LBW Rules in Cricket Fully Explained
A complete guide to the LBW (leg before wicket) law in cricket: when a batter is out LBW, the umpire's decision process, impact and pitching conditions, and how DRS affects LBW decisions.
LBW (leg before wicket) is one of the most debated dismissals in cricket — the batter is out when the ball strikes any part of the batter's body (not just the leg) and the umpire is satisfied that the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps. The LBW law exists to prevent batsmen from using their body as a second line of defence in front of the stumps.
The Three Key LBW Conditions
For an LBW to be given, three conditions must all be met simultaneously: first, the ball must pitch in line (not outside leg stump — a ball pitching outside leg can never be LBW regardless of where it hits); second, the ball must hit the batsman in line with the stumps (between wicket and wicket on the field) or outside off stump; third, the ball must be hitting the stumps — the umpire must judge that it would have gone on to hit the stumps had the pad or body not intervened.
| Condition | Required for LBW? |
|---|---|
| Ball pitched outside leg stump | NO — automatically not out |
| Ball hit the batsman outside the line of off stump (and no shot played) | YES — can still be LBW |
| Ball hit the batsman outside off stump (shot played) | NO — not out if playing a shot |
| Ball going on to hit the stumps | YES — umpire must be satisfied |
Playing a Shot vs Pad Play
If the batsman plays a genuine shot and the ball hits their pad, they cannot be given LBW if struck outside the line of the stumps on the off side. However, if the batsman makes no attempt to play a shot (padding the ball away), they can be LBW even if struck well outside off stump. This is the 'missing the line on the off side whilst not playing a shot' provision — it exists to prevent batsmen from deliberately using their pads as extra bats.
How DRS Changed LBW Decisions
Ball-tracking technology (used in DRS reviews) models the predicted path of the ball after impact. Three questions are checked by ball-tracking: did the ball pitch in line? did the ball hit the batsman in line? would the ball have gone on to hit the stumps? The technology has introduced a '50-50 rule': if ball-tracking shows the ball would have hit halfway up the stumps, the original umpire's decision is upheld (benefit of the doubt). Only if more than 50% of the ball's predicted path intersects the stumps does DRS overturn the decision.
Frequently asked questions
Can a batsman be LBW to a ball that bounces over the stumps?
No. If ball-tracking shows the ball would have gone over the top of the stumps, the batsman cannot be LBW regardless of where it struck their body. The ball must be hitting the stumps in their actual dimensions — approximately 71 cm high. This is checked automatically in any DRS review and occasionally results in a clear on-field LBW verdict being reversed (the ball struck the pad at knee height but would have passed over the stumps).
Why can't you be out LBW off a ball pitching outside leg stump?
The exception for balls pitching outside leg stump was introduced to protect batsmen against balls bowled down the leg side and encourage leg-side play. Without this rule, a batsman playing a leg-side flick could be given LBW every time the ball hit their thigh pad, even if the delivery was well outside leg stump. The exception was a deliberate design choice to preserve certain types of batting play and prevent overly defensive fields that trap batsmen in front of their own stumps.