Run Out in Cricket — How It Happens, Who Gets Credit, and Close Decisions
Everything about run-outs in cricket: how the dismissal works, which fielder gets credit, what happens in a mid-pitch collision, and how DRS is used.
What Is a Run Out?
A batter is run out when a fielder breaks the wicket — removes the bails from the stumps with the ball — while the batter is outside their crease (the white line marking safety) and attempting a run. If the ball is thrown from the outfield and strikes the stumps directly, it is called a direct hit. If the keeper or a fielder catches the ball first and then breaks the stumps, it is called an indirect run-out.
Who Is Out in a Run-Out?
If only one batter is out of their crease when the stumps are broken, that batter is dismissed. If both batters are out of their crease simultaneously (both running, for example), the batter at the end the ball is directed at is out. If neither is in the crease at the far end and the ball breaks those stumps, the batter nearest to that end is out.
Fielding Credit for a Run-Out
Run-outs are credited as 'run out (Fielder)' in the scorecard — no bowler receives a wicket. If multiple fielders were involved (e.g. one threw the ball, another redirected it), the fielder who made the final contact is credited. A direct hit from the field is considered one of the most celebrated fielding moments in cricket.
DRS and the Third Umpire for Run-Outs
All run-out decisions are reviewed by the third umpire using slow-motion replay and ball-tracking. The on-field umpire signals 'soft signal' (their initial impression), but the third umpire has full authority to overturn it based on camera evidence. The key question is whether the batter's bat or body was grounded behind the crease before the bails were dislodged.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a run-out and a stumping?
Both dismiss batters out of their crease, but the key difference is context. A stumping occurs when the wicketkeeper gathers the ball cleanly — usually from a spinner — and removes the bails while the batter is out of the crease without attempting a run. A run-out involves a batter actively attempting a run and failing to make their ground. The bowler gets no wicket credit for either.
Can a batter be run out backing up at the non-striker's end?
Yes — famously called a Mankad or a 'run-out at the non-striker's end'. The bowler runs out the non-striking batter who has left the crease before the ball is bowled. It is a legitimate dismissal under the Laws, though it was once controversial.
Is a run-out possible off the last ball of a match?
Yes, and it has decided matches. If the batting team needs runs to win and the batters cross on the last ball but the fielding side breaks the stumps at the striker's end before the second batter completes the run, the run does not count and the batter is out — the match may be won by the fielding side if the ball is the last wicket.