LBW, short for leg before wicket, is a way a batter can be dismissed in cricket when the ball strikes their body, usually the pad, in front of the stumps and, in the umpire’s judgment, would have gone on to hit the wickets. It exists to stop batters from simply blocking deliveries with their legs instead of the bat. LBW is one of the most debated decisions in the sport because it asks the umpire to judge where the ball would have traveled had the body not been in the way.
The basic idea
Cricket rewards hitting the ball with the bat and defending the stumps behind you. If a batter could legally use their legs as a shield, bowling would become nearly impossible. The LBW law closes that loophole: if the ball is stopped by the body and was heading for the stumps, the batter can be given out. The fielding side must appeal for the umpire to even consider it.
The conditions for an LBW dismissal
Under Law 36 of the Laws of Cricket, maintained by the MCC, several conditions must be met for a batter to be out LBW. The main ones are:
- The ball must not pitch outside leg stump. Where the ball bounces matters. If it pitches outside the line of leg stump, it cannot be LBW, no matter what happens next.
- Point of impact. The ball must strike the batter in line with the stumps, between wicket and wicket. There is one exception: if the batter offers no genuine attempt to play a shot, they can be out even if struck outside the off stump line.
- The ball must be going on to hit the stumps. In the umpire’s judgment, the delivery must have been on track to hit the wickets had the body not intervened. Even clipping the bails counts.
The ball must also not have touched the bat or the glove holding the bat before hitting the body. If there is an inside edge onto the pad, it is not out LBW, which is why fielding sides often appeal for a catch and an LBW at the same time and why replays check for the faint sound or deflection of an edge.
It is worth stressing that the ball does not have to strike the leg despite the name. LBW can be given if the ball hits any part of the body that is not holding the bat, including the thigh, chest, or glove off the bat, provided all the other conditions are satisfied. The name simply reflects that the pad is the most common point of contact.
Why pitching outside leg is not out
The rule that a ball pitching outside leg stump can never be LBW protects batters from unfair bowling. Without it, a bowler could aim well down the leg side and angle the ball back to trap the batter, who would have little chance to play a normal shot. By ruling those deliveries out of contention for LBW, the law keeps the contest fair and encourages attacking, straighter bowling.
The appeal and the umpire’s decision
No batter is given out LBW automatically. The fielding team must appeal, traditionally with the cry of “howzat”, short for “how is that”. The umpire then weighs every condition in an instant: where it pitched, where it struck, whether the bat was involved, and whether it was hitting the stumps. Because so much depends on judgment, LBW decisions are among the hardest an umpire makes.
Reviews and umpire’s call
In professional cricket, teams can challenge decisions using a review system with ball-tracking technology. The technology projects the ball’s path to show whether it would have hit the stumps. A key term here is umpire’s call: if the projected path only marginally clips the stumps, the original on-field decision stands, whether that was out or not out. This is why two similar-looking appeals can produce different results.
LBW in different formats
The LBW law is the same across formats, but its impact varies with tactics. In longer games, patient bowlers set up batters over many overs, while in shorter formats the aggression changes the risk. Understanding LBW helps make sense of the bigger picture, from a bowler stringing together a maiden over to how the game changes across the different cricket formats. And because LBW is one of several ways to lose your wicket, it is essential knowledge for any new fan trying to follow the action.
Frequently asked questions
What does LBW stand for?
LBW stands for leg before wicket. It is a method of dismissal in which the ball strikes the batter’s body, usually the pad, in front of the stumps and would have gone on to hit them.
Can you be out LBW if the ball pitches outside leg stump?
No. If the ball pitches outside the line of leg stump, the batter cannot be given out LBW, even if it would have hit the stumps. This protects batters from balls angled in from wide of the leg side.
Does the bowling team have to appeal for LBW?
Yes. As with all dismissals in cricket, the umpire will not give a batter out LBW unless the fielding side appeals, traditionally by shouting “howzat”.
What is umpire's call in LBW reviews?
When a decision is reviewed with ball-tracking technology, umpire’s call means the ball only clips the stumps marginally, so the on-field decision stands whether it was out or not out.
