WPL 2024: Impact Player, Overseas Slot Limit, Boundary Length & More – Are There Any Changes To The Rules?

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The second edition of the Women's Premier League - WPL 2024 is scheduled to start on Friday (February 23) with five teams battling for the coveted title across two venues in Bengaluru and Delhi.

A women's edition of a premium T20 tournament in India finally made it's debut last year, when Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals in the final to clinch the inaugural WPL title. Now, the two sides will rematch in the season 2 opener in Bengaluru.

While the action in 2024 kicks off at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, the second phase of the league stage and the playoffs will be staged at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

With the tournament all set to start, here is a look at what's changed from last season like personnel changes, and what remains the same from the previous edition like rules and playing conditions.

The regular rules of a normal T20 like 11 players a side, 20 overs each, number of powerplay overs all remain the same, there are few alterations like field restrictions, boundary length and more which make it even more tougher for fielding teams.

Also, like in the IPL, the overseas rule remains the same as does the strategic timeout. But, a team can field an extra player in the overseas slot. Now let's take a look at some of the important WPL 2024 rules and playing conditions in the Women's T20 game.

Any changes to the coaching personnel in WPL 2024?

UP Warriorz has roped in Abhay Sharma as a fielding coach, while Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Giants have a new head coach in Luke Williams and Michael Klinger respectively.

How many players can feature in a WPL match? Is there Impact Player in WPL?

11 players can feature on each side of a WPL like every other cricket match. Unlike the IPL, there is no Impact Player rule available in Women's Premier League. So, no different team sheets or picking playing 11 after toss.

How many overseas players are allowed in each playing 11 in WPL?

The overseas players limit is four. However, there is an exception for an Associate Nation player to be allowed to play as the fifth overseas player. This season, only Gujarat Giants have an associate player in their squad.

How many teams qualify for WPL 2024 Playoffs?

Three teams will enter the WPL playoffs - the eliminator and the final, which will both be staged at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on March 15 and March 17.

How does the WPL playoff work?

Like last season, the top three teams at the end of the league stage will enter the playoffs with the table-topper earning a direct entry into the WPL final, where they will face the winner of the Eliminator, which will be played by the second and third placed teams.

How are the points distributed in WPL league stage?

Like a regular T20 league, meaning a traditional points system will be used in WPL. Each win is awarded 2 points, while a No Result sees the points split between the two teams. The loser gets zero points.

What happens in case the match ends in a tie after both teams complete the allotted overs?

If there is a tie, super over is used to determine the winner until one is found. If it's not possible to play or complete the super over, the match will be tied and both teams will be awarded one point each.

How about the super over rule in the playoffs?

If the Super Over is not possible in the eliminator or the final, then the winner will be decided based on their position in the points table after the league stage.

How many overs per side and per bowler?

Each team is allotted 20 overs each. But the number of overs could reduce owing to weather or any other circumstances. If the overs are reduced, then the DLS calculation comes to play.

How many overs need to be completed to determine a result?

A minimum of 5 overs is required from both sides to decide the winner. If 5 overs is not completed by both teams, then the points are shared if there is no further play during the league stage.

How long does the powerplay last in WPL?

Like in every 20 over game, the powerplay is on from overs 1 to 6. They may vary if there is reduction of overs in the match due to rain or any other circumstances.

In case of interruption leading to over reduction, what will be the number of powerplay overs?

Unlike the men's game, the inner ring and field restrictions are different in the women's edition, but what is the change?

The 30 yard circle is only 25.15 yards (23 meters) in the women's game. And the field restrictions inside powerplay remains 2 outside the ring, while the restrictions after the powerplay is only four players are allowed outside the 25.15 yards compared to the five allowed in the men's edition.

Is there a change to the boundary length as well?

Yes, like the 30 yard circle is reduced to 25 yards, the boundary length as per ICC states, no boundary shall be longer than 65 yards (59.43 meters), and no boundary should be shorter than 55 yards (50.29 metres) from the centre of the pitch to be used.

Is there DRS in WPL?

Yes, each team will be allowed two unsuccessful reviews each in each innings. So, Team A and Team B will have two reviews when fielding and two when batting. The TV umpire will be allowed to use UltraEdge and HawkEye technologies for edge detection and ball-tracking.

Can DRS be used to challenge calls for wides and no balls in WPL?

Yes, technology can be used to challenge an on-field wide or no ball during the Women's Premier League in addition to the regular LBW and caught-behind dismissals in the game.

Is there strategic time out in the WPL?

Yes, each innings has two strategic time outs. The strategic time out windows are overs 6-9 and 13-16. The fielding team uses the powerplay first window and then the batting team.