A front-foot check, a junior close-fielder check and umpire-only evidence for club cricket
Software: $19 per month (League Stream plan, review app included)
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How it fits together
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01
The whole CreaseCam
A camera on a stand films the crease. When the bails come off, the Pi measures bat and foot against the line and sends the gap to the umpire.
02Brain
Raspberry Pi 5
The brain: it runs the creasecam-node program
03
Global shutter camera
Films the crease at 60 fps with no motion smear
Raspberry Pi 5 · CSI-2 ribbon cable · 60 fps video
04
50 mm lens + polariser
Fills the frame with the crease from the boundary
Raspberry Pi 5 · C-mount thread · Light onto the sensor
05
Active cooler
Stops the Pi slowing down in full sun
Raspberry Pi 5 · 4-pin fan header · Fan power and speed
06
Umpire Pager
Buzzes the umpire: foot over, short run, keeper
Raspberry Pi 5 · Wi-Fi (MQTT) · Calls and button presses
07
Umpire ReviewPad
Shows the replay to the umpire only
Raspberry Pi 5 · Wi-Fi (MQTT + clips) · Frame pair and gap
08
BallCheck dock
Photographs the ball the same way at every inspection
Raspberry Pi 5 · Wi-Fi (MQTT) · Ball photos
09
All connected
7 key parts, one program, and your phone
What it is
Two cameras on stands outside the boundary that record each popping crease side-on.
What it does
Who it's for
Club cricket leagues, umpire associations, T20 tournaments and clubs that stream.
How the parts connect
Every part, what links it to the brain, and how the data reaches your phone. A solid line is a cable; a dashed line is a radio link.
The program
ring = FrameRing(seconds=8) # 480 frames at 60 fps
cam = Picamera2(); cam.start(crop=CREASE_BAND, fps=60)
while True:
ring.push(cam.capture_request()) # each frame keeps its sensor timestamp
evt = mqtt.poll('cc/+/evt/bailoff')
if evt:
t = clock_map(evt.t_set_us) # SmartStump LED beacon fit
frames = ring.around(t, before=3.0, after=1.0)
bat, foot = pose_model(frames) # YOLOv8n-pose
gap = gap_to_crease(bat, foot, t)
mqtt.publish(f'cc/{ground}/{node}/result', gap.json())
save_clip(frames)To your phone
Scorer's laptop, iPhone or Android browser
One screen for each job CreaseCam does.
Run-outA batter dives for the crease as the bails come off. Seconds later the umpire's ReviewPad shows the side-on frame at that instant.
Front footThe bowler's front foot lands with no part behind the line. The umpire's wrist pager buzzes before the ball reaches the batter.
Suspect actionThe umpire thinks a bowler's arm straightened on one delivery. A double press on the wrist pager keeps that ball's clip for the report.
Ball checkAt each ball inspection the umpire sets the match ball in the BallCheck dock. It takes the same six photos every time for the report.
App screens with sample data. The interface is in development.
| Gap at bail-off | −40 mm (short) | Each run-out |
|---|---|---|
| Front-foot landing | Heel 12 mm behind | Each ball |
| Replay clip | 4 s, H.264 | Each event |
| Sync quality | 0.8 ms | Each over |
| Node battery | 71% | Every 30 s |
Video stays on the kit's own Wi-Fi. No cloud upload and no face recognition.
CAD design · Rev A6 design complete (CloseCheck junior close-fielder pods added 26 Oct 2026), all hardware fit-checked in CAD, not built
| AI processor | Raspberry Pi 5 2GB with Active Cooler (AI runs on saved clips only) |
|---|---|
| Camera | Raspberry Pi Global Shutter Camera (Sony IMX296, 1456 × 1088, 60 fps) with a 50 mm C-mount lens and a 40.5 mm circular polariser (35 mm option for big grounds) |
| Sensors | Optical sync from the SmartStump LED beacon · Umpire Pager: XIAO ESP32-C3, coin vibration motor and key in a belt-clip case · Umpire ReviewPad: ESP32-S3 3.5-inch 480 × 320 IPS touch board and 1,200 mAh battery in a pocket case with a sun hood |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi to an outdoor 5 GHz access point at the scorer's box · MQTT events and H.264 clips · BLE bridge to SmartStump (via laptop or Edge Hub) |
| Power | 25,000 mAh USB-C PD power bank per node, about 36 Wh for a 50-over day (est.) |
| Enclosure | White ASA node box with lens hood, black ASA FootCall snoot with a polariser cup, rain visor, EPDM-sealed lid and aiming sights; 1/4"-20 mount for a 2.6 m light stand |
| Dimensions | Node box about 258 × 76 × 50 mm including hood and snoot; ReviewPad 110 × 72 × 20 mm (36 mm with the hood) |
| Sensor | Sony IMX296 global shutter, 1456 × 1088 |
|---|---|
| Frame rate | 60 fps (higher with row crop, to be tested) |
| Lens | 50 mm C-mount with polariser; 35 mm for 75 m grounds |
| Resolution on crease | About 3–5 mm per pixel at 45–75 m (50 mm lens) |
| Gap at bail-off | About ±10 mm with SmartStump (est.) |
|---|---|
| Without SmartStump | Frame-accurate only |
| Buffer | Last 8 s in RAM |
| Review time | About 10 s from bail-off (est.) |
| Short-turn flag | About 19–25 mm short at 45–75 m boundaries (est.) |
| Law | MCC Law 21.5.2: some part of the front foot behind the popping crease |
|---|---|
| Heel position error | About ±9 mm at 45–75 m (est.) |
| Buzzes when | The whole foot is at least about 14 mm past the line (est.) |
| Buzz time | About 0.15 s after landing; ball reaches the batter in 0.6–0.95 s (est.) |
| Not checked | Back foot and return crease (Law 21.5.1) |
| Battery | 25,000 mAh USB-C bank per node |
|---|---|
| Runtime | A full 50-over day (est.) |
| Placement | Outside the boundary, off-side crease extension |
| Alignment | About 5 min per node with crease targets |
| Who can open a review | On-field umpires only (5 s pager press) |
|---|---|
| Decisions covered | Run out, stumped, hit wicket |
| Frames to the pad | 5 around bail-off + landing frame, about 0.7 s to send (est.) |
| Pad battery | About 55 h on 1,200 mAh (est.) |
| Clip retention | 7 days, then deleted unless the league asks |
| Pods | 2 CloseEye pods (XIAO ESP32S3 Sense, 2000 mAh), striker's-end stand and sightscreen |
|---|---|
| Rings | U13 11 yd (10 m), U15 8 yd (7.3 m), NZ 10 m, U16–18 helmet reminder 6 yd |
| Position error | about ±0.25 m at 45–75 m boundaries (est.) |
| Alert | three short buzzes before the run-up for INSIDE; CHECK near the line never buzzes |
| Battery | about 14 h (est.) |
Targets for production units; they may change during development.
Hardware: $649–$1,449 per node or pair
Software: $19 per month (League Stream plan, review app included)
Target prices: $649 single node, $1,199 CreaseCam Pair with 2 Umpire Pagers and FootCall, $1,449 League Kit with 2 ReviewPads and a BallCheck dock, $1,899 with a SmartStump Club Set, and a $199 CloseCheck add-on (2 pods) for junior cricket. Parts cost is about $327 per node, $15 per pager, $46 per ReviewPad $33 per BallCheck dock and $46 per CloseEye pod at quantity 1 (est.), plus one outdoor access point per ground.
$649 (target)
One crease, for clubs starting with the striker's end.
$1,199 (target)
Both creases, for front-foot checks and run-outs.
$1,449 (target)
The Pair with League Mode, for leagues that want umpire-only evidence.
$1,899 (target)
CreaseCam Pair with a SmartStump Club Set for timed bail-off.
$199 (target)
Two CloseEye pods for junior cricket, added to a Pair or League Kit.
Indicative launch pricing in USD, excluding taxes and shipping. Final pricing is confirmed before any balance is charged.
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Questions
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From the product lab · ideation phase
No. CreaseCam is a concept in the in-house design and testing stage. The design is complete in CAD, but nothing has been built or measured yet, and all specifications and prices are targets.
The ECB Fielding Regulations say no Under 15 may field within 8 yards (7.3 m) of the middle stump, and no Under 13 within 11 yards (10 m), except behind the wicket on the off side, even in a helmet, and the umpire must stop play if one does. CloseCheck uses two CloseEye pods outside the field to measure each close fielder's distance as the bowler walks back, and buzzes the umpire's wrist three times if one is clearly inside.
No. It only measures and tells the umpire. Within about 0.4 m of the line it shows CHECK on the ReviewPad and stays silent. The umpire decides, stops play and moves the fielder, as the regulations say.
It does not check helmets; the 6-yard ring for Under 16–18s is only a reminder to look. Frames are used to measure distances and then dropped unless the umpire marks one, and clubs follow their own safeguarding and photography policy.
No. Under the Laws the umpires judge a fair delivery, and county protocols say not to call no balls until an assessment has been made. ActionMark only keeps the deliveries the umpire chose to mark, with times and clips for the report. Legality is decided by the governing body, using a lab assessment of elbow extension.
The umpires sit the ball in the dock at each inspection and turn it through six positions. The LED ring gives the same light every time, so new marks stand out against earlier photos. The umpires still decide whether the ball was changed, award the 5 penalty runs under Law 41.3 and choose the replacement.
Only the two umpires on their ReviewPads, and then the league if the umpires send the report. Nothing goes to players, the scorer or a stream. Clips are deleted after 30 days unless a report was sent.
No. Under MCC Law 21.5.2 the bowler's-end umpire calls it. FootCall only buzzes the umpire's wrist when the camera saw no part of the front foot, grounded or raised, behind the popping crease. Close landings never buzz, so the bowler keeps the benefit of the doubt, and if the foot was hidden it stays silent. The league must allow the aid in its playing conditions.
Yes. That is what FootCall is for. Both cameras run it and the one at the end the ball is bowled from is active, so it follows the bowling each over whether the umpire stands at one end all match or changes ends. The player at square leg needs nothing.
No. A side-on camera on the crease line cannot judge the return crease, so the back-foot rule (Law 21.5.1) and the side of middle stump stay with the umpire's eye.
No. Under MCC Law 41.7 a full toss above the batter's waist is a no ball, and whether it was also dangerous, and any warning, is the umpire's judgement. HeightCheck only tells the umpire how high the ball was at the popping crease. It makes no safety claim.
The Law defines the waist as the top of the trousers with the batter standing upright at the popping crease. The striker's-end camera takes that line from frames where the batter stands upright between balls. It is the least certain part (about 2 cm, est.), so close balls are shown as CLOSE, not ABOVE. In-house target, not yet tested on real batters.
No. Every output is evidence for the umpire, who always decides. A league must adopt a playing condition before it is used in matches; without one, CreaseCam is a training and streaming tool.
Many leagues ban using a club's camera or stream to question umpires. League Mode is built for those rules: only an on-field umpire can open a review, players cannot ask, the frames go only to the umpire's pad, nothing goes live to the stream, and if the system is down the umpire decides as normal. We give leagues a draft playing condition to adapt; it is not an official text and no league has adopted it yet.
A batter cannot be stumped off a no-ball, so, as in professional third-umpire reviews, the pad shows the front-foot landing frame of that ball before the crease frames.
Since 1 October 2026 umpires must judge whether batters deliberately ran short and whether the keeper was wholly behind the stumps after release. CreaseCam checks every turn at both creases and the keeper's gloves at release, and buzzes the umpire's pager: one long buzz for a short turn, two short for the keeper. It keeps a tally of short turns per batter, but whether a short run was deliberate is always the umpire's call.
A small belt-clip buzzer with one key and no screen, so the umpire never has to read during play. It joins the kit's Wi-Fi, should last a full day on one charge (est.) and charges by USB-C. Pressing the key acknowledges the buzz and queues the clip on the scorer's laptop.
No, but it helps. Without SmartStump the node detects bail-off from the video and is accurate to the nearest frame. With SmartStump it uses the bail-off timestamp to estimate the bat position between frames.
Outside the boundary, on the off-side extension of each crease line, on a 2.6 m light stand or the club's stream mast. Nothing stays on the field; the crease targets are removed before the toss.
In League Mode the nodes keep only a strip around the crease, clips are encrypted and deleted after 7 days unless the league asks for them, nothing is streamed during a review, and there is no face recognition. Umpires are not filmed on purpose. Clubs still follow their own filming policy.
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Concept · target $649