LBW Full Form: The game of cricket has several rules that are meant to be followed by both batsmen and bowlers. An integral and vital rule in cricket is the Leg before Wicket (LBW) rule. As the name suggests, this rule deals with the batsmen obstructing the path of the delivery, intentionally or unintentionally, if it goes on to hit the stumps. If the ball hits the batsman’s leg right when they are in front of the wicket, and it hasn’t touched the bat, the batsman will be declared out. In simple words, the ball shouldn’t contact any other part of player’s accessories before going on to hit the leg, provided it is right in front of the wicket.
Full Form of LBW in Cricket
The full form of LBW is Leg Before Wicket. Contrary to the idea that it’s a “tactic used by batsmen,” LBW is actually a method by which a batsman can be dismissed in cricket. It is one of the 11 primary ways a batsman can be declared out in the game.
LBW occurs when a ball bowled by the bowler hits any part of the batsman’s body before hitting the bat and is going on to hit the stumps. The on-field umpire must then decide whether the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps if the batsman’s body had not intercepted it. Some additional factors, like the point of impact on the batsman’s body and the ball’s pitching location, are also considered when adjudicating an LBW decision.
The final verdict is either given by the on-field umpire or, in some professional matches with the Decision Review System (DRS), by a third umpire who reviews slow-motion replays. Contrary to your statement, the ball hits the batsman’s leg or pad, not the bowler’s.
LBW is a crucial and sometimes controversial aspect of cricket, requiring keen judgment from the on-field umpires or the third umpire when DRS is used.
Rules and regulations in LBW
There are some crucial rules that define a successful LBW dismissal. Let’s take a look at the most important rules that exist in the LBW rule.
- In order to appeal for a successful LBW, the delivery has to be a legal delivery, i.e. it cannot be a No-Ball. If the delivery turns out to be one, it won’t be taken into consideration.
- The delivery needs to be in line of the wickets, both at and after the point of impact with the players. If the impact of the ball is in line with the wickets but is not hitting the stumps, the batsman will not be declared out.
- The ball must not come in contact with the batsman’s bat before hitting their body, or else it won’t be taken into consideration for an LBW.
- The delivery cannot pitch outside the leg-side of the line of wickets, however, it can pitch outside-off and make an impact in the line. For example, if a right-handed batsman faces a delivery that is pitching outside the leg stump and it hits his body in the line, he/she won’t be given an LBW by the umpire.
- An LBW decision can only be passed by the umpire. It is the only rule that completely requires the cognizance and acknowledgement of the umpire. The fielding team must appeal for an LBW to be given by the umpire
- Apart from the bat, if the ball hits the wrist of the batsman, he will not be given an LBW.
Evolution of LBW of the years
The rule of LBW has changed significantly over the years. Plenty of amendments have been made in a way that it doesn’t favour either the batsmen or the bowlers completely. Let’s have a look at how the rule has shaped its projection over the years.
In mid 1770s the rule did not really exist and had evident inclination towards favouring the batsmen completely. The bats back then weren’t as straight as they are now, instead, they were curved and the batsmen could simply pad any ball away without any worries of being given out. However, in late 1770s, a rule was passed that the batter couldn’t ‘obstruct the path of the delivery’ if it went on to hit the stumps. But, there was no hint of where the ball would eventually land before hitting the stumps, thereby, only highlighting the intention of the batsmen from stopping the ball, something that was very subjective.
Later in 1839, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) established clarity over the pitching of the ball. It stated that ball had to necessarily pitch in line of the stumps in order to accomplish a successful LBW dismissal. Therefore, the batsmen could simply pad away any delivery that pitched outside off without having to worry about getting dismissed.
There were no amendments subjected to this rule for nearly 100 years before another LBW rule was added in 1935. The rule stated that the batsman could be given out, even if the ball had pitched outside the off-stump and would’ve eventually hit the stumps. This change did garner a lot of controversies as stifled the batting style of batsmen, not allowing them leave any spinning delivery that was pitching outside the off-stump.
However, between late 1990s and early 2000s another change was implemented to the LBW rule. This rule stated the ball had to necessarily be in line while impacting the pad of the batsmen. Since then, the LBW rule has more or less been the same with some minor changes on the ball hitting a part of the stumps which comes under the umpire’s call.
Role of technology in reducing wrong LBW calls.
LBW is undoubtedly the most controversial rule in the game of cricket. There has not been an absolute level of clarity on deciding a successful LBW call. However, the advent of various technologies has paved the way in deciding successful decisions.
Decision Review System (DRS) and Ball Tracking: This system traces the path of the delivery right from when it is released to the time it goes through the stumps. This system greatly helps in determining the path of ball if it could have gone on to hit the stumps:
Hawk-Eye: This technology is also helpful in tracing the path of the delivery, and is done through cameras. It helps the umpires in defining whether the ball would hit the stumps or not.
Ultra Edge/ SNICKO: These two technologies have played an important role in deriving several reviews. Ultra Edge and SNICKO help in determining if the ball has hit any part of the batsman’s body before hitting the stumps. Both the technologies use microphones in observing the sound of the bat or any other part of the batsman’s body.
Conclusion
The Leg Before Wicket (DRS) system, without a doubt, has been in the helm of controversies over the years. However, the rules and decision making are much more clarified thanks to technologies like Hawk Eye and Ultra Edge. Despite this, there cannot be complete accuracy in LBW decisions in the current world.