Each Franchisee shall ensure that all Matches in which it participates shall be played in accordance with these Operational Rules, the Regulations and the Laws of Cricket including, without limitation, the Preamble to the Laws of Cricket – The Spirit of Cricket (save where express provision to the contrary has been made in these Operational Rules).

IPL shall determine the start of the Season and the date on which it shall end. It is anticipated that the League shall generally take place in April / May in each year.

Each Team shall play its full strength side in all Matches unless some reasonable and satisfactory reason is given otherwise. If any explanation given by a Team for not playing at full strength is not reasonable and satisfactory, IPL may determine the matter as contemplated by Section 7 and (as contemplated by Section 7) shall have the power to impose a sanction in respect thereof.

4.1 The League Title shall be decided by IPL and shall be subject to amendment at IPL’s discretion.

4.2 Subject as set out in these Operational Rules, the management of the League shall be vested entirely in IPL. Matches shall take place at the Ground and on the date set out in the Fixture List. Matches shall (subject always to paragraphs 2 and 5 of Section 3B) generally be played between 4.00pm and 11.00pm local time and shall commence at the time specified in relation to that Match in the Fixture List. Unless IPL agrees otherwise, the standard time for a Match to finish shall be 3 hours from the scheduled start time (with two innings, each lasting 1 hour 20 minutes and an interval lasting 20 minutes). Each Franchisee shall ensure that its Team takes all such action as is necessary to ensure that Matches involving such Franchisee’s Team are completed within the above-mentioned period (including completing the bowling of such Team’s overs sufficiently quickly).

4.3 The format for the League shall, unless otherwise decided by IPL, be one division of Teams, each of whom shall play against each other Team both home and away to determine which four Teams shall compete in the semi-finals and grand final referred to below. The first placed Team of the finalists at the end of the regular Season shall play the fourth placed Team in the first semi-final and the second and third placed Teams shall play each other in the second semi-final. The winners of each semi-final shall play in the grand final to determine the winner of the League for that Season.

4.4 There shall be no promotion or relegation from the League.

5.1 The league competition table for the League shall be compiled by IPL, the positions in which shall be determined by the number of points gained with points being awarded as follows :

2 points for each Match won

1 point per Team taking part in the Match, for each Match with no result and for each Match which is tied (where it was not possible in IPL's opinion to have a bowl-out at the end of play);

1 point per Team for any Match which does not commence for any reason (other than where the reason for such non-commencement is a breach of these Operational Rules by one Franchisee which results in such Franchisee forfeiting such Match); and 0 points for any Match lost or forfeited.

5.2 The Team with the highest number of points shall be at the top of the table and the Team with the lowest shall be at the bottom. Where Teams have an equal number of points their relative positions shall be determined by the following:

(a) the Team with the most wins in Matches in the League that Season will be placed in the higher position;

(b) if there are Teams with equal points and equal wins in that Season, then in such case the Team with the higher net run rate (as calculated in Rule 21.9.5 of the ICC World Twenty20 Playing Conditions 2007) will be placed in the higher position;

(c) if following the net run rate calculation above there are Teams which are still equal, then the Team with the higher number of wickets taken per balls bowled in the Matches played that Season in which results were achieved will be placed in the higher position;

(d) if still equal at the end of the regular Season then the Team position will be determined by drawing lots.

References in paragraphs 5.1 and 5.2 to “Matches” shall not include the above-mentioned semi-finals and grand final.

5.3 If the final or any semi-final Match of the League is tied, or there is no result, the following shall apply;

(a) the relevant Teams shall compete in a bowl out to determine which Team is the winner of the Match in question; and

(b) if conditions do not permit a bowl out to determine the winner, then the Team which, at the end of the relevant regular Season, finished in the higher position in the League table (in accordance with paragraph 5.2 above) will be deemed the winner of the relevant semi-final or final.

5.4 The procedure for any bowl out shall be as set out in Appendix 8 of the ICC Standard Twenty20 International Match Playing Conditions, 1 October 2007 version.

6.1 If a Team fails to complete any of its fixtures for whatever reason, any such Matches shall be tied unless the reason for such Matches not being completed is a breach of these Operational Rules by one Franchisee which results in such Franchisee forfeiting such Match.

6.2 Each Franchisee shall play its "home" Matches on its Ground and its "away" Matches on its opponents' Grounds unless IPL consents to or directs any other arrangement.

6.3 IPL shall compile the Fixture List and the copyright and all other rights in the nature of intellectual property rights in the Fixture List (and any proposed version thereof) shall be vested in IPL. IPL shall provide each Franchisee with a list showing the venue, date, and start time of each Match to be played during a Season at the start of that Season and Franchisees shall be allowed 7 days to submit observations on that list. After consideration of any such observations, IPL shall publish the list incorporating such amendments (if any) as it considers appropriate in its discretion which shall then constitute the Fixture List. Such Fixture List and the fixtures contained therein shall remain unalterable without the prior written consent of IPL to any change(s).

6.4 IPL shall have power to amend the Fixture List where it considers it necessary to do so from time to time which power shall include, without limitation, the power to direct that Matches shall be moved so as to be played on the same date and at the same time as other Matches to ensure that the integrity of the League is protected.

6.5 Any disputes relating to the venue, time and date of any Match shall be determined by IPL in its absolute discretion

A Franchisee wishing to object to the result of a Match in which it has played shall:

(a) Send a letter by fax or email to IPL (using the contact details provided by IPL for that purpose from time to time) and to the opposing Franchisee within 24 hours of the termination of the Match stating :
(i) the full grounds on which the objection is made; and
(ii) the Operational Rule under which it is laid.

(b) IPL will hear the objection and may decline to consider any matter not stated in the grounds supplied under paragraph (a)(i) above. For the avoidance of doubt, a Franchisee shall not be entitled to object to a result on the grounds of an Umpire's decision(s), and the imposition of a fine or other penalty on a Franchisee pursuant to these Operational Rules shall not preclude a Franchisee from objecting to a result of a Match under this Operational Rule.

A trophy shall be awarded to the overall winner of the League grand final. Winners or runners-up medals shall be awarded to the Team winning the grand final or losing the grand final (as applicable).

At the end of each Season Teams will receive a sum determined by their final League position before the semi-finals and grand final (as set out in paragraph (a) below) and following staging of the semi-finals and grand final (as set out in paragraph (b) below) as follows:

(a) End of Regular Season:

• (i) Each Season a sum of money will be designated (in accordance with the method of calculation set out in the Franchise Agreement) and made available by IPL; and
• (ii) Each Team will at the end of each Season be given a certain number of "League Points" depending on its final position in the League table before the semi finals and grand final for that Season. For the avoidance of doubt "League Points" are used only for the determination of each Franchisee’s share of the above-mentioned sum under this paragraph and are not the same as the points which are awarded under paragraph 5.1 of Section 3A and shall not be added to the points achieved by teams in the League table. The Team finishing last will always receive one League Point, and working up the table (until the top team), the Team finishing in the next position up shall be given one more League Point than the Team finishing immediately below it in the table so that if (by way of example only) there are 8 Teams in the League, League Points will be allocated as follows:
  

  Final League Table Team Position	League Points
  1	8
  2	7
  3	6
  4	5
  5	4
  6	3
  7	2
  8	1

• (iii) The total sum referred to at (a) (i) above will be divided by the total number of League Points allocated in accordance with (ii) above (so that, for example, if there are 8 Teams in the League, and, as a consequence, 36 League Points have been allocated, the total sum will be divided by 36) to determine the amount of a "League Share".
• (iv) Each Team in the table shall receive a proportion of the sum referred to in paragraph (a)(i) above which is equivalent to one League Share per League Point held by that Team (so that, for example, in a League of 8 Teams the first placed Team shall receive 8/36 of the sum referred to in paragraph (a)(i) above, the second placed Team shall receive 7/36 of said sum and so on until the last placed Team which shall receive 1/36 of said sum).

(b) End of Season Prize Money

• (i) IPL will determine the amount of a total prize fund in respect of each Season which will be distributed between the Teams in the League following the semi-finals and grand final of that Season by reference to each Team's performance in the League and, where appropriate, in the semi-finals and grand final. For the 2008 and each subsequent Season until such time as IPL decides otherwise the total prize fund shall be $US3m and will be allocated as follows:
  

  Finals/League Position	Prize (US$)
  Final Winner	1,200,000
  Runner up	600,000
  Each losing Semi Finalist	300,000
  5th place in the League table	200,000
  6th place in the League table	175,000
  7th place in the League table	125,000
  8th place in the League table	100,000

• (ii) If at any time there are more or less than 8 teams in the League then IPL shall, in its discretion adjust the distribution of the sum referred to in this paragraph (b). Franchisees shall distribute not less than 50% of the sum referred to in paragraph (b) above between their respective teams and support staff.