Leg bye

In cricket, a leg bye is a run scored by the batting team as an extra when a legitimately bowled ball deflects off the batsman's body—excluding the hand holding the bat—without first touching the bat, and the batsmen complete one or more runs between the wickets.^[1] These runs are awarded only if the umpire determines that the batsman either attempted to play a stroke or made an effort to avoid being hit by the ball; otherwise, the ball is considered dead and no runs are scored.^[1]^[2] Leg byes differ from byes, which are extras scored when the ball passes the batsman without touching the bat or their body, allowing runs to the wicketkeeper or fielders.^[1] In both cases, the runs are credited to the team's total as extras rather than to the individual batsman, and they do not count toward the bowler's figures.^[2] If the deflection leads to a boundary, four leg byes (or six if it clears the boundary on the full) are awarded, though the batsmen do not need to run.^[1] Umpires signal leg byes by raising an arm and touching their raised knee, distinguishing it from the open-arm signal for byes.^[2] Under the Laws of Cricket governed by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), leg byes play a strategic role in the game, often arising from defensive play or deflections on the leg side, and they contribute to the batting side's score without benefiting the batsman's personal statistics.^[1] If the delivery is a no-ball, an additional penalty run is added, but leg byes can still be scored from the deflection.^[1] This rule ensures fairness by rewarding the batting team for opportunities created by the bowler's inaccuracy or the batsman's positioning, while preventing exploitation through deliberate body contact.^[2]

Overview

Definition

In cricket, a leg bye is a type of extra run awarded to the batting team when a legally delivered ball strikes the striker's person (other than the bat or glove held in the hand) without the striker having intentionally obstructed the fielders, and the batsmen subsequently complete one or more runs between the wickets.^[1] These runs are added to the team's total but not to the individual batsman's score, distinguishing them from runs scored off the bat. Leg byes occur only if the striker has either attempted to play the ball with the bat or endeavored to avoid being hit by it; otherwise, the umpire declares the ball dead and disallows any runs attempted.^[1] Unlike byes, which are scored when the ball passes the striker without touching either the bat or the batsman's person, leg byes specifically arise from deflections off the body, providing a mechanism to credit incidental runs while penalizing neither the bowler nor the batsman directly.^[1] If the delivery is a no-ball, an additional one-run penalty is added to the leg byes scored.^[1] The concept of leg byes emerged in the mid-19th century, with leg byes first recorded as a distinct scoring category in 1848.^[3] This development built on earlier 18th-century rules that began addressing extras to promote fair play and discourage obstructive tactics by batsmen.^[3] Leg byes are distinguished from other extras primarily by the requirement for incidental contact with the batsman's body, excluding the bat and gloves, whereas byes occur without any such contact. According to Law 23.1 of the MCC Laws of Cricket, byes are awarded when a fair delivery, not deemed a wide, passes the striker without touching their bat or person, allowing the batsmen to complete runs or score a boundary, all credited as extras to the batting team. In contrast, leg byes under Law 23.2 necessitate that the ball first deflects off the striker's person—defined as the body excluding the bat and any gloves worn on the hands holding it—provided the striker has attempted to play the ball or avoid being hit, with subsequent runs credited as leg byes rather than to the batsman. Unlike wides, which penalize the bowler for an illegal delivery passing too far from the striker to be playable with a normal cricket stroke, leg byes arise solely from fair deliveries where body contact occurs. Law 22.1 specifies that a wide is called if the ball passes wide of the striker's reach, incurring a one-run penalty added to any further runs scored, all recorded as wides and debited against the bowler's figures, regardless of contact with the batsman. If a potentially wide delivery strikes the striker's person before reaching a fielder, the wide call may be revoked under Law 22.3, but any resulting runs would then be assessed as leg byes if the contact criteria are met; however, leg byes themselves are not applicable to deliveries initially judged as wides without such revocation. For example, a ball pitching well outside leg stump and hitting the batsman's pad would typically be a wide with potential leg bye runs only if the wide is not called, emphasizing the umpire's judgment on playability. No-balls, as unfair deliveries such as those where the bowler's front foot oversteps the crease (Law 21.1), always confer a one-run penalty to the batting side irrespective of subsequent play, but leg byes can still be scored in addition if the ball contacts the striker's person after the no-ball call. Under Law 23.2, the no-ball penalty is added separately to any leg byes resulting from body deflection, with the total runs recorded as no-ball extras plus leg byes, not merging them into a single category. This interaction differs from standard leg byes on fair deliveries, as the bowler's figures suffer the no-ball penalty, but it underscores that leg byes are possible on no-balls, provided the contact is with the striker's person (excluding the bat or the hand holding it, including any glove on that hand) and not the bat—for instance, a front-foot no-ball hitting the pad and running for three would yield one no-ball run plus three leg byes. No leg byes are awarded if the striker makes no attempt to play or avoid the ball (Law 23.3), regardless of whether it is a no-ball.^[4]

Scoring Mechanics

How Leg Byes Are Awarded

In cricket, leg byes are awarded when the bowler delivers a ball that is not a wide, and the ball first strikes the striker's person—provided the umpire is satisfied that the striker has either attempted to play the ball with the bat or tried to avoid being hit by it—and the ball deflects without first touching the bat.^[1] The sequence begins with the bowler releasing the ball from behind the popping crease, aimed at the stumps or the striker's area, prompting the striker to prepare a stroke. If the ball strikes any part of the striker's person—defined as the body, clothing, or external protective equipment, excluding the hand holding the bat—the batsmen may then attempt to score runs by crossing between the wickets, provided the fielders do not effect a run-out or other dismissal.^[5] The umpire plays a central role in judging the nature of the contact, ensuring that the striker has made a genuine attempt to play the ball or to avoid injury from it; without such an attempt, the delivery is deemed dead, and no runs are allowed.^[1] Protective equipment, such as leg guards, thigh pads, and abdominal protectors, frequently features in these incidents, as the ball often glances off padded areas on the legs or torso during an attempted defensive shot, allowing the batsmen to run safely while the ball is retrieved by fielders.^[5] The contact must be inadvertent, meaning the striker does not deliberately use their body to deflect the ball, as intentional padding would invalidate the leg bye under the laws.^[1] Typical scenarios involve the ball pitching on or around leg stump, evading the bat and ricocheting off the pad for one or two runs as the batsmen scamper across, with fielders chasing the slowly rolling ball.^[1] In rarer cases, a misfield or poor stop can permit three or more runs, or even a boundary if the ball reaches the rope after deflection, though the umpire confirms the leg bye status only after observing the full play.^[5]

Run Allocation and Boundaries

In cricket, runs scored as leg byes are added exclusively to the batting team's total score as extras and are not credited to the individual batsman's score, regardless of the number of runs completed by the batters or via boundary allowance.^[1] These extras are not charged against the bowler's bowling figures, as they result from the ball deflecting off the batsman's person rather than the bat or from fielding errors.^[2] For boundary cases involving leg byes, if the ball—after touching the batsman's person but not the bat—reaches the boundary after being grounded or touches the boundary, four runs are awarded as leg bye extras to the team.^[6] A six-run boundary is not possible for leg byes, as this requires the ball to be struck by the bat and clear the boundary without first touching the ground.^[6] Leg bye runs stem from a delivery, and if it is not a no-ball, the ball counts fully toward the six-ball limit of the over, contributing to its progression; no-balls, which can also yield leg byes plus a penalty run, do not count toward the over.^[1]

Notation and Recording

Scoring Notation

In the 19th century, cricket scorecards evolved from lengthy handwritten entries spelling out terms like "leg bye" to abbreviated symbols, enabling faster and more standardized recording during matches; this transition gained prominence as leg byes were first distinctly noted as a category in 1848.^[3] Early scorebooks, such as those from the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), began incorporating concise notations to track extras efficiently amid growing match complexity. Traditional notation in physical scorebooks typically employs "lb" or "L" prefixed to the number of runs scored, such as "lb1" for a single leg bye or "lb4" for four, entered in the extras column to distinguish them from runs off the bat. An alternative and widely recognized symbol is an inverted triangle (∇), with the run count placed inside the shape for multiples (e.g., "2" within ∇ for two leg byes); this method, rooted in 19th-century conventions, ensures clarity when byes (marked as an upright triangle ∆) must also be differentiated.^[7]^[8]^[9] In digital scoring systems, including official applications aligned with International Cricket Council (ICC) standards, leg byes are recorded using "LB" abbreviations or dedicated icons, such as a knee-touch graphic, to log them separately from batsman-attributed runs. Platforms like Cricbuzz implement these in real-time interfaces, where selecting "LB" adds the runs to the extras tally while updating the over progression without crediting individual batsmen, maintaining the separation emphasized in run allocation rules.^[10]^[1]

Impact on Statistics

Leg byes do not contribute to a batsman's individual statistics, as these runs are classified as extras and not credited to the striker's tally. Consequently, they have no direct effect on the batsman's average, calculated as total runs scored off the bat divided by the number of dismissals. Similarly, leg byes are excluded from the runs numerator in the strike rate formula—(runs scored off the bat / balls faced) × 100—meaning they provide no positive contribution to this metric. However, the delivery resulting in a leg bye counts toward the batsman's balls faced, which can marginally reduce the strike rate by increasing the denominator without adding eligible runs.^[1]^[11] Despite the lack of direct statistical benefit to batsmen, leg byes can indirectly aid batting partnerships by enabling strike rotation. When batsmen run leg byes, they exchange ends without the striker needing to play a risky shot, allowing the non-striker—potentially a more proficient player against the bowler—to face the next delivery. This tactical advantage helps maintain momentum and reduces pressure on a struggling batsman, contributing to overall team performance without altering individual metrics.^[1] For bowlers, leg byes are recorded as team extras but are not charged to the individual's figures, preserving their economy rate, which measures runs conceded off the bat plus wides and no-balls per over bowled. This exclusion means leg byes do not penalize the bowler's personal economy—typically around 3.00 to 4.00 in Test cricket for effective performers—but they still inflate the opposition's total score, indirectly pressuring the bowling side's strategy.^[12]^[13] At the team level, leg byes form a key component of extras, which are added to the overall innings total but separate from runs scored by batsmen. High leg bye hauls can significantly boost a team's score, as seen in South Africa's 2008 first innings against England at Edgbaston, where they amassed a record 35 leg byes amid 47 total extras, contributing to their 314-run total. Such instances highlight leg byes' role in team records, where excessive extras (averaging about 20 leg byes per Test match) reflect fielding lapses and can alter match outcomes.^[14]

Rules and Validity

Conditions for Leg Byes

Leg byes are awarded under Law 23 of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Laws of Cricket when a delivered ball, not deemed a wide, first makes contact with the striker's person—defined as any part of the body except the hand holding the bat or the glove on that hand—and the batsmen subsequently complete runs or the ball reaches the boundary. The umpire must be satisfied that the striker either attempted to play the ball with the bat or made a genuine effort to avoid being hit by it; without this intent, the runs cannot be scored as leg byes. Contact must occur while the ball is in play, and the runs are credited to the batting side as extras rather than to the individual striker's score.^[15] Exclusions apply in several scenarios to ensure the validity of the award. No leg byes are permitted if the delivery is called a wide, as such balls are scored separately under Law 22 without allowance for byes or leg byes. Similarly, if the striker wilfully uses their body to obstruct the ball or deliberately directs it away—such as through a second intentional strike—leg byes are disallowed, the ball is declared dead, and any completed runs are nullified, with the batsmen returned to their original positions. In cases involving a no-ball, leg byes may still be awarded if the contact conditions are met, but they are scored distinctly from the mandatory one-run no-ball penalty.^[15] The 2017 MCC Laws of Cricket code, in its inaugural edition, clarified aspects of contact for leg byes, particularly emphasizing that incidental glove contact on the non-batting hand constitutes body contact eligible for leg byes if other conditions are fulfilled, while reinforcing the exclusion of the batting hand and its glove as an extension of the bat. This update aimed to standardize interpretations of "person" across dismissals and extras. No substantive alterations to these conditions have occurred in subsequent editions, including the 3rd edition of 2022, maintaining consistency as of 2025.^[16]^[15]

Interactions with Dismissals

In leg bye scenarios, a key interaction occurs with the leg before wicket (LBW) dismissal under Law 36 of the MCC Laws of Cricket. If the ball strikes the striker's person and would have hit the stumps in line with the conditions for LBW, the striker may be given out upon appeal, rendering the ball dead immediately and preventing any leg byes from being awarded, even if runs were attempted before the decision.^[17] However, if the umpire initially signals not out and the batsmen complete runs meeting the criteria for leg byes under Law 23, those runs stand unless a successful review overturns the decision to out, in which case the leg byes are rescinded and the striker is dismissed.^[1] Leg byes do not apply in cases of caught dismissals under Law 33, which requires the ball to touch the bat (including the hand or glove holding the bat). If the ball deflects off the striker's person without prior bat contact and is caught by a fielder, no caught dismissal occurs, though leg byes may be awarded if other conditions are met. Similarly, during runs attempted for leg byes, a run out under Law 38 can occur if the wicket is broken while the batsmen are out of their ground; in such instances, only the runs completed prior to the dismissal are allowed as leg byes, if valid, while the run out ends the delivery. If deliberate obstruction by the fielding side occurs during an attempt to score leg byes, as per Law 41.5, the batting team is awarded 5 penalty runs instead of the leg byes, and the ball becomes dead without further play on that delivery. This penalty supersedes the leg bye allocation to maintain fairness when fielders wilfully impede the batsmen's path.^[15]

Officiating

Umpire's Signal

In cricket, the umpire signals a leg bye by touching a raised knee with the hand, a gesture performed only after the ball becomes dead to communicate to the scorers that runs have been scored off the batsman's body rather than the bat. This signal is distinct from the one for a bye, which involves raising an open hand above the head to indicate runs scored without any contact with the batsman or their equipment.^[18] Accompanying the visual signal, the umpire verbally calls "leg bye" clearly and loudly to alert players, scorers, and broadcasters, ensuring immediate understanding during play. For instances involving multiple runs, the call is adjusted accordingly, such as "two leg byes" or "three leg byes," often supplemented by raising the appropriate number of fingers to specify the total. These practices help maintain accurate scoring, with leg byes counted as extras added to the team's total but not to the batsman's individual score.^[19] The signals for leg byes, along with other umpire communications, have been standardized under the Marylebone Cricket Club's (MCC) Laws of Cricket. The leg bye signal originated in earlier codes and has remained consistent through the 2017 Code (the current code as of 2025), with no alterations implemented. The International Cricket Council (ICC) adopts these MCC laws in its playing conditions.^[18]^[20]

Decision Processes

The umpire at the bowler's end initiates the decision process for leg byes by first verifying the legality of the delivery, ensuring it is neither a wide nor a no-ball under Laws 21 and 22 of the MCC Laws of Cricket. Once confirmed legal, the umpire observes the point of contact between the ball and the batsman, determining if it struck the body—typically the pad—without prior or subsequent contact with the bat.^[1] This assessment is crucial, as any deliberate bat contact would instead result in runs credited to the batsman.^[1] Next, the umpire evaluates the batsman's intent, as required by Law 23.2.1, to confirm whether the striker either attempted to play the ball with the bat or made an effort to avoid injury from it.^[1] If these conditions are satisfied and the batsmen complete runs safely without risk of dismissal, the runs are awarded as leg byes to the batting team.^[1] The umpire also monitors run safety throughout, intervening if necessary to call "dead ball" under Law 20 to prevent unsafe play. In ambiguous situations, such as unclear contact or positioning, the bowler's end umpire may consult the square-leg umpire, who provides an additional vantage point on the batsman's actions and the ball's trajectory.^[21] For contentious cases involving close contact or overlaps with leg before wicket (LBW) dismissals, the Decision Review System (DRS), implemented by the International Cricket Council starting in 2008, provides technological support. DRS enables reviews of on-field calls using tools like UltraEdge for detecting edges and Hawk-Eye for tracking, helping resolve whether the ball struck the bat or body first, or if an LBW not-out allows for leg bye runs. This system ensures greater accuracy in professional matches without altering the core umpire judgment under Law 23. Umpires handle potential errors by allowing reversal of a decision if prompted by new evidence, such as third-umpire replays in DRS scenarios, as long as the change is made promptly and complies with Law 20.6 on irrevocable dead balls, per Law 2.12 of the MCC Laws of Cricket.^[18] This provision maintains fairness while respecting the finality of most calls once the ball is dead.^[18]