LBW Rules of Cricket

Judging a batsman out "leg before wicket" (lbw) is a tough part of a cricket umpire's job. He must be standing in line with the wickets, behind the bowler's arm, and must base his decision on what he sees and hears. The umpire must correctly interpret law 36 of the official laws of cricket and answer four questions that he will run through in order, assuming the bowl is fair, i.e. the bowler did not over-step the bowling crease.

  1. Land in Line

    • The umpire must be satisfied the ball landed on the pitch (also known as "pitching") in line with the two wickets, which are 22 yards apart with the bowler at one end and the batsman at the other. It may also pitch outside the wicket's "off" stump (i.e. the stump to the umpire's left, for a right-hand batsman). If the ball pitches outside the "leg" stump (umpire's left for a right-hander) the batsman is not out, regardless of whether it would have hit the wicket. If the ball does not pitch the umpire will move to the next question.

    Strike in Line

    • The ball must strike the batsman in line with the two wickets. If the ball pitches outside the line on the "off" side and the batsman deliberately plays it with her front pad, i.e. makes no attempt to use her bat in a technique called "padding the ball away", the umpire will move to the next question.

    Hit Pad First

    • The ball must hit the batsman's pad, or any other part of her body, before it hits the bat, to satisfy the umpire. The batsman's bat and pad are often close together when making a defensive shot and the umpire might hear two noises, almost simullaneously. He must decide if the pad noise came first, trusting his hearing as much as his eyesight from 22 yards away.

    Wicket-Bound

    • The fourth and most important question concerns the ultimate destination of the ball. The umpire must ask if it would have hit the wicket. If it has moved sharply off the pitch, it might be going outside the leg stump. It might bounce over the wicket, which is only 28 inches high and 9 inches wide. The decision is easier if the batsman has moved back in front of the wicket, rather than thrusting a leg a long way forward. Umpires are loath to speculate on the future path of a ball that still has 10 feet to travel.

    Appeal

    • The umpire will not make a decision unless asked. This is invariably a loud shout from the bowler and the wicketkeeper who is in line with the wickets and has a better view than the bowler. The shout of "Howzat?" is often more triumphant rejoicing than gently asking. But with lbws, nobody can be sure except the umpire.