricket rule too.

"That bounced before the catch!"

Solution: This is why you agree on one-tip-one-hand rules before the game. If you did, the catch is out either way.

"The ball hit the tree / car / dog"

Solution: Declare these objects as "dead ball" zones before the toss. Ball hits them = dead ball, replay.

Score Keeping

Use our Gully Cricket Scorer for easy digital score tracking on your phone. It handles overs, wickets, run tracking, and basic stats without needing pen and paper.

For manual scoring, one person from the fielding team keeps score. Track:

• Runs per ball (or per over if you want simpler tracking)
• Wickets and how each batsman got out
• Running team total
• Overs bowled

How to Set Up a Gully Cricket Match

1. Find a ground — parking lots, school grounds, beaches, parks, open plots
2. Agree on teams — coin toss, pick alternate, or "bade bhaiya" decides
3. Set boundaries — walk the ground and agree on every wall, tree, car, and obstacle
4. Agree on rules — LBW or not, one-tip-one-hand, retirement, wides
5. Overs and team size — 5 overs per side for quick games, 10 for longer ones
6. Toss — winner chooses to bat or bowl
7. Play — and sort out any remaining disputes loudly and passionately, as is tradition

Organizing a Colony Tournament

Want to organize a proper tournament in your colony or apartment complex? Here is a quick format:

• 8 teams works best — 3 rounds to a winner (QF, SF, Final)
• 5-a-side, 5 overs per innings keeps games under 45 minutes
• Round-robin groups of 4, top 2 advance to semis
• Entry fee of ₹100–200 per team funds the trophy and tennis balls
• Neutral umpire from the next team to play — reduces bias

Check our guide on how to organize a cricket tournament for detailed planning tips.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an official gully cricket rulebook? No — and that is the beauty of it. Gully cricket rules are decided by the players before each match. This guide covers the most common rules used across India, but your colony's rules are just as valid.

Can girls play gully cricket? Absolutely. There is no rule that says otherwise, and many of India's best women cricketers started in gully cricket. If someone says girls cannot play, find a better gully.

What if the ball breaks a window? Chip in as a group to pay for it. Then move the boundary line so it does not happen again. This is an unwritten but universally observed rule of gully cricket.

Tennis ball or tape ball? Tennis ball is easier and safer. Tape ball (tennis ball wrapped in electrical tape) swings dramatically and adds a skill element. Tape ball is more popular in Pakistan but gaining traction in India too.

How do you handle rain in gully cricket? No DLS method needed. If it rains, you wait. If the ground is wet, you play carefully. If it is pouring, you go home and come back tomorrow. The simplicity is the point.