Rules of Run Out in Cricket

Cricket can be a confusing game. It lasts all day and sometimes five days and the pace seems slow. Over after over goes by and the umpire has barely had a decision to make. Then suddenly there’s a run out and it all happens so fast you’re not sure what’s going on. Below is a brief guide to the run out rules for cricket.

  1. When?

    • The run out rule is enforced when the ball is in play and the fielding team knocks the bails off the stumps, this is often described as the stumps being put down, and the batsman is not safe in his crease. This usually happens when the batsmen are attempting to score runs, i.e. running between the wickets.

    Specifics

    • A batsman is declared out if his stumps are fairly put down at any time the ball is in play, whether he is attempting to gain runs or not, and neither he nor his grounded bat is in the crease. This is why the batsmen run with their bats stretched out in front of them on the ground. For stumps to be fairly put down they must be struck by the ball or a fielder’s hand holding the ball. A batsman can be run out from a no ball as the ball is considered to be in play.

    Who’s Out and Who Gets the Credit?

    • Either batsmen can be out from a run out. Whichever batsman is closest to the wicket that has been put down is declared out. The bowler is not given the credit for the wicket. It goes to the fielder who puts the stumps down.

    Who decides?

    • As with every decision in cricket, the umpire decides if a player is in or out. Because run out decisions must be made on split-second evidence high-level cricket often calls on the fourth umpire, or the TV judge, to make the decision.

    Exceptions

    • A batsman is not out if the ball has not hit a fielding player before it hits the stumps. Therefore a bowler cannot claim a run out before he bowls the ball and if the batsman’s shot hits the opposite wicket without making contact with a fielding player then his teammate is not run out. The exception to this is if a fielder’s helmet is the only thing struck as this does not count as contact with a fielder. If the batsman leaves the crease to avoid injury, usually from the ball thrown at his stumps, then this is also not out.