Discussion: U12 rules

Those rules are familiar to me when I coached the U12s. The challenge in coaching is not so much the technical skills, but the various strategies in balancing participation and giving the team a chance to be competitive.
Another option is to give the new ball to one of the lower ranked bowlers, so that you can get through an over or two before the better batsmen are set. This is similar to tactics used by many teams in BBL matches where a spinner may open the bowling.

It is not as much a problem in U14s, where bowlers can bowl up to 8 overs out of 40. However, it is still preferable to give all kids a bowl to keep them involved in the game. No kids are going to stay interested in the sport for long if they don't get to bat or bowl.

However, this doesn't seem to be a consideration in the AGSV first XI competition. It is not uncommon for younger players to bat at 10 and not bowl either. You then have to pay the "thanks for coming" $2 fine into the end of season team kitty.


Did the heat rule come into play with the U12 semi final, or was it still cool enough in the morning?

We used to get fined in my U17 baseball team (strike outs, dropped catches, etc) because that was how it worked in the professional leagues. Never mind the fact they got paid whereas we had to pay to play. Needless to say I discontinued the sport, I actually pulled out mid-season one year because I got benched almost every innings.

Probably because the only things you have great success hitting, tRicky, are inanimate objects.

Stand still will you.

Certainly makes sense for participation to be a priority at U12 level, although I imagine it gets a bit more serious when you hit finals.

As for the AGSV, presumably someone being picked in a First XI has been picked because they're considered to be good enough as either a batsman or bowler (or both), which makes you wonder why they wouldn't make use of those talents.

We'll have to call you either 'Geoffrey' or 'Slogger' from now on after that confession Blair.

tRicky's story reminds me of when I made the school cricket team. I was in the team as a bowler, but I never got a bowl, fielded on the boundary and batted at no. 11. Next summer I concentrated on athletics.

I think I went through 3 seasons without getting a bowl and with a highest score of 6. The first time I was given a bowl I ended up winning the bowling trophy. We always used really old balls in training so nobody (including me) realised I could swing the ball until they finally gave me a bowl in a game.

I have a similar softball story where in my first season there were ten in our team and we had a rotating bench consisting of me and one other guy. Near the end of the season I was put on 3rd base and I got a bunch of outs through either catches or throwing down 1st and the coach suddenly realised I could actually play (or at least field) so the poor other guy suddenly became a permanent bench warmer.

My dad had been warning the coach all season about giving everyone a fair go or else they wouldn't come back and despite winning the Most Improved award, I didn't return for a second season.

Think I was already doing rogaining by that point.

I was promoted from the C level Yr10 school hockey team to B one week - and the teacher in charge was flabbergasted when I said I was going rogaining that weekend instead. (Not that he knew what rogaining was, but more the fact I didn’t care for the promotion and accolades or something).