In order to guarantee that no cricket player is denied an extra season because of the current “+1 factor” used during age verification, which frequently renders players ineligible by the slimmest of margins, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has instituted an additional bone test at the junior level.
The TW3 technique is used to calculate a player’s age, and a “+1 factor” is applied to determine eligibility for the next season in the same age group, per current standards.
However, boys in the Under-16 division will now be able to take a second bone test the following season thanks to the updated regulation. If they were disqualified the year before because of the +1 factor, this will enable them to regain their eligibility for the same age group.
“It is being done to have an exact age and make sure that no player loses due to arithmetical calculation rather than scientific calculation,” The Economic Times cited a BCCI source as saying.
“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,” said a source.
For example, a male U-16 athlete would not be obliged to do another bone test the following season if he had a bone test during the 2025–26 season and the results indicated a bone age of 15.4 years. Rather, his bone age is automatically increased by +1 for qualifying considerations.
However, as the final cutoff is 16.4 years, if a player’s bone age is found to be 15.5 years or more, the inclusion of the +1 factor would elevate it to 16.5 years or more, disqualifying him from the U-16 event.
“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,” stated a source.
If a U-15 girl’s bone age is 13.9 years this season, she will still be able to play in the same category the following season, with the +1 factor applied to make her bone age 14.9. She will only be able to participate in the current season, though, if she tests at 14.0 years old or older this season. Given that the limit is 14.9 years, the +1 factor would make her ineligible if her bone age increased to 15.0 or higher the next season.
India
