Editing Fair and unfair play (section)

==Damaging the pitch==
The central portion of the pitch (5 feet from each [[popping crease]], and 1 foot either side of the line joining the centres of the two middle stumps) is designated a ''protected area'' (this is the area the ball will most often bounce in). The bowlers from the fielding side should not enter this area during the follow-through of their bowling action, nor should the batsman take guard within it or so close that they would frequently move into it. A bowler will get two warnings should they run into the protected area; should they encroach again, they will be suspended from bowling for the remainder of the innings. A batsman gets one warning and on subsequent transgressions incurs a 5 run penalty.

Each side must also avoid deliberate or avoidable damage to the whole of the pitch (there will be unavoidable damage due to the bowler running off the pitch after bowling and the batsman taking his stance by the popping crease). Each side gets on warning for avoidable damage, any subsequent instance of avoidable damage will see a 5 run penalty awarded to the other side.<ref name=Law41/>