Editing Timed out (section)

==Current Law==
Law 40 of the ''[[Laws of Cricket]]'' provides that an incoming batter must be in position to receive the ball or for their partner to be ready to receive the next ball within a given amount of time of the fall of the previous [[wicket]] or the previous batsman [[Retired (cricket)|retiring]]. If not, the incoming batter will be given out, timed out, on [[appeal (cricket)|appeal]].<ref name="Law 40">{{cite web |url=https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/timed-out |title=Law 40 – Timed Out |publisher=[[Marylebone Cricket Club]] |accessdate=8 November 2023}}</ref>

The amount of time given for the incoming batter to be ready varies depending on the match playing conditions.  The default period of time defined in Law 40 is 3 minutes,<ref name="Law 40" /> but this is amended to 2 minutes for [[Test cricket]] and [[one day international]] cricket.<ref name="ICC Test Match Playing Conditions">{{cite web |url=https://resources.pulse.icc-cricket.com/ICC/document/2023/05/29/34ab2c5c-0f8b-439c-9cb9-08089227babc/Mens-Standard-Test-June-2023.pdf |title=Men's Standard Test Match Playing Conditions |date=June 2023 |publisher=[[International Cricket Council]] |page=55 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107225710/https://resources.pulse.icc-cricket.com/ICC/document/2023/05/29/34ab2c5c-0f8b-439c-9cb9-08089227babc/Mens-Standard-Test-June-2023.pdf |archive-date=7 November 2023}}</ref><ref name="ICC ODI Playing Conditions">{{cite web |url=https://resources.pulse.icc-cricket.com/ICC/document/2023/05/29/a0af0dea-cd10-43a9-a50c-c09f88e6bbcf/Men-s-ODI-June-2023-Clean.pdf |title=ICC Men's Standard ODI Playing Conditions |date=June 2023 |publisher=[[International Cricket Council]] |page=52 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107230409/https://resources.pulse.icc-cricket.com/ICC/document/2023/05/29/a0af0dea-cd10-43a9-a50c-c09f88e6bbcf/Men-s-ODI-June-2023-Clean.pdf |archive-date=7 November 2023}}</ref> [[Twenty20 International|Twenty20]] cricket shortens the period of time even further to 90 seconds, and an on-field [[Dugout (cricket)|dugout]] is often provided in this format (in a similar manner to some other team sports such as association football and rugby) to enable incoming batters to make their way to the wicket immediately when a wicket falls to avoid being timed out.<ref name="ICC Twenty20 Playing Conditions">{{cite web |url=https://resources.pulse.icc-cricket.com/ICC/document/2023/05/29/f107f3dc-4c8f-44d1-936b-5180806e5354/ICC-Men-s-T20I-Playing-Conditions-June-2023-Clean.pdf |title=ICC Men's Twenty20 International Playing Conditions |date=June 2023 |publisher=[[International Cricket Council]] |page=50 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107230709/https://resources.pulse.icc-cricket.com/ICC/document/2023/05/29/f107f3dc-4c8f-44d1-936b-5180806e5354/ICC-Men-s-T20I-Playing-Conditions-June-2023-Clean.pdf |archive-date=7 November 2023}}</ref> The umpires cannot rule on any appeal for timed out until someone takes the field of play.

The "incoming batter" may be any batter who has not yet batted. There is no prescribed batting order in cricket, i.e. the team does not have to come out to bat in any specific order even if one has been published. Until one batter has set foot on the field the batting captain may pick any player who has not yet batted who, when they appear on the field, may then be given out on appeal.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120206223045/http://www.lords.org/data/files/law_31_qanda-9679.pdf MCC Answers to Questions on Law 31]</ref> Knowing that a better batter will shortly be able to take the field, the captain can therefore sacrifice onto the field
their worst remaining batter (colloquially the "No. 11") or one who is present injured, even one who previously retired hurt.

Whether or not an appeal for timed out is made, if the delay in which no batter comes to the wicket extends beyond the prescribed minutes, an "extended delay" is judged and the umpires follow the procedure in Law 16.3 with a view to [[Result (cricket)#Awarded|award the match]] to the opposing team.<ref name="Law 40" /> They will discuss the situation together, make contact with the Captain of the team who are refusing to play and can award the game to the bowling side.<ref name="Law 16">{{cite web |url=https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/the-result |title=Law 16 – The Result |publisher=[[Marylebone Cricket Club]] |accessdate=8 November 2023}}</ref>

If no remaining not out players are able to take the field (e.g. through absence, injury or illness, or suspension or ejection as a result of a players' conduct offence) then none is given out ''timed out''; instead the innings is to be considered as [[end of an innings|completed]] and "absent ill/injured/hurt" (or [[Retired (cricket)|retired]] in the event of a players' conduct offence) is noted next to all remaining players' names as appropriate.<ref name="Law 13">{{cite web |url=https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/innings |title=Law 13 – Innings |publisher=[[Marylebone Cricket Club]] |accessdate=8 November 2023}}</ref><ref name="Law 42">{{cite web |url=https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket/players-conduct |title=Law 42 – Players' Conduct |publisher=[[Marylebone Cricket Club]] |accessdate=8 November 2023}}</ref>