CricketSportsUnderstanding the fundamentals of Fair PlayBy pepnewz Posted on March 21, 20184 min read004,258Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Google+Share on LinkedinFair Play Award is an award which is been given to the team with the best fair play record at the end of every edition of the Indian Premier League. This award has been given since the inception of IPL in 2008.Evaluation of fair play pointsAfter the completion of an IPL match, the two on-field umpires, along with the third umpire rates both the teams participating in the match based on the following criteria:Upholding spirit of the game during the match (4 points);Showing respect to the opposition (2 points);Showing respect for the laws of the game (2 points); andShowing respect to the umpires (2 points).Additional points are also given in cases of exceptional behavior in line with the above criteria (for example a fielder signaling that a ball had not been caught cleanly or a batsman walking without waiting for the Umpire’s decision).A team can be given a maximum of 10 points per match.Presenting the Fair Play AwardThe team which has the highest average of fair play points per match is awarded the Fair Play trophy. For example, team A has 96 fair play points in 16 matches (average of 6 points per match) whereas team B has 91 fair play points in 14 matches (average of 6.5 points per match), then team B will be given the award as they have the higher average points per match as compared to team A.Necessity of Fair Play AwardThe Fair Play Award encourages the teams to uphold the spirit of the game of cricket and respect the umpires’ decision. It also encourages players to control their emotions and respect opposition players. History The Chennai Super Kings was the first team to receive the Fair Play award in the inaugural edition of the IPL. They have received this award a record six times in the 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015 IPL seasons.The Kings XI Punjab won the Fair Play award in the 2009 season, while the Rajasthan Royals were given the award in the 2012 season.Sunrisers Hyderabad won a double whammy in 2016 as they were crowned the champions and also earned the Fair Play award. Gujarat Lions topped the Fair Play points table in the tenth season of the IPL.Stay tuned for the latest IPL live score, updates and latest news.