cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

, a "leg bye" is a type of extra, a run scored by the batting team without the

batsman In cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball, ball with a cricket bat, bat to score runs (cricket), runs and prevent the dismissal (cricket), loss of one's wicket. Any player who is currently batting is, since Septembe ...

hitting the ball. Law 23 of the

Laws of Cricket The ''Laws of Cricket'' is a code that specifies the rules of the game of cricket worldwide. The earliest known code was drafted in 1744. Since 1788, the code has been owned and maintained by the private Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in Lord's Cr ...

specifies that one be scored when the ball is not hit with the bat, but it hits the batsman's body or protective gear.

Scoring leg byes

If the ball deflects off the batter's body, the batsmen can attempt to score runs in a similar manner as if the ball had been hit. The number of runs scored are scored as leg byes – they are added to the team's total, but not to the number of runs scored by the batter nor to the runs conceded by the bowler. If the ball deflects off the batter's body and travels all the way to the boundary, the batting team immediately scores four leg byes, similar to if the ball had been hit to the boundary for a four. The only part of the batter's body to which the rule does not apply is the hand or hands (that is, the batter's gloves) holding the bat, which are deemed for the sake of the rules to be a part of the bat. If the ball strikes a hand which for whatever reason is not holding the bat, then leg byes may be scored. However, if the batter deliberately allows the ball to hit a hand which is not holding the bat no leg byes can be scored, and he may on appeal be given out

obstructing the field Obstructing the field is one of the ten methods of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. Either batsman can be given out if he wilfully attempts to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action. It is Law 37 of the Laws of ...

. Leg byes may only be scored if the ball hits the batter who was: *attempting to hit the ball with his bat, or *attempting to evade being hit by the ball. If the batter was attempting neither of these, and the ball hits his body, it is a dead ball and runs may not be scored. If the batsmen attempt to score runs in this instance, the fielding team may attempt to run either of them out. If the batting pair complete such a "run" when the ball is dead, the umpire signals dead ball, the run is not scored, and the batters must return to their

wicket In the sport of cricket, the term wicket has several meanings: * It is either of the two sets of three Stump (cricket), stumps and two Bail (cricket), bails at each end of the Cricket pitch, pitch. The Fielding (cricket), fielding team's playe ...

s as before the run attempt. If it appears that the ball would have hit the stumps were it not for the batter's legs, the batter may be dismissed

leg before wicket Leg before wicket (lbw) is one of the ways in which a Batting (cricket), batter can be dismissal (cricket), dismissed in the sport of cricket. Following an Appeal (cricket), appeal by the Fielding (cricket), fielding side, the umpire (cricket), ...

. Leg byes are the most common form of extras scored in Test cricket. The average number of leg byes scored in a Test match is about 20; in a 50 over game it is about 10. The most leg byes in a single test innings is 35, conceded by

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

against

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

in the Proteas' tour of England, on 1 August 2008.

Scoring notation

The conventional notation for a single leg bye is a triangle with a point at the base and horizontal edge at the top (an inverted bye symbol). If more than one leg bye is taken the number scored is written within the triangle - in practice it is easier to write the number down and then draw the triangle around it.

Validity

Prior to his retirement from Test cricket Australian captain

Steve Waugh Stephen Rodger Waugh (born 2 June 1965) is an Australian former international cricketer and twin brother of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman and a medium-pace bowler, Waugh is considered one of the greatest cricketers of all time. ...

called for leg byes to be removed from the sport, commenting: "I don't think you should get runs when you miss the ball."

Umpire's signal

Umpires signal a leg bye with a hand touching their raised knee.Umpire's signal
BBC Sport, Retrieved on 5 August 2009

References

{{Cricket statistics Cricket terminology Scoring (cricket) Cricket laws and regulations