Editing Leg before wicket (section)

==Definition==
[[File:Cricket pitch perspective.svg|thumb|left|upright|The area shaded in blue in the above diagram of a cricket pitch is in line with the wickets]]
The definition of leg before wicket (lbw) is currently Law 36 in the [[Laws of Cricket]], written by the [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] (MCC).<ref name="lbw law"/> Before a batter can be dismissed lbw, the fielding team must [[Appeal (cricket)|appeal]] to the umpire.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lords.org/mcc/laws-of-cricket/laws/law-31-appeals/ |title=Law 31 – Appeals |publisher=MCC |access-date=29 September 2017}}</ref> If the bowler delivers a [[no-ball]] — an illegal delivery — the batter cannot be out lbw under any circumstances.<ref name="lbw law">{{cite web |url=https://www.lords.org/mcc/laws-of-cricket/laws/law-36-leg-before-wicket/ |title=Law 36 – Leg before wicket |publisher=MCC |access-date=29 September 2017}}</ref> Otherwise, for the batter to be adjudged lbw, the ball, if it bounces, must [[Cricket pitch#Related usages|pitch]] in line with or on the off side of the [[wicket]]s.{{refn|On a [[cricket pitch]], there is a set of [[Stump (cricket)|stumps]] at each end. The ball pitches in line with the wickets if, when bowled, it lands in the area directly between these stumps.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/rules_and_equipment/6126210.stm|title=LBW: Batsman is out|publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=14 March 2013|date=8 November 2006}}</ref>|group=notes}}{{refn|For a right-handed batter, the off side is the right-hand side of the pitch when viewed from his perspective. For a left-handed batter, the off side is the left-hand side.<ref name=glossary>{{cite web| last = Williamson | first = Martin| url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/239756.html| title = A glossary of cricket terms| publisher = ESPNCricinfo| access-date = 5 March 2012}}</ref>|group=notes}} Then the ball must strike part of the batter's body without first touching his/her [[Cricket bat|bat]],{{refn|In the Laws of Cricket, the batter's bat is considered to include the hand or hands holding it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lords.org/mcc/laws-of-cricket/laws/law-6-the-bat/ |title=Law 6 (The bat) |publisher=Marylebone Cricket Club |year=2010 |access-date=10 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530085548/http://www.lords.org/mcc/laws-of-cricket/laws/law-6-the-bat/ |archive-date=30 May 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>|group=notes}} in line with the wickets and have been going on to hit the stumps. The batter may also be out lbw if, having made no attempt to hit the ball with their bat, they are struck outside the line of off stump by a ball that would have hit the wickets. The umpire must assume that the ball would have continued on the same trajectory after striking the batter, even if it would have bounced before hitting the stumps.

A batter can be out lbw even if the ball did not hit their leg: for example, a batter struck on the head could be lbw, although this situation is extremely rare. However, the batter cannot be lbw if the ball pitches on the [[leg side]] of the stumps ("outside leg stump"),{{refn|For a right-handed batter, the leg side is the left-hand side of the pitch when viewed from his perspective. For a left-handed batter, the leg side is the right-hand side.<ref name="glossary" />|group=notes}} even if the ball would have otherwise hit the wickets.<ref name="bbc lbw">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/rules_and_equipment/4176136.stm|title=Ways of getting out: Leg before wicket|publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=5 March 2012|date=26 August 2005}}</ref> Similarly, a batter who has attempted to hit the ball with their bat cannot be lbw if the ball strikes them outside the line of off stump.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/rules_and_equipment/6126190.stm|title=Not out LBW: Outside line of off stump|publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=5 March 2012|date=8 November 2006}}</ref> However, some shots in cricket, such as the [[switch hit]] or [[Batting (cricket)#Reverse_sweep|reverse sweep]], involve the batter switching between a right- and left-handed stance; this affects the location of the off and leg side, which are determined by the stance. The law explicitly states that the off side is determined by the batter's stance when the bowler commences their run-up.<ref name="lbw law"/><ref>{{cite news| last = Bull | first = Andy | url = https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/jun/17/englandcricketteam.cricket1| title = MCC endorses Pietersen's switch-hitting| date = 17 June 2008 | work = The Guardian | access-date = 10 May 2013 | location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=MCC looking at switch hit options|url=http://www.lords.org/mcc-looking-at-switch-hit-options/|publisher=MCC|access-date=10 May 2013|date=10 May 2012}}</ref>

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According to MCC guidelines for umpires, factors to consider when giving an lbw decision include the angle at which the ball was travelling and whether the ball was [[Swing bowling|swinging]] through the air. The umpire must also account for the height of the ball at impact and how far from the wicket the batter was standing; from this information they must determine if the ball would have passed over the stumps or struck them.<ref name=guidance>{{cite web |url=http://www.lords.org/mcc/laws-of-cricket/laws-in-action/law-36-in-action/ |title=Law 36 in Action |publisher=Marylebone Cricket Club |year=2010 |access-date=10 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212233339/http://www.lords.org/mcc/laws-of-cricket/laws-in-action/law-36-in-action/ |archive-date=12 February 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The MCC guidance states that it is easier to make a decision when the ball strikes the batter without pitching, but that the difficulty increases when the ball has bounced and more so when there is a shorter time between the ball pitching and striking the batter.<ref name=guidance/>