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Clear, accurate sports explainers, records, rankings and how-to guides for cricket, football, tennis and more.
What Is a Powerplay in Cricket? ODI, T20 & The Rules Explained
A powerplay is a fixed set of overs where the fielding side may keep only two fielders outside the 30-yard circle. Here are the exact ODI, T20 and T20I rules.
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Cricket guides
View all →Conventional vs Reverse Swing in Cricket: The Difference
Conventional swing moves the new ball toward the shine; reverse swing makes an old ball curve the opposite way at pace. Here's what separates them.
C.K. Nayudu: India's First Test Cricket Captain
C.K. Nayudu captained India in its first-ever Test match in 1932 and became the first cricketer to receive the Padma Bhushan. Here is the story of the man they called a tiger on the field.
What Is DRS in Cricket? Decision Review System Explained
DRS lets teams challenge an umpire's decision using ball-tracking, edge detection, and Hot Spot. Here's how reviews work, how many each side gets, and what umpire's call means.
What Is a Googly in Cricket?
A googly is a leg-spinner's disguised delivery that turns the opposite way to a leg break, spinning into a right-hander. Here's how it's bowled and why it deceives batters.
The Impact Player Rule in Cricket, Explained
The Impact Player rule lets a T20 team swap in one substitute mid-match to bat or bowl. Popularised by the IPL, here's how it works, when a sub can come in, and its effect.
What Is LBW in Cricket? Leg Before Wicket Explained
LBW means the ball would have hit the stumps but struck the batter's pad first. Here are the exact conditions umpires check, and how DRS ball-tracking decides close calls.
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What Is the Away Goals Rule in Football? How It Worked
The away goals rule broke ties in two-legged ties by counting goals scored away from home as extra weight. Here's how it worked and why UEFA scrapped it.
What Is a Brace in Football? Meaning and Origin
A brace in football means two goals scored by the same player in a single match. Here's where the term comes from and how it differs from a hat-trick.
What Is a Clean Sheet in Football? Meaning Explained
A clean sheet means a team finishes a match without conceding a goal. Here's what it means for goalkeepers and defenders, and how it's recorded.
Conventional vs Reverse Swing in Cricket: The Difference
Conventional swing moves the new ball toward the shine; reverse swing makes an old ball curve the opposite way at pace. Here's what separates them.
Fault vs Double Fault in Tennis: What's the Difference?
A fault is one missed serve; a double fault is two in a row, which hands the point to your opponent. Here's exactly how serving faults work.
What Is a First Down in Football? The 10-Yard Rule Explained
A first down gives the offense four attempts to move the ball 10 yards. Gain the 10 and you earn a fresh set of downs. Here's how the core rule works.
What Is a Hail Mary in Football? The Desperation Pass
A Hail Mary is a long, low-percentage pass thrown toward the end zone as time runs out, hoping a receiver comes down with it. Here's how the play works.
What Is the Kitchen in Pickleball? The Non-Volley Zone Rule
The kitchen is pickleball's 7-foot non-volley zone at the net where you can't hit the ball out of the air. Here's the rule and the faults that catch beginners.
What Is a Let in Tennis? Rules and When It's Replayed
A let in tennis means a point is replayed with no penalty, most often when a serve clips the net and lands in. Here's every situation that triggers a let.