In cricket, the follow-on is the option the captain of the side that batted first has to make the opposition bat again straight away, once it leads by a set margin on first innings. In a five-day Test that lead is 200 runs (Law 14.1.1 of the MCC's Laws of Cricket, and clause 14.1.1 of the ICC's Test playing conditions, effective October 2026), and the captain may decline it.
The follow-on rule and the run threshold
Law 14 of the 2017 Code, 4th Edition (2026), in force from 1 October 2026, sets the lead by the match's scheduled length:
| Length of a two-innings match | Lead needed to enforce the follow-on |
|---|---|
| 5 days or more | 200 runs |
| 3 or 4 days | 150 runs |
| 2 days | 100 runs |
| 1 day | 75 runs |
- Notice is final. Once the captain tells the opposing captain and the umpires, the decision cannot be changed (Law 14.2).
- A lost first day lowers the bar. With no play on day one, the lead follows the days left, counting the day play starts as a whole day (Law 14.3).
- One-innings cricket has none. The ICC's ODI and T20I conditions say clause 14 shall not apply, and a rain-hit one-day match can end as a no result, which a Test never does.
Why the follow-on changes the draw
Enforcing saves the time the leading side's second innings would take, and a draw needs time. A five-day Test has a minimum of 90 overs on each of the first four days, and 75 on the last plus at least 15 in its last hour (ICC Test clauses 12.7.1 and 12.7.6): 4 x 90 + 75 + 15 = 450 overs in all.
Example: Team A makes 520 in 150 overs, then bowls Team B out for 300 in 90 overs, a lead of 220. Illustrative scores, not a real match.
| Team A's choice | Overs left to bowl Team B out again |
|---|---|
| Enforce the follow-on | About 450 - 240 = 210 |
| Bat again for 40 overs, then declare | About 210 - 40 = 170 |
Enforcing gives the bowlers 40 more overs to take ten wickets, which shrinks the chance of a draw, while a day lost to rain would cut the 210 to 120. A pre-match draw price has to allow for both choices and for the weather; Test cricket betting covers the three-way market and the first-innings lead.
Follow-on markets
A follow-on market, where offered, asks before the first ball whether a side will follow on, and its wording settles the bet:
| Wording | A yes bet wins when | Lead of 230, captain bats again |
|---|---|---|
| Follow-on enforced | The captain makes the side bat again | Loses |
| Follow-on available | The first-innings lead reaches the threshold | Wins |
With illustrative prices of $4.50 for yes and $1.18 for no, the implied chances are 1 / 4.50 = 22.22% and 1 / 1.18 = 84.75%, a 106.97% market. Taking the margin out proportionally (other methods take more off a longshot) leaves yes at 22.22 / 106.97 = 0.2077, about 20.8%, a fair price of 1 / 0.2077 = $4.81.
Two edge cases need the terms: a lost first day moves the threshold to 150, and a first innings that rain stops from finishing never produces a lead at all, which can settle as a no or as a refund. Ashes betting covers series markets.
Comparing Test prices across bookmakers
If a Test market is on the Terminal's sports board, the bookmakers pricing it sit in side-by-side columns. Prices show as at the time displayed, so check yours with your bookmaker. A free account opens a limited view of the Terminal with live odds, and cricket betting maps the other cricket markets.
Risk: Betting involves risk. A captain's choice made mid-match can turn a draw bet or a follow-on bet either way, and no price removes that. See responsible gambling for limits and support.