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Super Over Rules: How Tied ODIs and T20Is Are Decided

The ICC's October 2026 Super Over procedure: six balls, two wickets, who bats first, reviews and the ball, repeat Super Overs, and the end of count-back.

By Published 4 min read

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Key takeaways

  • In ICC ODIs and T20Is, a tie after both innings goes to a Super Over: each side faces one six-ball over, or until it loses two wickets.
  • The side that batted second in the match bats first in the Super Over, and the side with more runs wins; wickets lost do not matter.
  • If the Super Over is tied, more Super Overs follow until there is a winner, with the batting order reversed each time.
  • Batters dismissed and bowlers used in one Super Over cannot bat or bowl in the next.
  • The boundary count-back that decided the 2019 World Cup final was replaced by repeat Super Overs in October 2019.

When a one-day or T20 international finishes with the scores level, the ICC's playing conditions do not settle for a tie. Under the October 2026 conditions, both formats send the teams to a Super Over: a one-over shootout. The procedure is set out in Appendix F of the ICC's T20I playing conditions, and the ODI conditions apply the same approach.

The basics

Rule Detail
Length Each team faces one over of six balls
Wickets Losing two wickets ends that team's over
Winner The team with more runs, regardless of wickets lost
Start Normally five minutes after the match ends
Batting order The team that batted second in the match bats first
Gap between the two overs Five minutes
Players Only players nominated for the match, including concussion replacements

Umpires stay at the same ends as at the end of the match, the Super Over uses the match pitch unless the umpires decide otherwise, and penalty time being served in the match carries forward.

Ball, end and field

The procedure fixes some details that matter on the night:

  • The ball. The fielding captain chooses a ball from the box of spares, which includes the balls used in the match but no new ones. The side fielding second may use the same ball or choose another from the box.
  • The end. The fielding side chooses which end to bowl from.
  • The field. The fielding restrictions are those for the last over of an uninterrupted match, so up to five fielders may be outside the circle; powerplays in cricket explains the circle.
  • Reviews. Each team gets one unsuccessful player review per innings in each Super Over, regardless of reviews used during the match; how DRS works covers what counts as unsuccessful.

When the Super Over is tied too

If both teams score the same in the Super Over, another is played, and the procedure allows an unlimited number until there is a winner. For each repeat:

  1. The team that batted second in the previous Super Over bats first.
  2. Each team keeps the ball it used before.
  3. The fielding side bowls from the opposite end to the one it used previously.
  4. Any batter dismissed in an earlier Super Over cannot bat again.
  5. Any bowler who bowled in the previous Super Over cannot bowl in the next.

Rules 4 and 5 make each repeat harder to plan: a captain who uses the best death bowler first may not have them for the next one.

When there is no time

Time is not unlimited in practice. The procedure allocates extra time: the greater of the time left before the match's latest permitted finish, or 20 minutes. If delays use it up, the Super Overs are abandoned and the match is declared a tie. Where unavoidable constraints, such as floodlights having to go off at a set time, rule out several Super Overs, the match referee can cap the number before the first one starts.

The appendix gives a worked case: a match due to finish at 10.20 pm with 60 minutes of extra time ends tied at 10.35 pm. The Super Over starts at 10.40 pm with 45 minutes available. An interruption from 10.50 to 11.00 pm leaves 35 minutes; if a second Super Over is then interrupted at 11.15 pm and play cannot resume within those 35 minutes, the match is a tie.

From bowl-outs to boundary count-back to repeats

Wikipedia traces the history. Super Overs were first used in T20 cricket in 2008, replacing the bowl-out. The 2019 Cricket World Cup final became the first ODI decided by one, and when England and New Zealand also tied the Super Over, England won on a boundary count-back. Wikipedia notes the ICC was criticised by many former cricketers and fans for that tie-breaker, and in October 2019 the ICC replaced it with repeated Super Overs.

A worked example

Team A batted second in the match, so it bats first and scores 15 for 1 off six balls. Team B needs 16 to win. It reaches 15 for 2 with one ball left: two wickets end its over, so it is all out on 15. The Super Over is tied, and a second one follows: Team B bats first this time, without its two dismissed batters, and Team A, without the batter it lost, and both sides must use different bowlers from the first Super Over.

Test versus ODI versus T20 explains why only white-ball formats need a tie-breaker, and how a Test match ends in a draw covers the multi-day alternative. Pressure moments like these are where cricket IQ counts; in Cricket Sport Career Simulator, one of our sports career games, it is one of the skills your cricketer develops.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

How does a Super Over work?
Each team faces one over of six balls, ending early if it loses two wickets. The team that scored more runs wins, regardless of wickets lost. Under the ICC's playing conditions it normally starts five minutes after the match ends.
Who bats first in a Super Over?
The team that batted second in the match. In any further Super Over, the order flips: the team that batted second in the previous Super Over bats first.
What happens if the Super Over is tied?
Another Super Over is played, and so on until there is a winner. Batters dismissed in a previous Super Over cannot bat again, and bowlers who bowled in it cannot bowl in the next. If the Super Overs cannot be completed, for example because time runs out, the match is a tie.
Can you use DRS in a Super Over?
Yes. Each team is allowed one unsuccessful player review per innings in each Super Over, whatever reviews it used during the match.

Sources

  1. ICC Men's T20I Playing Conditions, October 2026 (Appendix F: Super Over Procedure) (opens in a new tab)International Cricket Council — accessed
  2. ICC Men's ODI Playing Conditions, October 2026 (opens in a new tab)International Cricket Council — accessed
  3. Super Over (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed

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