Snickometer and Ultra Edge in Cricket: Sound Detection Explained
Snickometer and Ultra Edge use audio waveforms to detect bat-ball contact in DRS reviews. Learn how the technology works and why it is more sensitive than the naked ear.
What Is Snickometer?
Snickometer (commonly called 'Snicko') is a technology that captures the audio from a stump microphone and synchronises it with a slow-motion replay of the delivery. By displaying the sound waveform alongside the video, officials and viewers can see whether there is a sharp spike in audio at the precise moment the ball passes the bat — indicating an edge.
What Is Ultra Edge?
Ultra Edge is a more refined version of Snickometer used in DRS reviews. It also displays an audio waveform from the stump microphone, but can identify whether the spike coincides with bat contact versus pad contact, or even the sound of movement from the batter's clothing. This precision helps the third umpire distinguish edges from false positives.
How the Waveform Works
The stump microphone continuously records sound. A large, sharp spike in the waveform at the exact frame when the ball is adjacent to the bat strongly indicates an edge. A spike occurring too early (ball approaching), too late (ball past the bat), or correlated only with a pad impact tells a different story. Third umpires are trained to read these waveforms in combination with the video.
Limitations of Snicko
- Crowd noise or wind can mask quieter edge sounds
- Glove contact can look similar to bat edge contact on the waveform
- Batter footwork or clothing movement can produce small spikes
- The stump microphone position affects sensitivity at different bat heights
Frequently asked questions
Is Ultra Edge used in all DRS matches?
Ultra Edge is the standard DRS audio tool in ICC-sanctioned international matches where DRS is available. Some domestic competitions use their own audio analysis systems.
Can Snicko detect a glove edge?
Yes. Contact with the glove (which is connected to the hand that holds the bat) counts as bat contact for caught-behind decisions. Ultra Edge can detect glove edges, though they often produce a softer spike than a bat edge.
Why do commentators sometimes say Snicko shows no edge despite a sound being heard?
The noise may have occurred at a different moment (pad contact, footwork, batter's movement) rather than exactly when the ball passed the bat. Ultra Edge's precision helps separate these sounds frame by frame.