Leg before wicket - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

In the sport of cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

, leg before wicket (LBW) is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed

Dismissal (cricket)

In the sport of cricket, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out . Colloquially, the fielding team is also said to have snared, bagged or captured a wicket. At this point a batsman must discontinue batting and leave the field permanently for the innings...

. An umpire

Umpire (cricket)

In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...

will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball

Cricket ball

A cricket ball is a hard, solid leather ball used to play cricket. Constructed of cork and leather, a cricket ball is heavily regulated by cricket law at first class level...

striking the batsman's body (usually the leg) when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's wicket

Wicket

In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...

(here referring to the stumps and bails).
The LBW rule is designed to prevent a batsman simply using his body to prevent the ball from hitting the wicket (and so avoid being bowled out) rather than using his bat

Cricket bat

A cricket bat is a specialised piece of equipment used by batsmen in the sport of cricket to hit the ball. It is usually made of willow wood. Its use is first mentioned in 1624....

to do so.

LBW is commonly referred to as the most complicated rule in the sport.

Despite the word leg in leg before wicket, the rule applies if the ball hits the batsman on any part of his body, except for the glove

Glove

A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an opening but no covering sheath for each finger they are called "fingerless gloves". Fingerless gloves with one large opening rather than individual openings for each...

of a hand in contact with the bat (which is considered part of the bat).

Origins

LBW was not included in the 1744 version of the Laws of Cricket

Laws of cricket

The laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...

. It first appeared in the 1774 version, which stated: The STRIKER is out if..... Or if the striker puts his leg before the wicket with a design to stop the ball, and actually prevent the ball from hitting his wicket by it.

While LBW was certainly introduced because of batsmen's deliberate use of the legs and feet to stop the ball hitting the wicket, early writers such as John Nyren

John Nyren

John Nyren was an English cricketer and author. Nyren made 16 known appearances in first-class cricket from 1787 to 1817...

seem to have placed most of the blame for this deliberate act on Tom Taylor

Thomas Taylor (cricketer)

Thomas Taylor was a famous English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club. He is generally regarded as one of the most outstanding players of the 18th century....

and Joey Ring

Joey Ring

John "Little Joey" Ring was an English cricketer who played for Kent.Joey Ring was one of Kent’s best batsmen in the late 18th century and was employed by Sir Horatio Mann at Bourne as a huntsman...

. However, their careers began after 1774 and, as Arthur Haygarth

Arthur Haygarth

Arthur Haygarth was a noted amateur cricketer who became one of cricket's most significant historians....

points out, it is "now impossible to reconcile these conflicting statements".

LBW was not recorded as such for many years. In the Surrey

Surrey county cricket teams

Surrey county cricket teams have been traced back to the 17th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. The first definite mention of cricket anywhere in the world is dated c.1550 in Guildford.-17th century:...

versus England XI

All-England Eleven

In cricket, the term All-England has been used for various non-international teams that have been formed for short-term purposes since the 1739 English cricket season and it indicates that the "Rest of England" is playing against, say, MCC or an individual county team...

match at Moulsey Hurst

Moulsey Hurst

Moulsey Hurst is located in what is now West Molesey, Surrey on the south bank of the River Thames above Molesey Lock. It is one of England's oldest sporting venues and was used in the 18th and 19th centuries for cricket, prizefighting and other sports....

in August 1795, John Tufton was dismissed LBW by John Wells

John Wells (cricketer)

John Wells was a famous English cricketer who played for Surrey.-Career:...

. According to Haygarth: In this match, "leg before wicket" is found scored for the first time. In Britcher's
Samuel Britcher
Samuel Britcher was a cricket scorer and archivist who recorded the full scorecards of numerous matches played in the early years of Marylebone Cricket Club after its official foundation during the 1787 English cricket season.Britcher is believed to have been MCC's first official scorer and he...

printed score-book, Mr J. Tufton is in this match put down as bowled
Bowled
Bowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...

merely, and the leg before wicket added in a note. At first, when any one was got out in this way, it was marked down as simply bowled, and the leg before wicket omitted.

In a nutshell

The essence of the rule might be concisely stated as:

If the ball hits the batsman (without first hitting his bat or a hand holding the bat) when it was otherwise going to hit the wicket

Wicket

, then he is to be judged out LBW, unless:

(1) the ball pitched (bounced) only on the leg side
Leg side
The leg side, or on side, is defined to be a particular half of the field used to play the sport of cricket.From the point of view of a right-handed batsman facing the bowler, it is the left hand side of the cricket field...

or
(2) the ball hit the batsman outside the off stump
Stump (cricket)
Stump is a term used in the sport of cricket where it has three different meanings:# part of the wicket# a manner of dismissing a batsman# the end of the day's play .-Part of the wicket:...

and the umpire adjudges that the batsman was genuinely attempting to play the ball.

Despite its complexities, leg before wicket is the third-most common form of dismissal in cricket: after caught and bowled

Bowled

Bowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...

Precise conditions for LBW

The conditions for a batsman to be given out LBW are:

The ball must be legal : The ball must not be a no ball
No ball
In the sport of cricket a no ball is a penalty against the fielding team, usually as a result of an illegal delivery by the bowler. The delivery of a no ball results in one run to be added to the batting team's score, and an additional ball must be bowled...

.
The ball must not pitch only on the leg side: The ball must either (a) pitch in line between wicket and wicket or on the off side of the wicket, or (b) not pitch at all before reaching the batsman. Therefore, any ball pitching only on the leg side of the wicket should not result in the loss of a wicket by LBW even if the batsman has left the ball. To determine the relevant 'pitching zone', an imaginary line is drawn parallel to the long axis of the pitch from the leg stump.

Note. For the ball to have pitched only on the leg side

Leg side

The leg side, or on side, is defined to be a particular half of the field used to play the sport of cricket.From the point of view of a right-handed batsman facing the bowler, it is the left hand side of the cricket field...

, fifty percent or more of the ball must have pitched outside the line of leg stump.

The ball must miss the bat : If the first contact the batsman has of the ball is hitting it with his bat (or a glove that is holding the bat—that is considered part of the bat itself), he should not be out LBW.
The ball must intercept a part of the batsman's person : If the ball hits any part of the body or protective gear, it is a potential candidate for LBW (i.e. it need not hit the leg). The one exception is a hand or gloved hand in contact with the bat, which is considered part of the bat. For example, Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...

was given out LBW when, ducking under an expected bouncer, the ball actually hit his shoulder (Australia v India, 1999-2000, Adelaide, The Indian Second Innings).
The ball must hit in line : The ball must hit the batsman in the region directly between the two wickets. An important exception is that, if the impact is outside the off stump, the batsman can be out LBW if he does not make a genuine attempt to play the ball (that is, if he does not "play a stroke"). If the impact is between wicket and wicket, the playing of a stroke is irrelevant. For the ball to have hit the batsman outside the line of off stump, fifty percent or more of the ball must have hit the batsman outside the line of off stump.
The ball must have been going to hit the wicket : If the ball's trajectory suggests that it would have missed the wicket had the batsman not been present, then he should not be out LBW.

There are three rules for the interpretation of these conditions: only the first interception of the ball by the body is considered; whether the ball would have pitched after interception is irrelevant; and the identities of the 'off side' and 'leg side' are to be determined by reference to the batsman's stance when the ball comes into play, this is when the bowler starts his run up or, if he has no run up, his bowling action.(law 23 of the Laws of Cricket).

The exception to the fifth condition (ball must impact in line) involves the judgment of the umpire on whether the batsman has attempted to play a shot at the ball. It is designed to prevent batsmen from merely kicking the ball away outside the off stump, which provides no chance of giving up a catch off the bat. A common defensive tactic against spin bowlers is to use the leg pad to defend against balls on the off side, but the LBW rule means they must either have the bat placed near the pad, thus providing a chance for edging a catch to the slip

Slip (cricket)

In the sport of cricket, a slip fielder is placed behind the batsman on the off side of the field. They are placed with the aim of catching an edged ball which is beyond the wicket-keeper's reach. Many teams employ two or three slips...

fielders, or risk being ruled out LBW. Some observers, such as Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud

Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....

, have suggested that the LBW law be changed so that a batsman can be out if the ball pitches just outside the leg stump, thereby assisting legspinners and preventing negative pad-play.

The LBW rule is always judged by the umpire at the bowler's end. If the fielding team believes a batsman may be out LBW, they must appeal

Appeal (cricket)

In the sport of cricket, an appeal is the act of a player on the fielding team asking an umpire for a decision regarding whether a batsman is out or not. According to the Laws of Cricket, an umpire may not rule a batsman out unless the fielding side appeals...

to that umpire for a decision.

All the LBW conditions must be assessed for the delivery, which takes around half a second to reach the batsman. As in other aspects of the rules, the batsman is always given the benefit of any doubt so, if an umpire is unsure, the appeal will be turned down.
An example of this is if the batsman takes a step forward before the ball hits the batsman's leg. The ball might well have gone on to hit the wicket, but it is very difficult for the umpire to be certain of this, as the ball would have been 1.5-2 metres in front of the wicket as it hit the batsman's leg.

With the benefit of television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

replays it is common to show whether or not all of the LBW conditions were satisfied, and thus some people complain that an umpire wrongly allowed a batsman to continue or wrongly gave him out. However since the umpire should be certain that a batsman is out in order to give him out, and he has no benefit of television replay, the umpire's decision is usually appropriate. Most players and commentators acknowledge this and criticism of umpires is minimal.

The LBW decision is arguably the hardest the umpires have to make, and can be a source for commentary and controversy amongst the spectators. In recent years, with the increasing amounts of pressure and money at stake in cricket, several people have been campaigning for a larger role of cameras and simulation technology such as Hawk-Eye

Hawk-Eye

Hawk-Eye is a complex computer system used in cricket, tennis and other sports to visually track the trajectory of the ball and display a record of its most statistically likely path as a moving image. In cricket and tennis, it is now part of the adjudication process. It was developed by engineers...

to aid the umpire in the
uncertain cases. For the moment, LBW remains a decision that falls solely under the purview of the on-field umpire. Change is in the air, however: in September 2005, the International Cricket Council

International Cricket Council

The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...

(ICC) authorized a trial run of the use by umpires of television replays to aid in making the call (see external link below).

It is worth noting that a batsman can be out LBW if the ball hits the pad first and then goes on to hit the bat (a so-called pad-bat), but not in the case where the batsman hits the ball with the bat but the ball then goes on to hit his pad (a bat-pad). However, in both cases, a batsman runs the risk of being out caught, as the ball may ricochet off at a relatively low speed for a close fielder (such as silly mid on) to catch.

Should the ball hit the batsman on the full (i.e., without hitting the pitch), then the umpire is to assume that the ball would have continued on its previous trajectory, ignoring any possible deviation off the pitch as a result of the ball pitching. However an umpire can take the swing or drift of a delivery prior to hitting the batters pads into consideration when determining whether the ball 'would' have hit the stumps. If the delivery is swinging the umpire is to assume that the ball will continue to swing down the same line.

LBW (N)

LBW (N) is a term that was used to describe an alteration in the law of leg before wicket that was made by Marylebone Cricket Club

Marylebone Cricket Club

Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...

(MCC) on November 21, 1934. It came into force in 1935 in England but was opposed by high-level authorities in Australia where it did not come into force until the 1936/1937 season, even though it was tried in club games in Australia during the 1935/1936 season.

The alteration consisted of permitting a ball pitched outside off stump to produce an LBW wicket if the batsman stopped it with any part of his person in a straight line between wicket and wicket. Previously, only a ball pitched in a straight line between the bowler's and the striker's wickets could yield an LBW dismissal.

The term "LBW (N)" referred to the fact that from 1935 to 1937, wickets under the new leg before wicket rule were distinguished in scorecards published by Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...

from those under the pre-1935 rule.

Background to LBW (N)

During the 1920s and 1930s, first-class cricket

First-class cricket

First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...

was characterised by the increasing dominance of the batsmen over the bowlers. In Australia, scoring during the 1920s were exceptionally high, with the world record score of 1,107 made by Victoria against New South Wales at the MCG

McG

Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer....

in 1926/1927. In 1928, the average price of a wicket in county cricket

County cricket

County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...

exceeded 30 runs against the previous high of 27.5 in 1901. An attempt to counter scoring by allowing the LBW decision even if the batsmen played a stroke at the ball was partially successful in 1929 but a return to very high scoring and many drawn games in the 1930 Test matches

Test cricket

Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...

showed this effect to be only momentary and the experiment had been abandoned by 1934.

It was clear to authorities that improved pad play by batsmen like Herbert Sutcliffe

Herbert Sutcliffe

Herbert Sutcliffe was an English professional cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England as an opening batsman. Apart from one match in 1945, his first-class career spanned the period between the two World Wars...

and Phil Mead

Phil Mead

Charles Phillip Mead was a left-handed batsman for Hampshire and England between 1905 and 1936. He was born at 10 Ashton Buildings , second eldest of seven children...

were responsible for the high scores and excessive numbers of drawn games. Thus, the idea of preventing batsmen using their legs to pad away balls outside the off stump was seen as a means not only of countering pad play, but also to discouraging fast

Fast bowling

Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...

"bodyline

Bodyline

Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia, specifically to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's Don Bradman...

" bowling outside leg stump through rewarding bowlers who attacked the off stump, thus encouraging attractive off-side strokes. Much deliberation took place in 1934, and it was generally agreed that an extension of the LBW law on the off-side might reduce defensive pad play. Some people, such as Harold Larwood

Harold Larwood

Harold Larwood was an English cricket player, an extremely accurate fast bowler best known for his key role as the implementer of fast leg theory in the infamous "bodyline" Ashes Test series of 1932–33....

, argued for the permission of an LBW wicket to any ball pitched outside off stump even if the batsman's legs were also outside off stump - which has been put into place in some measure since 1970.

External sources

Kelso, Paul (September 2, 2005). Umpires to get video help on lbw decisions. The Guardian. Retrieved September 5, 2005.
Very clear semi-animated explanation by the BBC