The LBW Rule Explained: Law 36, DRS and Umpire's Call

LBW, leg before wicket, is the dismissal for a batter who stops with their body a ball that would have hit the stumps. It looks simple and is not, because the Law sets five conditions and all five must be met. This page sets out the conditions in the order an umpire works through them, the answers to the questions people most often ask, and how DRS reviews an LBW, using the Laws in force since 1 October 2026 and the ICC's current playing conditions.

The Five Conditions

Under Law 36, the striker is out LBW only if every one of these applies:

1. It is a legal delivery. No LBW off a no-ball.
2. The ball did not first land outside leg stump. It must land in line between wicket and wicket or on the off side. A full toss skips this test.
3. It hit the batter before the bat. Any part of the body counts. If the ball hits bat and pad at the same moment, the Law treats it as bat first.
4. It hit the batter in line. The impact must be between wicket and wicket. The one exception: if the batter made no genuine attempt to play the ball with the bat, an impact outside off stump can still be out.
5. It would have hit the wicket. The umpire assumes the ball carries on along its path after hitting the batter.

Only the first interception counts. Height does not stop an LBW: the Law says the point of impact counts "even if above the level of the bails". And the umpire can only give it if the fielding side appeals.

Off Side and Leg Side

Which side is off and which is leg depends on how the batter is standing when the ball comes into play, which the Laws define as the moment the bowler starts their run-up. For a right-hander, off stump is on the right as the bowler sees it; for a left-hander, it is on the left. A batter who changes stance after the bowler starts running in keeps their original off and leg side, which matters for the switch hit and the reverse sweep.

The clearest recent example came at the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup. Australia's Phoebe Litchfield, a left-hander, was given out LBW attempting a reverse sweep, and the decision was overturned on review because the ball had pitched outside her leg stump. India's players argued that her change of stance should have changed the line. Under the Law, as Wisden explained, it does not.

Common LBW Questions

How DRS Reviews an LBW

In international cricket the third umpire first checks the delivery was legal and whether the ball touched the bat. Ball-tracking then reports three things: where the ball landed, where it hit the batter, and whether it would have hit the wicket.

• Landing: outside leg is not out, with no margin for doubt.
• Impact and wicket: if the tracking shows a marginal case, the on-field decision stands. That is umpire's call. For the impact, it applies when part of the ball is in line but its centre is not; for the wicket, when the ball is hitting but its centre is outside the wicket zone.
• The wicket zone includes the bails. Until mid-2025 it stopped at the top of the stumps. The ICC changed it in June 2025, so a ball shown clipping the bails can now be hitting rather than umpire's call.
• The distance rule: a not-out decision stands if the batter was hit 3 metres or more from the stumps, or between 2.5 and 3 metres when the ball had travelled less than 40 cm after landing.
• Reviews: each side gets three unsuccessful reviews an innings in Tests and two in one-day and T20 internationals. A review that fails only on umpire's call does not count against that limit.

The ICC announced the bails change on 27 June 2025. Our guide to what a cricket umpire does covers DRS more widely.

What Changed in 2026

Only the wording. The 2026 edition of the Laws stopped using "pitch" for where the ball lands, so Law 36 now says the ball "first lands" in line rather than "pitches" in line. The rule on off side and leg side, and every condition above, is unchanged.

FAQs: The LBW Rule

Why can't you be LBW to a ball pitching outside leg?
Because Law 36 requires the ball to land in line or on the off side. A ball landing outside leg stump can never be out LBW, however straight it then goes.

What does "not offering a shot" mean?
The Law's test is whether the batter made a genuine attempt to play the ball with the bat. If not, an impact outside off stump can be out. The on-field umpire decides, and tells the third umpire on review.

What is umpire's call in LBW?
When ball-tracking shows a marginal case on the impact or the hit on the stumps, the on-field decision stands. It does not apply to where the ball lands.

Can you be LBW if the ball hits your bat and pad together?
No. If they are struck at the same time, the Law treats the ball as hitting the bat first.

Does LBW apply to left-handed batters the same way?
Yes, with the off and leg sides reversed.