The BCCI has tightened the Indian Premier League’s match-day rules by tightening movement and access for non-playing members during games. Under the updated playing conditions, the players who are sitting on the bench are not allowed to roam around the ground, and additional substitutes are also barred from entering the playing area unless they are part of the 16 names listed in the team sheet submitted for the match. The adjustment is being treated as a fresh addendum to the MPC framework that teams were already working under.
What the new IPL playing conditions change
While the precise motivation behind the latest update has not been officially spelled out, recent communications from the BCCI and IPL management to team officials have laid out clearer restrictions—particularly around who can come onto the field and what they can carry.
- Substitute players who are not included in the designated 16 for a match are not permitted to enter the field.
- Those outside the named group cannot step onto the ground with drinks, bats, or to pass messages during play.
- Movement near the boundary rope is limited to a maximum of five players wearing bibs.
- The five allowed to move can be drawn either from the 16 listed for the match or from the wider squad, but the number active at any given time must not exceed five.
- Players who are not among those permitted to move are expected to remain in the dugout and not travel between the boundary line and the LED advertising boards.
How teams are expected to operate during matches
Team sources indicated that the instructions were circulated to managements only recently, and that they specifically target the behaviour of substitutes and the carrying of matchday items onto the field. In practice, the rule impacts common roles seen during matches—such as bringing drinks to players or retrieving balls that reach the boundary—because only the permitted group can perform those functions.
Multiple team sources described the message in these terms:
- Teams were told that all substitutes will not be allowed to move around during the course of the match.
- Substitutes are also not allowed to carry drinks onto the field.
- Only the 16 players named in the match team sheet may carry out that kind of on-field delivery.
- Beyond that, only five players outside the playing XI can move in the restricted boundary area at any given time.
- Any other squad members must stay seated in the dugout and cannot move between the boundary edge and the area by the LED advertising panels.
Which existing clauses the BCCI has tightened
The new decision is framed as a tightening of relevant parts of the previously shared match playing conditions, specifically clauses 11.5.2 and 24.1.4.
Clause 11.5.2: Drinks on the field
Clause 11.5.2 states that a player may receive a drink either at the boundary edge or when a wicket falls, as long as no time is wasted. It also clarifies that no other drinks may be brought onto the field without umpire permission, and that any player carrying drinks onto the ground must be in proper cricket attire (with reference to the note about bibs).
Clause 24.1.4: Bib requirement for non-playing squad members
Clause 24.1.4 addresses squad members who are part of the batting or fielding team but not actually playing, and who are not functioning as substitute fielders. It requires such members to wear team training bibs while they are on the playing area—covering even the stretch between the boundary and the perimeter fencing.
In most IPL squads, teams carry up to 25 players, with 16 named for a given match in the team sheet. The latest ruling narrows how the rest of the squad can operate during the game, especially around entry to the field and movement near the boundary.
Where the IPL 2026 season stands
So far, 13 of the 74 matches in the IPL 2026 have been completed. The competition moves to its next game on Wednesday in Delhi, where Delhi Capitals will take on Gujarat Titans.
