During the 2026 Rothesay County Championship season, the ECB will be trialling a new system for allowing replacement players to become fully involved in a match.
Historically, only players who suffered concussion or who were called up to their international side were eligible to be replaced by a fully participating player, rather than a fielding substitute.
Starting this season, though, counties will be able to field like-for-like replacements if one or more of their players is ruled out of the game through injury, illness or a significant life event.
Keep reading to find out more about the trial, and read the full regulations of the 2026 Rothesay County Championship here.
Why are you doing this now?
The ICC has requested for national governing bodies around the world to trial a range of options for expanding the use of replacement players within the game.
Currently, full like-for-like replacements can be brought in for players ruled out with concussion or who are called up for international duty. This new ECB trial expands this regulation to include injury, illness and significant life events.
One of the main aims of the trial is to prioritise player wellbeing, enabling players who shouldn’t be playing through injury, illness or other reason to sit out without potentially worsening the problem by playing on. Replacements will also ensure a team isn’t disadvantaged by forcing them to play with ten players when a player needs to leave the game.
As a result, this will improve the quality of cricket played in the Rothesay County Championship, ensuring, where possible, that matches are played as 11 v 11 for the duration of the game.
What constitutes a ‘significant life event’?
There is no set definition of ‘significant life event’ within the new regulations, however it is noted this could be either expected or unexpected events that require a player to miss some or all of a match they are playing in.
Expected events could include attending the birth of a child, for example, while an unexpected event could include the sudden illness of a family member, among many other examples.
In this circumstance, the Chief Executive of the county with the affected player will contact their counterpart at the opposition county to explain the situation to agree whether the player can be replaced.
What safeguards are in place to avoid counties using replacements to gain an advantage in a match?
Counties are expected to act honestly and transparently when using replacement players, but a number of safeguards are in place to minimise the risk of replacements being used tactically.
In the case of ill or injured players, the Chief Medical Officers of both teams will review the situation and sign off on the use of a replacement player.
If a player is replaced through illness or injury, they are not eligible to play for their county for eight days following the date of replacement. In most instances this would rule them out of at least one more fixture. While replacements are only allowed in the County Championship, a player replaced through illness or injury would also miss Vitality Blast or Metro Bank One Day Cup games if they fall within the eight-day window.
Players replaced due to significant life events will be eligible to return to action immediately following the conclusion of the current match.
Can a batter be replaced by a bowler, or vice-versa?
No, replacement players must be like-for-like for the player they are replacing.
Can a replaced player return to the game if their injury or illness isn’t too serious?
No, once a player is replaced under the new trial regulations, they are effectively ruled out for the rest of the game.
It is up to the counties to decide whether to permanently replace a player during a match. Some illnesses or injuries could be covered temporarily by a traditional substitute fielder until the player can return to the game; others will necessitate a full replacement.
For example, if a player suffers food poisoning on day one of the match, their county could decide to use a traditional substitute until the player is well enough to return.
If a player suffers a muscle injury, for example, a substitute may be used while a diagnosis is made, before a permanent like-for-like replacement is confirmed.
Similarly, if a player leaves a match to attend the birth of a child on day one, their county may choose not to replace them, allowing them to return later in the game.
And as explained previously, a player replaced through illness or injury must sit out at least eight days following their replacement.
Is there a cut-off for making replacements in a game?
No, counties can make replacements at any time in the game, providing they have a like-for-like player present to take the field.
How many replacements can be made in a game?
Counties can make as many replacements within a Rothesay County Championship game as necessary, provided they have enough like-for-like replacement players present to take the field.
How often do you anticipate replacement players will be used?
Recent trials in Australian First Class cricket showed that replacement players were used in around 25 per cent of matches, albeit under a slightly different set of rules.
Using this logic, it is anticipated that one or two replacement players will take the field per round of Rothesay County Championship matches, although this number obviously might be higher or lower depending on circumstances.
Is this a permanent regulation change?
Initially this is designed as a season-long trial, however it could well become a permanent change in the coming years. The ECB will be able to tweak the regulations relating to this as required to cover unexpected events or circumstances, to ensure the regulation stands up to the rigours of domestic cricket going forward.