What Is the Follow-On?
In multi-day cricket, the follow-on is a rule that lets the team batting first force their opponents to bat again immediately, without the first team batting a second time, if the first team’s lead is large enough after the first innings.
The Required Margin
The lead required to enforce the follow-on depends on the scheduled length of the match: 200 runs for a 5-day match, 150 runs for a 3 or 4-day match, 100 runs for a 2-day match, and 75 runs for a 1-day first-class match. This calculator compares your first innings lead (Team 1 Score – Team 2 Score) against the correct margin for your match length.
A Note on Strategy
Even when a team is eligible to enforce the follow-on, the fielding captain can choose not to, for tactical reasons such as player fatigue or pitch conditions. This tool only checks eligibility under the Laws of Cricket and is provided for general reference purposes.