Wide ball

22.1 Judging a Wide

22.1.1 If the bowler bowls a ball, not being a No ball, the umpire shall adjudge it a Wide if, according to the definition in 22.1.2, the ball passes wide of where the striker is standing or has stood at any point after the ball came into play for that delivery, and which also would have passed wide of the striker standing in a normal batting position.

22.1.2 The ball will be considered as passing wide of the striker unless it is sufficiently within reach for him/her to be able to hit it with the bat by means of a normal cricket stroke.

22.2 Call and signal of Wide ball

If the umpire adjudges a delivery to be a Wide he/she shall call and signal Wide ball as soon as the ball passes the striker’s wicket.  It shall, however, be considered to have been a Wide from the instant that the bowler entered his/her delivery stride, even though it cannot be called Wide until it passes the striker’s wicket.

22.3 Revoking a call of Wide ball

22.3.1 The umpire shall revoke the call of Wide ball if there is then any contact between the ball and the striker’s bat or person before the ball comes into contact with any fielder.

22.3.2 The umpire shall revoke the call of Wide ball if a delivery is called a No ball.  See Law 21.13 (No ball to over-ride Wide).

22.4 Delivery not a Wide

22.4.1 The umpire shall not adjudge a delivery as being a Wide, if the striker, by moving,

either  causes the ball to pass wide of him/her, as defined in 22.1.2

or        brings the ball sufficiently within reach to be able to hit it by means of a normal cricket stroke.

22.4.2 The umpire shall not adjudge a delivery as being a Wide if the ball touches the striker’s bat or person, but only as the ball passes the striker.

22.5 Ball not dead

The ball does not become dead on the call of Wide ball.

22.6 Penalty for a Wide

A penalty of one run shall be awarded instantly on the call of Wide ball.  Unless the call is revoked, see 22.3, this penalty shall stand even if a batter is dismissed, and shall be in addition to any other runs scored, any boundary allowance and any other runs awarded for penalties.

22.7 Runs resulting from a Wide – how scored

All runs completed by the batters or a boundary allowance, together with the penalty for the Wide, shall be scored as Wide balls.  Apart from any award of 5 Penalty runs, all runs resulting from a Wide shall be debited against the bowler.

22.8 Wide not to count

A Wide shall not count as one of the over.  See Law 17.3 (Validity of balls).

22.9 Out from a Wide

When Wide ball has been called, neither batter shall be out under any of the Laws except 35 (Hit wicket), 37 (Obstructing the field), 38 (Run out) or 39 (Stumped).

© Marylebone Cricket Club 2017