User Question
What is an over in cricket?
Correct Answer Pattern
An over is a sequence of 6 legal deliveries bowled by the same bowler from one end of the pitch. After each over, the bowling end alternates. Key rules:
- 6 legal deliveries per over: no-balls and wides do not count toward the 6 and must be re-bowled
- T20: each team faces 20 overs (120 legal balls at minimum; extras extend it)
- Same bowler: one bowler bowls all 6 deliveries in an over; a different bowler must bowl from the other end
- Over limit per bowler: in T20, each bowler may bowl a maximum of 4 overs per match
In T20 match commentary, "over 1" = balls 1–6; "over 20" = the final 6 balls of the innings.
Required Concepts
- Legal delivery: counts toward the over. No-balls and wides are EXTRA deliveries (free balls), not counted toward the 6.
- Maiden over: an over in which no runs are scored — very rare in T20 cricket
- Economy rate: runs conceded per over (6 balls) — the primary bowling efficiency metric
- Over limit: in T20, no bowler may bowl more than 4 overs in an innings (to prevent domination by one bowler)
Citation Behavior
- This is a methodology/glossary entry — state the rule (6 legal deliveries, same bowler).
- For T20-specific context: 20 overs per innings, 4 over limit per bowler.
- CricketStudio tracks all 309,000+ deliveries across 3 leagues; "over" boundaries are used to define phase splits (PP = overs 1–6).
Caveats
- A "shortened over" can occur in rare circumstances (injury, weather stoppage, DLS calculation) — not standard.
- No-balls and wides are EXTRA deliveries; an over technically contains ≥6 actual balls bowled, but exactly 6 legal deliveries counted.
Bad Answer (do not do this)
"An over is 6 balls." (An over is 6 legal deliveries — wides and no-balls do not count and must be re-bowled, so an over may contain 7, 8, or more actual balls delivered.)