BCCI introduces a second bone test to ensure accurate age assessment

In a significant move, the BCCI has decided to conduct an additional bone test at the age group level to ensure that no cricketer misses out on playing an extra season in the junior circuit due to arithmetical age.

As per the existing norms, a player undergoes a bone test for age determination via the TW3 method (test used for assessing bone age) and a +1 factor is added to determine his or her eligibility for the next season in the same age group.

However, with the rule change, for example a cricketer in the Under-16 boys category, will go a second bone test the following season to determine his eligibility to appear in the same age bracket.

"It is being done to have an exact age and make sure that no player loses due to arithmetical calculation rather than scientific calculation," a BCCI source told PTI.

The cut-off for U-16 boys is 16.5 years and 15 years for U-15 girls competition. "This means that the bone age of a player has to be 16.4 or below in the following season in male cricketers and 14.9 or below in case of females for participation," the source said.

To explain the rule change further, if a male U-16 player undergoes a bone test in the 2025-26 season and the result shows a bone age of 15.4 years, he would not need to undergo another bone test the following season. Instead, a +1 factor is automatically added to their bone age.

In this instance, the player's bone age for the 2026-27 season would be arithmetically calculated to be 16.4 years, regardless of their actual bone growth, allowing them to participate in the U-16 tournament with a bone age of 16.4.

Similarly, if a player's bone age is determined to be 15.5 years or higher, the bone age automatically increases to 16.5 years or higher, making him ineligible for the U-16 tournament, since 16.4 is the final cutoff.

"It's possible that this arithmetical calculation does not accurately reflect a player's actual age, which could cause them to lose out on a year of eligibility," the source added.

In the case of U-15 girls, if a player tests 13.9 years this season, she will be eligible for the same category the next season with a bone age of 14.9.

However, if she tests at 14 or above this season, she can play this season but not the next one with cut off being 14.9.