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Revealing the rules of 'throwing' in cricket: What are the invisible traps?
In cricket, chucking (or "chucking") is a prohibited bowling action, primarily because the bowler straightens his arm when delivering the ball. When the referee believes that the ball was thrown, it will be declared a legal violation and ruled as "illegal". With biomechanical testing showing that all bowlers' arms bend to some degree, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has made changes to the rules and it is now standard for bowlers in all international matches to bend the ball before releasing it. Elbow straightness must be limited to 15 degrees. This provision is intended to allow the bowler to naturally bend his elbow during the course of his legal delivery.
Hurling is considered one of the most serious charges against a bowler because once a bowler's action is judged to be illegal, steps must be taken to correct the behavior or risk being expelled from the sport.
Rules Overview
According to Article 21(2) of the Cricket Code, a legal delivery with respect to the arm is defined as follows: During the delivery, once the bowler's arm reaches shoulder height, from that moment until the ball is released, , the elbow joint should not be fully or partially straightened.
Historical background of throwing
Prior to the development of advanced biomechanics and audio-visual technology, on-field umpires could only rely on visual judgment to determine whether a pitch was illegal. The ban on throwing has changed little since the legalization of over-arm pitching in 1864. In the 19th century, pitchers such as Tom Wills were controversial and criticized for their throwing behavior. He was suspended for throwing. Subsequently, as time went on, more and more pitchers were questioned about their movements, which exposed the design flaws in the disciplined monitoring of pitching movements at that time.
Biomechanics and throwing regulations changes
Testing in the 1990s showed that nearly all bowlers naturally flex and straighten their arms during the pitching process. This led the ICC to review the definition and procedures regarding illegal movements and increase the tolerance for elbow straightness to 15 degrees.
The decision was based on a detailed biomechanical analysis of 130 fastball and spinner pitchers, which showed that normal pitching behavior rarely involves complete elbow extension.
The process of reporting a pitcher
If the referee discovers that a bowler has violated relevant rules, a detailed match report will be provided after the game and then submitted to the ICC for processing. An independent assessment panel will analyze the bowler's actions, and if they are judged to be illegal, the bowler must immediately stop all international matches until his behavior is corrected.
Intentional throwing situations
Although today's bowlers are mostly reported for suspicious actions, the referee still has the right to stop the ball on the spot for intentional throwing when necessary. This means that the bowler's actions may still be considered a violation in certain circumstances.
End
In recent years, as more technology has been invested in monitoring and examining pitching behavior, the definition and monitoring standards of pitching have continued to improve. But even so, this "invisible trap" in cricket still confuses many players and fans. In such a rapidly changing sport, how do you protect the game while ensuring that the principles of fair play are maintained?
