Umpire's Call in DRS Explained — What It Means and Why It's Controversial
Umpire's Call is the most debated concept in the Decision Review System. Learn what it means, when it applies, and why it preserves the original on-field decision even when technology says otherwise.
When a batting team reviews an lbw decision and ball-tracking shows the ball clipping the edge of the stumps, the third umpire will sometimes announce: 'Umpire's Call — original decision stands.' The review is not overturned, and the review is not lost either. This is the Umpire's Call outcome — one of the most misunderstood and debated concepts in modern cricket.
What Umpire's Call means
Umpire's Call is a DRS outcome that preserves the original on-field decision when ball-tracking shows a marginal result. The technology is accurate to within a certain tolerance — not pixel-perfect — so when impact or projected path lands in the overlap zone between 'out' and 'not out', the system acknowledges that uncertainty by deferring to the umpire. The DRS is designed to overturn clear errors, not to second-guess decisions within the margin of error of the technology itself.
The Umpire's Call zone
Ball-tracking technology (Hawk-Eye) projects the ball's path from the point of impact with the pad through to the stumps. If more than 50% of the ball's projected path overlaps with the stumps, it is given as 'hitting'. If less than 50% overlaps but the ball is still clipping the stump, that marginal zone triggers Umpire's Call. The exact threshold is defined by the ICC — if the ball is shown to be missing the stumps entirely, the umpire's 'out' call is overturned regardless.
Review retained on Umpire's Call
A crucial and often-misunderstood consequence: when Umpire's Call saves a decision, the team that used the review does not lose it. Both teams start a Test innings with two reviews. If your review triggers Umpire's Call, you retain that review because the decision was genuinely marginal — you were not wasting the review on something that was obviously correct. This was changed in 2016 after criticism that teams were disadvantaged for correctly identifying marginal decisions.
Why Umpire's Call is controversial
Critics argue that the same ball-tracking data is used for both overturning clear misses and triggering Umpire's Call, creating an asymmetry. If ball-tracking shows a ball missing the stumps by the same margin as one clipping them, the result is wildly different — one is overturned, one is upheld. Broadcasters showing the same Hawk-Eye visual for different outcomes adds to the perception of inconsistency. Proponents argue that the uncertainty zone is real, that no technology is infallible, and that preserving umpire authority at the margins is philosophically correct.
- Umpire's Call preserves the original decision when ball-tracking lands in the marginal zone
- The review is not lost when Umpire's Call is the outcome
- Applies to both impact with stumps and projected path to stumps
- Criticism focuses on the asymmetry: the same visual can produce opposite outcomes depending on the original decision
- ICC reviews the Umpire's Call threshold periodically based on feedback from players and umpires
Frequently asked questions
What is Umpire's Call in cricket DRS?
Umpire's Call is a DRS outcome where ball-tracking shows the decision is marginal — in the uncertainty zone — so the original on-field umpire's decision is upheld. The review is not lost by the challenging team.
Do you lose a review on Umpire's Call?
No. If the review result is Umpire's Call, the challenging team retains the review, because the decision was genuinely on the borderline and the DRS was not wasted.
Why does Umpire's Call exist?
Ball-tracking technology has a tolerance margin and is not 100% precise. Umpire's Call acknowledges that margin: when the result is within the technology's uncertainty range, the on-field umpire's judgment is preserved rather than overridden.