Explainers
The LBW law, simply put
Leg before wicket is the dismissal fans argue about most. These are the questions an umpire asks.
A batter can be given out leg before wicket (LBW) only when several conditions are met together. It helps to think of them as a short checklist.
- Where did the ball pitch? It must not have pitched outside leg stump.
- Where did it hit the batter? The point of impact must be in line with the stumps, or, if the batter was not playing a shot, can be outside the line of off stump.
- Would it have hit the stumps? The ball must have been going on to hit them.
- Did the bat touch it first? If the ball hit the bat before the pad, the batter cannot be out LBW.
Umpire’s call
When a decision is reviewed, ball-tracking technology predicts the path of the ball. If the prediction shows the ball only clipping the stumps, the on-field decision stands. That is what “umpire’s call” means.