LBW Decisions: How Umpires and DRS Determine the Answer
LBW (Leg Before Wicket) is cricket's most complex dismissal — requiring an umpire to judge whether a ball hitting the batsman's pad would have hit the stumps. This guide explains the full LBW decision tree, how DRS applies to LBW, and the most common LBW errors.
An LBW decision requires the umpire to answer four sequential questions: (1) Did the ball pitch in line with the stumps or on the off side? (2) Did the ball hit the batsman's pad? (3) Was the pad in line with the stumps? (4) Would the ball have hit the stumps? If all four answers are yes, LBW is out. Each question must be answered in order — a 'no' at any stage means not out. The process happens in the umpire's mind in approximately half a second, making LBW one of the hardest decisions in sport.
Pitching Outside Leg Stump
If a ball pitches outside the leg stump, it cannot be LBW — regardless of whether it would have hit the stumps. This rule exists because balls pitching outside leg stump force the batsman to play leg-side shots, and penalising them for getting hit on the pad when forced to the leg side would be unfair. A ball pitching outside off stump can be LBW, but the pad must be in line with the stumps at the moment of impact — an off-stump delivery that hits the pad outside the line of off stump is not LBW.
The Four LBW Questions
Breaking down each question: (1) Pitch: Did the ball land in line with the stumps (between off and leg stump) or on the off side? If it pitched outside leg stump: NOT OUT. (2) Hit: Did the ball hit the batsman's pad (or body part other than the hand holding the bat)? If not: NOT OUT. (3) Impact: Was the pad in line with the stumps at the moment of impact? If pad outside off stump: NOT OUT (unless the batsman played no shot — 'going down leg' is a specific exception). (4) Would hit: Was the ball going to hit the stumps below the bails? If the ball was going over the top or missing the stumps: NOT OUT.
Shot Played vs No Shot Played
A crucial distinction in LBW law: if the batsman plays a shot (attempts to hit the ball), impact outside the line of off stump is NOT OUT. If the batsman plays no shot (the ball hits the pad without the batsman attempting to play), impact outside the off stump line can still be LBW. This rule prevents batsmen from using their pads as a second defensive line — if you ignore the ball and let it hit your pad, you cannot claim the 'outside off stump' protection. Spinners bowling into the rough outside off stump often set LBW traps for no-shot batsmen.
Frequently asked questions
What are the LBW rules in cricket?
LBW requires: (1) the ball must not pitch outside leg stump; (2) the ball must hit the batsman's pad; (3) the pad must be in line with the stumps; and (4) the ball must be going to hit the stumps. All four conditions must be met. If the batsman played a shot, the pad must be in the off stump line or between the stumps for LBW to apply.
What is 'umpire's call' in cricket DRS?
Umpire's call is applied by DRS in LBW reviews when the ball-tracking prediction shows the ball is partly hitting the stumps and partly missing — within the technology's margin of error. In this case, DRS defers to the on-field umpire's original decision rather than overturning it. It was introduced to prevent technology from overturning marginal decisions where the model cannot be fully confident.
Can a batsman be LBW if the ball pitches outside leg stump?
No — if the ball pitches outside the line of leg stump, the batsman cannot be given LBW regardless of whether the ball would have hit the stumps. This is an absolute rule. The ball must pitch in line with the stumps (between off and leg stump) or on the off side for LBW to be possible.