LBW in Cricket: The Leg Before Wicket Rule Explained

Updated: 31 October 2026 · Author: Cricket Match Scorecard Editorial

Leg before wicket is the dismissal that causes the most arguments in cricket. A batter can be given out without the ball touching the stumps, based on the umpire's judgement of where it would have gone. It feels mysterious until you see that the umpire is working through a short checklist.

Why the rule exists

Without LBW, a batter could simply stand in front of the stumps and pad the ball away all day, with no risk of being bowled. The law stops the body being used as a second bat. It does not punish every ball that hits the pad, only those that meet specific conditions.

The checklist an umpire works through

After an appeal, the umpire considers these questions in order. If any answer goes the batter's way, it is not out.

1. Was it a legal delivery? A batter cannot be out LBW off a no-ball.
2. Where did it pitch? If the ball bounced outside the line of leg stump, it is not out, however straight it then became.
3. Did it hit the bat first? If the ball touched the bat before the pad, it is not out.
4. Where did it strike the batter? The impact must be in line between the wickets. There is one exception, covered below.
5. Would it have hit the stumps? The umpire must judge that the ball would have gone on to hit the wicket.

Off side and leg side are treated differently

This is the part that confuses most people. The rule is not symmetrical:

• Pitching outside off stump is allowed. A batter can still be out.
• Pitching outside leg stump is never out, full stop.
• Impact outside off stump can be out, but only if the batter was not genuinely trying to play the ball with the bat.
• Impact outside leg stump is never out.

The off-side exception exists so that a batter cannot safely kick away every ball outside off stump with the pad and offer no shot. It is why you will sometimes hear a commentator say "he didn't offer a shot, and that's a problem".

Three everyday examples

The inswinger to the pads

A right-arm bowler pitches on middle stump to a right-handed batter. The ball hits the front pad in line, and it was going on to hit middle. Every condition is met, so this is the classic LBW.

The leg-side delivery that straightens

A spinner lands the ball just outside leg stump and it turns back to hit the pad directly in front of the stumps. It looks plumb and would have hit, but it pitched outside leg, so it is not out.

The big stride forward

A batter takes a long stride and is hit on the pad well down the pitch. The further the impact from the stumps, the harder it is to be sure that the ball would have carried on to hit them, and that uncertainty helps the batter.

How DRS changes the decision

In matches with the Decision Review System, ball tracking shows where the ball pitched, where it hit and its projected path. On screen you will see three boxes: pitching, impact and wickets.

The most debated result is umpire's call. If the projection shows only part of the ball hitting the stumps, or the impact is marginally outside the line, the original on-field decision stands. So the same delivery can be out or not out depending on what the umpire first said. The idea is that the technology has a margin of error, and the on-field decision should stand when the evidence is close.

A review that comes back as umpire's call also does not cost the reviewing team its review in most current playing conditions, though details can vary by competition.

How LBW appears on a scorecard

A scorecard shows lbw b Rao, which credits the wicket to the bowler. There is no fielder named because no catch or run out was involved. Our guide to reading a cricket scorecard covers the other abbreviations, and our list of every way of getting out puts LBW in context.

The full wording is in the MCC Laws of Cricket, Law 36. Next time you see a big appeal, run through the checklist in your head before the finger goes up.