IPL rules explained: format, points, Impact Player & playing conditions

The IPL's rules as they stood for the 2026 season, including the changes made in 2025. The Impact Player rule stays for 2027 under the IPL's 2025-27 player regulations.

Format

Ten teams play 70 league matches and four playoff matches. Each team plays 14 league games, meeting some opponents twice and the rest once. In 2026, 25 of the 45 team pairs met twice and 20 met once.

The top four reach the playoffs. Qualifier 1 is first against second, and the winner goes straight to the final. The Eliminator is third against fourth, and the loser goes out. Qualifier 2 puts the loser of Qualifier 1 against the winner of the Eliminator for the other place in the final.

Points and tie-breaks

A win is worth two points and a no result one point; a loss earns nothing. A tied match goes to a Super Over and its winner takes both points. Teams level on points are separated by number of wins, then net run rate, then wickets taken per fair ball bowled, and finally by drawing lots. See how net run rate is worked out.

Impact Player

Each side names five substitutes with its XI at the toss and may bring one of them on as an Impact Player, who replaces a member of the XI and can bat and bowl a full quota. Read the Impact Player rules and what they have done to scoring.

Strategic time-outs

Each innings has two time-outs of two and a half minutes. The bowling side takes one between the end of the 6th and 9th overs; the batting side takes the other between the end of the 13th and 16th overs.

Ball, saliva and dew

Since IPL 2025 bowlers may use saliva to shine the ball; the ban brought in during the COVID-19 pandemic has been lifted. To counter dew in evening games, the captain of the side bowling second can ask for the ball to be changed once after the 10th over, whether or not dew is visible. The umpires pick the replacement, a ball with similar wear.

Reviews

Since 2025 the Decision Review System also covers height no-balls and wides outside off stump, with Hawk-Eye and ball tracking used for those calls.

Over rate

A fielding side that falls behind the over rate is penalised during the match: it must bring an extra fielder inside the 30-yard circle. Captains are fined for slow over rates (₹12 lakh for a team's first offence of the season), and repeat offences can bring suspensions.

Rain and shortened matches

At least five overs must be bowled to the side batting second for a result. Short of that, the match is a no result and each team takes one point. Targets in shortened games come from the DLS method. More on rain rules and every DLS result in the IPL.

Squads, replacements and pay

A squad has at most 25 players, no more than eight of them from overseas.
Every playing member, including the Impact Player, earns a match fee of ₹7.5 lakh on top of his contract.
The code of conduct uses demerit points that stay on a player's record for 36 months.

Super Over

Each side faces six balls and two wickets end its over. A tied Super Over is followed by another until there is a winner. See the Super Over rules and all 16 IPL Super Overs.

Questions

How many teams qualify for the IPL playoffs?

Four. First and second meet in Qualifier 1, whose winner goes to the final; third and fourth meet in the Eliminator. The loser of Qualifier 1 then plays the Eliminator winner in Qualifier 2.

How many points does a team get for a win in the IPL?

Two. A no result is worth one point and a loss none. A tie is settled by a Super Over, and the Super Over winner takes both points.

How long is a strategic time-out in the IPL?

Two and a half minutes. There are two in each innings: the bowling side calls one between overs 6 and 9, the batting side one between overs 13 and 16.