In modern cricket, an over consists of 6 legal balls.

Quick answer

  • A standard over = 6 legal deliveries.
  • This is the rule in Tests, ODIs and T20s worldwide.
  • No‑balls and wides do not count in those six, so an over can contain more than 6 actual deliveries, but it is still called a six‑ball over.

A bit of history

  • Earlier in cricket’s history, different countries sometimes used 4, 5 or 8 balls per over.
  • Australia, for example, used 8‑ball overs in domestic cricket until around the 1979–80 season, after which six‑ball overs became the uniform international standard.

What “legal balls” means

  • Only fair deliveries (not called wide or no‑ball) are counted in the 6 balls of the over.
  • When a bowler sends down a wide or no‑ball, that delivery must be rebowled, so spectators may see 7, 8 or more balls in the over, but it is still defined as six legal balls.

Related quick facts

  • One Day Internationals are usually 50 overs per side, with each over being 6 legal balls.
  • T20 matches are 20 overs per side, again using the six‑ball over.

Meta description (SEO)

In cricket, a standard over consists of 6 legal balls, used in Tests, ODIs and T20s, with historical variations like 8‑ball overs now largely phased out.

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