Cricket Umpires — On-Field, Off-Field, Third and Reserve

A cricket match involves several umpires with distinct, non-overlapping roles. Understanding who makes which decisions clarifies how dismissals are adjudicated, how DRS reviews work, and what happens when an on-field umpire is injured.

The on-field umpires

Two umpires stand on the field during play. The bowler's end umpire stands at the end from which the bowler delivers and makes most of the primary dismissal decisions — lbw, caught-behind, caught at the wicket, no balls, and general appeal rulings. The square leg umpire stands at square leg and is primarily responsible for run outs at the bowler's end, stumping calls, and assisting on close calls at the batting crease.

The third umpire (TV umpire)

The third umpire sits off the field in a review room with access to multiple camera angles, Hawk-Eye (ball-tracking), Snickometer/Edge Detector (inside edge detection), and UltraEdge. The third umpire has the following responsibilities:

• DRS reviews — when a team challenges an on-field decision, the third umpire reviews the available technology and either upholds or overturns the original decision.
• Definitive catches — certain close catches are automatically referred to the third umpire (e.g. low catches near the grass).
• Run outs and stumpings — close run-outs are always referred to the third umpire as a soft signal or direct referral.
• Boundaries — checking whether the ball crossed the boundary before being fielded.

The reserve umpire

The reserve umpire is a qualified umpire on standby who can replace an on-field umpire if they are injured or ill during a match. They do not otherwise participate in match officiating during a normal game. In some bilateral series, reserve umpires also assist with boundary decisions and player safety issues.