The lbw rule explained simply, and how DRS reviews work

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Leg before wicket, or lbw, is the dismissal that confuses new cricket watchers most. The basic idea is simple: a batter cannot use their body to stop a ball that would have hit the stumps. The detail is in the conditions, which exist to stop bowlers getting easy wickets from balls that were never fair chances. This guide follows the wording of Law 36 of the MCC Laws of Cricket, which govern the game, and then explains how reviews work in professional matches.

The conditions for lbw

For the batter to be out lbw, all of these must be true, and the fielding side must appeal:

The delivery is not a no-ball. A batter cannot be out lbw from a no-ball.
The ball pitches in line or on the off side. If it bounces outside the line of leg stump, the batter cannot be out lbw, even if they made no attempt to play it. A full toss that does not bounce passes this test.
The ball hits the batter before the bat. If it touches the bat first, it cannot be lbw. Only the first interception counts.
The point of impact is in line. The ball must hit the batter between wicket and wicket. The exception is when the batter makes no genuine attempt to play the ball with the bat: then an impact outside the line of off stump can still be out.
The ball would have gone on to hit the stumps. The umpire must judge that, had the batter not been in the way, it would have hit the wicket.

The point of impact can be above the height of the bails. The question is still whether the ball would have hit the stumps.

Off side and leg side

The off side is the side the batter faces when standing to play; the leg side is behind their legs. For a right-handed batter, the off side is to the bowler's left as they run in. Which side is which is fixed by the batter's stance as the bowler runs up, so it flips for a left-hander.

Why the leg side rule exists

Without it, bowlers could aim at a batter's pads from outside leg stump and win lbw decisions without bowling at the wicket. The leg side exclusion keeps lbw a reward for bowling at the stumps.

Why the no-shot rule exists

Batters once padded away balls outside off stump with no intention of playing them. The rule allowing an impact outside off to be out, when no shot is offered, stops that tactic. Playing a genuine shot protects a batter struck outside the line of off stump.

The umpire's view

The bowler's end umpire makes the decision. They must judge where the ball pitched, where it struck the batter, and where it would have gone, in a fraction of a second. If there is doubt, the decision should go to the batter.

How DRS changes things

In many professional matches, teams can challenge on-field decisions using the Decision Review System. The details vary by competition and are set out in the playing conditions, but the general pattern is:

A team has a limited number of reviews per innings. The batter or the fielding captain signals for a review within a short time.
The third umpire checks the replays: first whether the delivery was a no-ball, then whether the ball hit the bat first using edge-detection technology, then the ball-tracking projection.
Ball tracking shows where the ball pitched, where it hit the pad and its predicted path towards the stumps.

Umpire's call

Ball tracking is not perfect, so close calls are not simply overturned. When the projection shows the ball only marginally pitching in line, hitting in line, or clipping the stumps, the result is umpire's call and the on-field decision stands. That is why the same delivery can be out if the umpire gave it out and not out if they did not. When a review ends in umpire's call, the reviewing team generally keeps that review, though check the playing conditions for the competition you are watching.

In club cricket

Most club and school matches have no technology, and often the umpires are players from the batting side. Clear knowledge of the conditions above helps everyone accept decisions and argue less. Which lbw decisions still confuse you? Share your experience or questions in the comments.