# LBW Rules in Cricket
LBW stands for **Leg Before Wicket**. It is one of cricket’s most discussed dismissal rules. Simply put: a batter is out LBW when the ball hits their body (usually the pad) instead of the bat, and the umpire judges the ball would have hit the stumps if the pad was not there.
All these conditions **must be true** for an LBW out:
1. It is **not a No Ball**. If the delivery is a no-ball, LBW cannot be given.
2. The ball pitches **in line with the stumps OR outside the off stump**.
- If the ball pitches **outside the leg stump**, LBW is impossible, no matter where it hits.
3. The ball **did NOT touch the bat first**. If bat hits the ball before the pad, it cannot be LBW.
4. The ball hits the batter’s body (pad, thigh, body, not bat/hand holding bat).
5. Umpire’s call: the ball would have gone on to strike the stumps.
Two key scenarios for impact
- **Batter plays a shot (genuine attempt to hit):** Impact must be between off stump and leg stump (in line with the stumps).
- **Batter does NOT play a shot:** Impact can be in line OR outside the off stump, as long as the ball would hit the stumps.
DRS & Umpire’s Call
In international matches, teams use DRS with Hawk-Eye ball tracking to review LBW decisions.
Three parts are checked:
1. Where the ball pitched
2. Where the ball hit the batter (impact)
3. Whether the ball would hit the stumps
If the edge is very close and the technology is not clear-cut, it is **Umpire’s Call**, and the original on-field decision stays unchanged.
Common LBW “Not Out” Cases
✅ Ball pitches outside leg stump → Not out
✅ Ball hits the bat first → Not out
✅ It is a no-ball → Not out
✅ The ball would have passed over the bails or wide of the stumps → Not out
✅ Batter’s impact is outside off stump and they played a shot → Not out
Quick Cheat Sheet
✅ LBW = ball hits body, would hit stumps
✅ No ball = no LBW
✅ Pitch outside leg stump = never LBW
✅ Bat touches first = no LBW
✅ Played shot: impact must be in line
✅ No shot: impact can be outside off stump
✅ DRS uses pitch, impact, and hit zone; marginal calls = Umpire’s Call