LBW: Leg Before Wicket

LBW is one of the most common type of dismissal in cricket. It is very confusing type of dismissal for fans. So, in this blog we tried to explain it. The batsman is given out LBW if the umpire believes the ball would have hit the stumps if it had not been obstructed by the batsman’s pad or any other part of body except the hand holding the bat. To understand LBW, we must know some basic terms which are as follows:

1. Pitching: Where the ball is pitched i.e., in line, outside leg or outside off.
2. Impact: Where the ball contacted the pad i.e., in line or outside.
3. Wickets: Whether the ball was going to hit the stumps i.e., Hitting or Missing.

Situation in which batsman is given not out:

1. If the ball bowled by bowler is a no-ball.
2. If the ball hits the bat before hitting the pad. Even a small inside edge is enough to give a batsman not out.
3. If the ball pitches outside the line of leg stump, even if the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps, batsman cannot be given out. (Pitching: Outside leg)
4. If the ball hits on the pad of batsman outside the line of off stump when he was trying to hit the ball. (Impact: Outside)
5. If the batsman steps out of the crease and the point of impact is in between 250 cm to 350 cm from the stumps and at the same time ball has traveled less than 40 cm after pitching.
6. If the batsman steps out of the crease and the point of impact is more than 350 cm.

Situation in which batsman is given out:

1. If the ball hits on the pad of the batsman while pitched in line of the stumps or outside the line of off stump. (Pitching: In line or Outside off)
2. If the ball hits the pad of the batsman outside the line of off stump when he was not trying to hit the ball i.e., leaving the ball.
3. If the batsman steps out of the crease and the point of impact is in between 250 to 350 cm from the stumps and at the same time ball has traveled more than 40 cm after pitching. But in this case, some part of the ball must be hitting the middle stump, and the whole ball must be hitting the stumps below the bails.

For giving out LBW, it is important that more than 50% of the ball should,

1. Pitch on the line of the stumps.
2. Hit the pad in front of the stumps.
3. Go on to hit the stumps.