Wide Ball in Cricket: What Counts and What Doesn't
How umpires judge wide deliveries in Test, ODI, and T20 cricket, why the width definition differs by format, and what happens when a wide is called.
A wide is a delivery bowled so wide of or over the batter that in the umpire's opinion they would be unable to play it with a normal batting stroke while standing in their guard position. Wides are called for both side-wide deliveries AND height-wide deliveries (over the batter's head when standing upright). Wides add one run to extras and must be re-bowled.
Width Standards by Format
Wide laws differ by format — the key difference is how strictly they are applied. In Tests, umpires apply the traditional 'can the batter reach it' standard. In ODIs and T20s, the ICC instructs umpires to apply a stricter standard — any ball passing outside a line roughly a bat's width (or less) from the off stump, or any ball passing down the leg side, should be called wide. This produces more wides in white-ball cricket.
Height Wides
A delivery passing over the batter's head when standing at the crease is also a wide — it cannot be reached with a normal batting stroke from the standing position. This differs from a beamer (which reaches the batter below the head at full pitch) — a beamer is a no-ball; a ball passing over the batter's head is a wide (or a no-ball if it arrives without bouncing at head height, which is rare).
What Happens on a Wide
On a wide: (1) one run added to extras; (2) the delivery must be re-bowled; (3) the batting team cannot lose a wicket (except via run-out or stumping on a wide). Wides in limited-overs cricket are also a tactical concern — bowlers must be careful on the leg side because any delivery sliding down leg stump is typically signalled wide.
Wides and Byes
If a wide ball passes the wicketkeeper and the batters run (or it reaches the boundary), those additional runs are 'wide byes' — they are all counted as wide extras, not byes. The signal is umpire's arms extended sideways (wide signal) not the thumbs-up (bye signal).
Frequently asked questions
What is a wide in cricket?
A wide is a delivery the umpire judges the batter would be unable to play with a normal batting stroke while standing in their guard position. This includes deliveries too wide to reach on the off or leg side, and deliveries passing over the batter's head. Wides add one run to extras and must be re-bowled.
Is the wide standard different in T20 vs Test cricket?
Yes — the ICC instructs umpires to apply a stricter wide standard in white-ball (T20 and ODI) cricket than in Tests. Any delivery clearly outside the off stump or down the leg side is typically called wide in white-ball cricket. In Tests, the standard is slightly more lenient — the batter must have had no realistic chance of playing the delivery.
Can a batter be out on a wide?
A batter can be dismissed on a wide only by run-out or stumping. They cannot be bowled, caught, LBW, hit wicket, or dismissed by most other methods off a wide delivery. Wide dismissals by stumping are relatively common when a batter overcommits moving down the pitch to a wide.