Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method facts for kids

The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method is a way of measuring the value of the points scored by both teams in a limited overs cricket game when one team's scoring turn is made shorter than the other team's scoring turn because the game has been shortened midway. For example, if one team is given a maximum of 100 deliveries in their scoring turn, and then rain stops the game, the second team may have to receive a maximum of 50 deliveries to make the game finish on time; because of this, the number of points scored by the first team is reduced so that the second team has a fairer chance to score the same number of points.

The DLS formula also looks at the number of batters that are out on a team when re-calculating the teams' scores.

Images for kids

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  A rain delay at The Oval, England

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  Scoreboard at Trent Bridge indicating that bad light has stopped play.

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  D/L began in one-day internationals

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  A published table of resource remaining percentages, for all combinations of wickets lost and whole overs left

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  Scoring potential as a function of wickets and overs.

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  DuckworthLewisDiag2

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  DuckworthLewisDiag3

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  Scoreboard showing ball-by-ball D/L Par Score.

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  Many stadium scoreboards do not carry information about par scores during games