Cricket Umpire Duties: What Umpires Do, Signals, and How They Decide

Cricket umpires are the sport's judicial authority on the field. Two on-field umpires adjudicate every ball, supported by a third umpire (television umpire) for referrals. Understanding what umpires do reveals the complex real-time judgements required to officiate cricket at any level.

The Two On-Field Umpires

One on-field umpire stands at the bowler's end (behind the stumps at the non-striker's end) and one stands at square leg. The bowler's end umpire makes most decisions: LBW appeals (line and length), no-balls (front foot), wides, and fours/sixes signals. The square leg umpire monitors run-outs at the striker's end, stumpings, short runs, and obstructions. They alternate positions between innings.

Official Umpire Signals

• Out: one finger raised above head — the primary dismissal signal
• Four: arm swept horizontally across the body — boundary hit along the ground
• Six: both arms raised straight above the head — ball over the boundary without bouncing
• No-ball: one arm extended horizontally — illegal delivery
• Wide: both arms extended horizontally — too wide or too high for the batter to play
• Bye: open hand raised — extra runs scored without ball touching bat or body
• Leg bye: one knee raised with hand touching it — runs off the pad/body (not bat)
• Dead ball: both hands crossed below the waist — ball is out of play
• Short run: arm bent to touch opposite shoulder — batter failed to complete the run
• TV review: drawing a rectangle in the air — sending decision to third umpire

How LBW Decisions Are Made

An LBW (leg before wicket) decision requires the umpire to assess three criteria simultaneously: (1) did the ball pitch in line with or outside off stump?; (2) did the ball hit the batter's pad/body in line with the stumps (or would have, if the pad wasn't there)?; (3) would the ball have hit the stumps? The umpire must also consider whether the batter was attempting a shot. All three questions must be answered 'yes' for LBW to be given. The decision happens in milliseconds.

The Third Umpire: Television Reviews

The third umpire reviews DRS (Decision Review System) referrals sent by batting or bowling teams. For run-outs and stumpings, the on-field umpire can refer directly. For LBW and caught-behind decisions, teams use their allocated reviews to challenge. The third umpire uses Hawkeye ball-tracking for LBW (line and trajectory), Snickometer (audio waveform) for caught-behinds, and multiple camera angles for run-outs. Their decision, communicated via earpiece to on-field umpires, is final.

Match Referees vs Umpires: Different Roles

Match referees are separate from umpires. They observe the match but do not make on-field decisions. Match referees handle disciplinary issues: over rates (fines and bans), player behaviour, dissent toward umpires, and off-field conduct. If a player is reported for dissent by an umpire, the match referee determines the sanction. Umpires can issue warnings during the match (for excessive appealing, deliberate time-wasting, dangerous field settings) which may result in the match referee imposing fines.