Stoolball wickets, bats and balls are different from cricketing ones. Each of the pair of wickets consists of a board mounted on a stake, which is driven firmly into the ground. The board should be one foot square and of wood, or good strong cardboard. The stake should be a trifle below the top of the board which should be 4 ft. 8 ins. from the ground to the top. The bat is of wood, with an almost circular face and a short handle. The regulation bat should not be more than 71/2 ins. in diameter and is thicker in the center than at the edges. A small size tennis racquet will do in emergency. The proper ball for Stoolball is a "Best Tennis No. 3" but an ordinary tennis ball will do to begin with. With two of the wickets described, two bats and a ball the equipment is complete. The wickets are set up facing each other 20 yards apart.
The bowler, when play begins, stands between the two wickets, 10 yards from the one at which he is bowling - so that the bowling crease, which must not be more than a yard long, is 10 yards from either wicket. An over consists of eight balls bowled alternately to each wicket. The batting side sends in two players to bat, as in cricket, while the other side fields. As each player is "out" his place is taken by another member of his side who has not already batted. The bowler bowls underhand and must not throw or jerk; if he does so it is a "no ball" and counts a run. There are no "wides."
The batter is out when the ball bowled hits the wicket (not the stake); when he is caught; when, while running, the ball is so thrown as to hit the front face of the wicket; if he stops with his person a ball which otherwise when bowled would have hit the face of the wicket; or if he is run out - that is to say, if, when running, preparing to run or pretending to run, the ball is thrown in and strikes the wicket while he is at the moment in such a place between the wickets that he cannot touch his wicket with his bat.
The non-batter may also be run out if he cannot, with bat in hand, touch his wicket. Each batter must touch his wicket with the bat before taking each bowl and on completing each run. Both batters must run between the wickets. All other rules are in accordance with the laws of cricket. A Scorer and an Umpire for each wicket should be appointed.
