A leg bye in cricket is a run scored when the ball hits the batter's body instead of the bat, and the batters then run. Like a bye, it counts as an extra for the team, never for the batter.
But a leg bye comes with a catch that a plain bye does not. It only counts if the batter did the right thing at the moment of impact, and getting that wrong makes the runs vanish. Here is how the rule works.
When Does a Leg Bye Count?
For a leg bye to stand, the batter must have either played a shot at the ball or tried to get out of its way. One of those two things has to be true.
Batting in club cricket, this rule became second nature. If a ball beat me and thudded into the pad, I made sure I had offered a shot or moved, because otherwise any runs we took would be wiped off.
If the batter does neither, and simply lets the ball strike the pad, the umpire calls dead ball. No runs count and the batters are sent back. The rule exists to stop batters using their pads to score on purpose.
Leg Byes and the LBW Rule:
The same ball that brings a leg bye can also bring a wicket. When it strikes the pad, the fielding side often appeals for leg before wicket first.
If the umpire gives the batter out, that ends it and no runs are scored. If the appeal is turned down and the batter had played a shot or ducked, the ball stays live and any runs taken become leg byes.
Can You Score Leg Byes Off a No-Ball?
Yes. If a no-ball strikes the batter's body and they run, those runs still count as leg byes, as long as the shot-or-avoid rule was met.
They are then added on top of the penalty for the no-ball. So one delivery can bring the no-ball run plus whatever leg byes come off the pad.
The Knee-Tap Signal for a Leg Bye:
The umpire signals a leg bye by tapping a raised knee with the hand. It is a deliberately different gesture from a plain bye, which is shown with an open hand above the head, so the scorers know at a glance which extra to log.
Conclusion:
A leg bye rewards the team, not the batter, but only when the batter played a shot or tried to avoid the ball. Miss that, and the runs are wiped. That one condition is what sets it apart from a plain bye."
(FAQs):
Q1: Can you score four leg byes?
A: Yes. If the ball deflects off the batter's body and runs all the way to the boundary, the batting side is awarded four leg byes.
Q2: What is the difference between a leg bye and a bye?
A: A bye is scored when the ball misses the bat and the body completely. A leg bye comes off the batter's body. Both are logged as team extras.
Q3: What happens if the ball hits the glove?
A: If the hand is holding the bat, the glove counts as part of the bat, so runs are scored off the bat, not as leg byes. Only a ball off the body qualifies.
Q4: Can a batter be run out going for a leg bye?
A: Yes. The ball is still live, so if the batters run and one is short of the crease, a run out is possible just like off any other delivery.
Q5: Do leg byes count against the bowler?
A: No. Like byes, leg byes are logged as team extras and never charged to the bowler, since the runs came off the body, not from any fault in the delivery.
