Super Over rules explained
A Super Over is a tiebreaker used when a limited-overs match ends with both teams on the same score. Each team bats for one extra over, and the team that scores more wins.
The key points
- Each team faces one over of six legal balls.
- Each team picks three batters, so two wickets end its Super Over.
- If the Super Over is tied, another Super Over is played until there is a winner.
How a Super Over works
- The team that batted second in the match bats first in the Super Over.
- Each team names three batters and one bowler.
- The batting team faces six legal balls, or until it loses two wickets.
- The other team then bats, needing one more run than the first team's Super Over score.
- The team with more runs wins the match.
Other rules
- The fielding side chooses which end to bowl from.
- Normal fielding restrictions for the last overs usually apply.
- Teams typically get one DRS review each, where DRS is used.
- Runs from Super Overs do not count towards player career stats or net run rate.
What happens if the Super Over is tied?
Another Super Over is played, and this repeats until there is a winner. A bowler from the previous Super Over cannot bowl the next one. A batter dismissed in a previous Super Over cannot bat in the next one.
The boundary count rule
The 2019 men's World Cup final between England and New Zealand ended level after both the match and the Super Over. England won because they had hit more boundaries. The ICC scrapped the boundary count rule soon after, and replaced it with repeated Super Overs.
Where Super Overs are used
Super Overs are standard in T20 internationals and most T20 leagues. In ODIs they are mainly used in knockout matches and some tournaments. Otherwise, a tied ODI can stand as a tie. Test matches never use them.
Frequently asked questions
How many wickets do you get in a Super Over?
Each team has three batters, so the Super Over ends after two wickets fall.
Who bats first in a Super Over?
The team that batted second in the main match bats first in the Super Over.
What happens if a Super Over is tied?
Another Super Over is played, and this repeats until one team wins.
Can the same bowler bowl two Super Overs?
No. A bowler who bowled in the previous Super Over cannot bowl the next one.