War of CricketICC Code of Conduct for Umpires
Cricket has two ICC Codes of Conduct, not one. This page covers the Code of Conduct for Match Officials and Match Official Support Personnel, effective since 1 November 2016 — the rulebook governing umpires' and referees' own behaviour. It is distinct from the better-known code that umpires enforce against players, which does not itself bind the officials.
Who officiates, and under what structure
International matches are run by on-field umpires, a third umpire with access to television replays, and (for Tests) a fourth umpire who manages the match balls and drinks. A match referee, drawn from the ICC's Elite Panel of Referees, oversees the fixture and enforces the players' Code of Conduct rather than making decisions that affect the result. Umpires themselves are drawn from three tiers: the Elite Panel of Umpires, who officiate most Test cricket as neutrals; the larger International Panel of Umpires, whose members typically take the third or fourth umpire roles in Tests and stand in bilateral ODIs and T20Is; and the Development Panel, which feeds emerging umpires into the system.
Four levels of offence
The Code of Conduct for Match Officials sets out four escalating levels of offence, mirroring the structure used for players. Article 2 defines them broadly enough to cover conduct on or off the field of play on the day of an International Match.
| Level | Typical conduct covered |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Conduct contrary to the spirit of the game or that brings cricket into disrepute; public criticism of a match, player or colleague (including on social media); obscene, offensive or insulting language or gestures; breaches of the Match Officials' Dress Code. |
| Level 2 | Serious versions of the Level 1 conduct — serious public criticism, seriously offensive language or gestures towards a player, official or spectator. |
| Level 3 | Very serious conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game or brings it into disrepute; threatening assault against a player, official or spectator. |
| Level 4 | Overwhelmingly serious conduct; physical assault of a player, official or spectator; use or distribution of illegal drugs, including recreational drugs, in or out of competition. |
A separate offence covers betting: match officials, like players, are bound by the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code for Participants, which prohibits any involvement in betting on cricket. That is a distinct code with its own disciplinary process, not part of the Code of Conduct itself.
Sanctions
Where a Judicial Commissioner finds a Match Official or Match Official Support Personnel guilty of an offence, Article 7 sets the permissible range of sanctions by level.
| Level | Permissible sanction |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Warning or reprimand, and/or a fine of up to US$2,000. |
| Level 2 | Fine of up to US$5,000 and/or suspension of up to two matches. |
| Level 3 | Suspension of up to three months. |
| Level 4 | Suspension of up to a lifetime. |
A suspended official cannot officiate or take part in any capacity in any match sanctioned by the ICC or a national board during the ban, and payments owed under any ICC or board contract are withheld for its duration. The Judicial Commissioner has no power to alter the result of a match as part of a sanction; the Code exists to police conduct, not outcomes.
What technology changed for umpires
The biggest change to on-field umpiring since this page was first written is not a conduct rule but a decision-making one: the Decision Review System. First trialled in a Test in 2008 and formally launched by the ICC in November 2009, DRS lets a fielding side or batter ask the third umpire to review a dismissal decision using ball-tracking, Ultra-Edge and video replay. The claim that players simply cannot question an umpire's decision no longer holds where DRS is in use — each side gets a limited number of unsuccessful reviews per innings, and the third umpire, not the crowd or the broadcaster, has the final say when a review is requested. Umpires retain sole authority over everything DRS does not cover: no-balls, wides, boundary calls not referred, and the conduct of the game itself.
Related regulations
The Code of Conduct sits alongside the playing conditions for men's Test matches and the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method as part of the ICC's wider regulatory framework, all overseen by the International Cricket Council.