PSL Rules & Format Guide
Everything you need to know about the Pakistan Super League format, rules, and tournament structure for PSL 2026 (Season 11).
Match Format (T20)
PSL follows the Twenty20 (T20) format of cricket, the shortest and most action-packed format of the game. Each team gets one innings of a maximum of 20 overs to bat. The team scoring the most runs wins.
Overs per Innings
Each team bats for a maximum of 20 overs (120 legal deliveries). An innings ends early if all 10 wickets fall.
Match Duration
A full PSL match lasts approximately 3 to 3.5 hours, including a 20-minute innings break between the two innings.
Powerplay & Fielding Restrictions
During the first 6 overs (the mandatory powerplay), only 2 fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle. This encourages aggressive batting and creates high-scoring starts. The fielding team must have a minimum of 2 fielders (plus the bowler and wicketkeeper) within the inner circle.
From overs 7 to 16, a maximum of 5 fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle. This gives the fielding captain more flexibility to set defensive fields and create pressure on the batting side.
In the final 4 overs, the same restriction as the middle overs applies: maximum 5 fielders outside the circle. These overs typically produce the highest run rates as batters try to maximize the score in the final phase.
Tournament Structure
Group Stage (30 Matches)
All 8 teams play each other in a round-robin format. Each team plays 14 matches (7 home, 7 away). The top 4 teams on the points table qualify for the playoffs.
Playoffs (4 Matches)
The top 2 teams play each other. The winner goes directly to the Final. The loser gets a second chance in Eliminator 2.
The 3rd and 4th placed teams play. The loser is eliminated. The winner advances to Eliminator 2.
The loser of Qualifier 1 plays the winner of Eliminator 1. The winner advances to the Final. The loser is eliminated.
The winner of Qualifier 1 plays the winner of Eliminator 2 in the grand final. The winning team is crowned PSL champions.
Points System
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Win | 2 |
| Tie / No Result | 1 |
| Loss | 0 |
Tiebreaker: If teams are tied on points, the team with the higher Net Run Rate (NRR) is ranked higher. NRR is calculated as the difference between a team's run rate scored and run rate conceded across all matches.
Player Auction & Draft Rules
PSL 2026 (Season 11) introduced a full player auction, replacing the supplementary draft used in previous seasons. Franchises bid for players within a salary cap, building their squads through competitive bidding.
Player Categories
Highest base price. Top international and Pakistani stars.
Established international and domestic performers.
Proven T20 cricketers with solid track records.
Experienced domestic players and emerging internationals.
Young Pakistani talents under 21. Minimum 3 per squad.
Key Rules
- •Each franchise must pick a squad of 18-21 players
- •Minimum 3 Emerging category players per squad
- •Each franchise operates within a salary cap set by the PCB
- •Franchises can retain up to 5 players from the previous season before the auction
Overseas Player Rules
To maintain a balance between international star power and the development of Pakistani cricket talent, the PSL enforces strict overseas player regulations:
- •Maximum 4 overseas players in the playing XI for any given match
- •Squads can include up to 7 overseas players in total
- •At least 7 Pakistani players must be in the playing XI at all times
- •Players from associate ICC nations may be classified as local or overseas depending on their residency status and PCB agreements
DRS (Decision Review System)
The DRS allows teams to challenge on-field umpiring decisions using technology including Hawk-Eye ball tracking, UltraEdge (Snickometer), and Hot Spot.
Reviews per Innings
Each team gets 2 unsuccessful reviews per innings. Successful reviews are retained.
What Can Be Reviewed
LBW decisions, caught behind/bat-pad catches, boundary decisions, no-ball checks for height, and stumping decisions.
The umpire's call rule applies for LBW decisions: if less than 50% of the ball is hitting the stumps (as per Hawk-Eye tracking), the on-field decision stands.
Super Over Rules
When a match ends in a tie (both teams score the same number of runs after 20 overs each), a Super Over is played to determine the winner:
- 1Each team nominates 3 batters and 1 bowler for the Super Over
- 2Each team bats for 1 over (6 balls). The team batting second in the match bats first in the Super Over.
- 3The team with the higher score in the Super Over wins the match
- 4If the Super Over is also tied, another Super Over is played until a winner is determined