Editing Sheffield Shield (section)

==Competition format==
Each side has played each other both home and away every season with the following exceptions:
* South Australia had no home game with: Victoria in 1901–02 or 1903–04; either opponent in 1907–08; New South Wales in 1910–11.
* Queensland and South Australia played only once (in South Australia) in 1926–27.
* Western Australia played each team only once from their debut in 1946–47 until 1955–56 inclusive.
* Tasmania played each team only once from their debut in 1977–78 until 1981–82 inclusive.
* In [[2019–20 Sheffield Shield season|2019–20]] the season was curtailed after nine rounds due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-17/sheffield-shield-goes-to-nsw-as-coronavirus-ends-cricket-season/12062938|title=NSW handed Sheffield Shield as coronavirus bring season to abrupt finish|date=17 March 2020|access-date=18 November 2021|website=Abc.net.au|archive-date=6 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406225542/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-17/sheffield-shield-goes-to-nsw-as-coronavirus-ends-cricket-season/12062938|url-status=live}}</ref>
* The [[2020–21 Sheffield Shield season|2020–21]] season was heavily affected by COVID-19 lockdowns, with QLD playing 9 games, Tasmania and South Australia 8, and Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria playing 7 each. Unusually for the Sheffield Shield, Victoria and New South Wales played each other 3 times during the home and away portion of the season.

Where the teams played an unequal number of games, their final points were calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Matches were timeless (i.e. played to an outright result, weather and schedule permitting) up to 1926–27. A four-day time limit has applied since 1927–28.<ref name="Frindall">{{cite book|last1=Frindall|first1=Bill|title=The Wisden Book of Cricket Records|date=1998|publisher=Headline Book Publishing|location=London|isbn=0747222037|pages=391|edition=Fourth}}</ref>

In 1940–41, however, the Sheffield Shield was not contested but ten first-class “friendly” matches were played between the States for [[Patriotic Funds|patriotic funds]];<ref>‘Sheffield Shield Cricket Cancelled’; ''[[The Courier-Mail]]'', 10 July 1940, p. 1</ref> however financially these were unsuccessful.<ref name="No">‘No Inter-State Cricket’; ''[[The Age]]'', 3 July 1941, p. 3</ref>

The Sheffield Shield was not contested during the 1941–42 Australian first-class season - instead an “Interstate Patriotic Competition” was held, with all proceeds going to the war effort. Only one match was played (Queensland v NSW at the Gabba) before the competition was cancelled due to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.<ref>{{cite web |title=Queensland versus NSW |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/other-australia-domestic-1941-42-452737/queensland-vs-new-south-wales-452738/full-scorecard |website=www.espncricinfo.com |access-date=9 October 2023}}</ref>

===Final===
Since 1982–83, the top two teams after the home and away rounds have met in a final, played over five days at the home ground of the top-ranked team. Between 1982–83 and 2017–18, in the event of a [[Draw (cricket)|draw]] or [[Tie (cricket)|tie]], the Shield was awarded to the top-ranked team.<ref name="Frindall" /> Since the 2018–19 summer, in the event of a draw or tie, the team which scores more first innings bonus points, based on the system used in regular season matches, wins the Shield.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cricket.com.au/news/sheffield-shield-final-rule-change-bonus-points-victoria-nsw-blues-draw/2019-03-24|title=Rule change set to liven up Shield final|website=cricket.com.au|language=en|access-date=2019-03-25|archive-date=5 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405171146/https://www.cricket.com.au/news/sheffield-shield-final-rule-change-bonus-points-victoria-nsw-blues-draw/2019-03-24|url-status=live}}</ref> No final was played in [[2019–20 Sheffield Shield season|2019–20]] due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web |title=New South Wales named Sheffield Shield winners as final cancelled |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/new-south-wales-named-sheffield-shield-winners-as-final-cancelled-1219470 |access-date=17 March 2020 |work=ESPN Cricinfo |archive-date=16 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316032153/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/new-south-wales-named-sheffield-shield-winners-as-final-cancelled-1219470 |url-status=live }}</ref>