Wides in Cricket: When a Delivery Is Called Wide
A wide is called when the umpire judges the delivery was too far from the batsman to be hit in a normal batting position. This article explains the wide line, how the standard differs across formats, and common misconceptions about the wide rule.
The Wide Rule Basics
A wide ball is a delivery that the umpire judges the batsman could not have played with a normal cricket stroke in their normal batting position: the Laws of Cricket define a wide as a ball that passes wide of the wicket on either side and out of reach of the batsman; when a wide is called, the batting team receives 1 penalty run; the delivery is not counted as one of the over's 6 legal deliveries — it must be re-bowled; and the Laws' standard is specifically the batsman's normal batting position — if the batsman moves significantly from their normal position and thereby fails to reach the ball, the umpire applies the wide test based on where the batsman would have been standing, not where they moved to. This means a batsman cannot create a wide by stepping away from a ball they could have reached from their original position.
Wide Lines by Format
The wide standard is significantly stricter in limited-overs cricket than in Tests: in Test cricket, only balls passing well outside the off stump (clearly unreachable) or to the leg side (behind the batsman) are called wides — bowlers have significant freedom on the leg side; in ODI cricket, a wider line is applied on the off side (the umpire calls wides for balls outside a line approximately in line with the off stump or just outside it — significantly less latitude for the bowler than in Tests); and in T20 cricket, the widest standard is applied — the off-side wide line is tightest, and leg-side wides (balls going behind the batsman's leg stump) are also strictly called; these format differences exist because T20 and ODI cricket limit the over count — a bowler who consistently bowls wides wastes deliveries and adds runs, creating a more significant disadvantage than in Tests where over counts are unlimited.
Common Misconceptions About Wides
Several misconceptions surround the wide rule: the ball does not have to be out of reach to be wide — it must be out of reach from the batsman's normal position, not their moved position; a delivery that bounces twice before reaching the batsman is not automatically a wide — it is a No Ball (a ball that bounces twice before reaching the batsman is specifically a No Ball, not a wide); and a ball that goes over the batsman's head is not a wide — a very high bouncer (above head height) is a No Ball if it is judged too high for the batsman to play safely, but height alone doesn't make a ball wide. Wides and No Balls are both penalty deliveries but they come from different Laws — wides from the ball's lateral position and No Balls from the bowler's crease position or the ball's height.
Frequently asked questions
Can a batsman be dismissed from a wide ball?
Yes — specific dismissals are still possible from a wide ball: run out (a batsman who attempts a run from a wide delivery can be run out — the wide penalty run is still awarded, but the run-out dismissal is also valid); stumped (a batsman who steps outside the crease to try to play a wide delivery can be stumped if they miss and the keeper removes the bails); and hit wicket (a batsman who hits their own stumps while attempting to play a wide delivery is out hit wicket — uncommon but legal from a wide). What cannot happen from a wide: the batsman cannot be caught (a wide that the batsman attempts to play and top-edges to a fielder is not a valid catch dismissal — the wide is called first); LBW cannot occur from a wide; and bowled cannot occur from a wide — if the wide hits the stumps, the batsman is not out, and the 1 wide penalty run is awarded.
What happens if the batsman hits a wide ball to the boundary?
If the batsman successfully hits a wide ball (managing to reach and strike a ball that the umpire judged wide), the batsman scores the runs from the hit — and the wide penalty is waived: when a batsman hits a wide delivery, the ball is no longer wide (the batsman's contact changes its status — they have played the ball successfully); any runs scored from hitting the wide delivery count as the batsman's runs (in the batting team's total and in the batsman's personal score); and the delivery counts as one of the over's legal deliveries — no re-bowling is required. This specific rule incentivises batsmen to attempt to hit wide deliveries rather than leaving them — hitting a wide for 4 scores 4 runs rather than just 1 wide penalty run.
How do umpires signal a wide?
The wide signal is one of cricket's most recognisable umpire signals: the umpire extends both arms horizontally from the body (arms straight out to the sides at shoulder height — forming a horizontal cross position); the signal is given immediately after the delivery passes the batsman and the umpire judges it to be wide; the wide signal is held briefly for the scorers to note; and the television graphics system updates the score immediately. In field cricket, the wide signal is one of the few signals where both arms are used simultaneously — most signals use one arm. Scorers are also responsible for immediately updating the 'Extras' column with the wide penalty run.