The lbw law is not as complicated as some people may think but the umpire has to take a number of considerations into account in making a decision
The decision is governed by certain principles, which make the law simple to understand. Hopefully this club guide will do that but if you want an animated guide there is a very good one on the BBC website which we have used as a basis for this one.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/rules_and_equipment/6125026.stm
The umpire will consider an lbw decision if he believes the ball would have hit the stumps had its path not been obstructed by the batsman's pads or body.
The key issue here from the laws of cricket in that if there is any doubt it goes to the batsman so as an umpire you have to be certain that the ball would have hit the stumps, fairly sure or reacting to it being the 3rd close appeal is not certain. The key thing is certainty irrespective of whether you are umpiring our innings or the oppositions.
As an umpire you have to take certain factors into consideration before making a decision
1. Is the ball legal – you cannot be out LBW to a no ball – the most common no-ball is for the bowler over stepping the crease but for the other 12 possible no ball scenarios follow this link The no-ball law
2. Did the batsman touch the ball with his bat? A batsman cannot be given out if the ball hits the bat before the pad.
3. Where did the ball pitch?
a. Outside leg stump – not out you cannot be out LBW to a ball outside leg even if it would have went on to hit the stumps
b. Outside Off stump
The batsman cannot be out lbw appeal if the ball strikes his pad and he is playing a shot .It simply has to be a genuine shot and not an attacking shot or necessarily a good shot. E.G. if the batsman is trying to play a forward defensive and is struck outside the line of off stump he is not out.
The only exception to this rule is
If the batsman is not offering stroke the off stump defence is redundant, and if the ball would have hit the stumps then he is out.
c. In line with the stumps,
If the batsman is hit in line and the ball would have hit the stumps then he is out
Assuming you have decided the ball was legal, it had pitched on the stumps or outside off without a shot being offered the other variables you need to consider are:
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The height of the ball's bounce
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Swing and spin of the ball
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Where the ball hit the pad
Pitches have their own idiosyncrasies which must be taken into account by the umpire. At Polwath the pitches are normally firm and bounce which means the ball will bounce higher than on a slower wicket. Therefore the umpire must decide whether the ball would have gone over the stumps after striking the pad.
Bowlers often swing the ball in the air or make the ball spin when it pitches on the wicket and the umpire has to assess how much the ball would have moved had it not struck the pad. i.e. would it have swung or spun enough to hit the stumps? Or would the ball have moved too much and missed the stumps completely
Batsmen create doubt in an umpire's mind by taking a big stride down the pitch with their front foot as by moving further down the pitch, the batsman lengthens the distance between the ball and the stumps. For example if a batsman
If he is struck on the pad a long way down the pitch, the umpire has a more difficult job to assess whether the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps.
But if a batsman is struck while on his back foot or back pad, there is a shorter distance to judge between the batsman and the stumps, strengthening the bowler's appeal for an lbw decision.
The umpire must also consider if the batsman is making a genuine attempt to offer a stroke.
Sometimes, especially to spinners, batsmen can intentionally hide their bat behind the pad, making it unclear as to whether they are playing a shot or not.
You can’t go wrong if you base decisions on the following key factors#
1. Was the ball legal?
2. Where did it pitch?
3. Did the batsman play a shot?
4. Was it going to hit the stumps?
5. Have you considered everything?
6. Am I 100% sure it’s out?
7. Then the batsman is out
A hint to every one is that no batsman likes to feel he has been “triggered out” so take a couple of seconds to decide – run through the questions and then make you decision a quick decision ids not always a right decision and it makes no difference to the bowler if you give the batsman out in a nano second or if you take 2 seconds to makes the decision but remember the benefit of any doubt goes to the batsman
If a bowler asks why it’s not out tell him why you have made your decision – if he’s not happy simply tell him to get on with it, if he doesn’t refer the matter politely to the captain of the fielding team. It up to him to sort it out.