A wide ball in cricket gives the batting side one penalty run and does not count as a legal delivery in the over. The ball remains live, so batters can run and certain dismissals remain possible. Whether the delivery is wide depends on the batter's position, reach and movement, and a particular match should also be checked against its governing playing conditions.
The starting point is Law 22 in the MCC's 2026 edition of the Laws of Cricket. It separates judging the delivery from the consequences of the call. That separation explains why a wide can add several runs, produce a stumping or be replaced by a no ball decision.
| Situation | Basic result under Law 22 |
|---|---|
| Wide with no additional runs | One wide extra, delivery does not count |
| Wide plus two completed runs | Three wides in total |
| Untouched wide reaches the boundary | Normally five wides, including the penalty |
| Delivery is also a no ball | No ball overrides the wide |
How does an umpire judge a wide ball?
The Law uses the possibility of playing a normal cricket stroke as its central test. For a delivery that is not a no ball, the umpire considers where the striker stands or has stood after the ball came into play for that delivery. The delivery must also have passed wide of a striker standing in a normal batting position.
This is why the batter's movement is relevant. Law 22.4 says a delivery should not be called wide if the striker's movement causes it to pass wide, or if the movement brings it sufficiently within reach for a normal stroke. Simply finishing far from the ball does not by itself settle the decision. The umpire has to apply the position and reach tests together.
The Law also addresses height: a delivery that has landed and then passes over the head of a striker standing upright at the popping crease is treated as wide under its stated conditions. This should not be confused with a full toss. The height provision in Law 22 concerns a ball after landing, while other delivery restrictions belong to other Laws or playing conditions.
The umpire calls and signals wide once the ball passes the striker's wicket. Under the Law, however, its status as a wide is traced back to the bowler entering the delivery stride. A spectator should therefore distinguish the moment the signal becomes possible from the underlying delivery being assessed.
Why can a wide call be cancelled?
A delivery touching the striker's bat or person as it passes is not a wide under Law 22.4. If the umpire has called wide and there was contact with the bat or person before the ball touched a fielder, Law 22.3 requires the call to be revoked. A faint edge can therefore change the explanation of an apparently obvious extra.
A no ball also overrides a wide. When both could appear relevant, the umpire does not add one wide penalty and one no ball penalty for the same delivery. The scoring follows the no ball provisions instead. Questions about the batter's reach cannot displace that priority once the delivery is called no ball.
How are runs from a wide scored?
The one run penalty is awarded on the call and remains unless the call is revoked. It is additional to runs completed by the batters, a boundary allowance and any applicable separate penalties. Completed runs and the boundary allowance from a wide are recorded as wides, rather than credited to the striker's batting total.
For a simple example, assume the wicketkeeper misses an untouched wide and the batters complete two runs. The side receives three runs: one for the wide and two for running. Those three are recorded as wides. If the untouched ball instead reaches the boundary in the ordinary boundary situation, the four run allowance plus the penalty makes five wides.
These examples assume no overthrow complication or separate penalty event. Law 22.7 states that runs resulting from the wide are charged against the bowler, apart from an award of five penalty runs. The useful distinction is between the bowling extra and any independently awarded penalty, even when both affect the team's total.
A wide does not count among the deliveries making up the over. If an over has five legal balls and then a wide, it still needs another legal ball to finish. The call itself does not make the ball dead, so players should continue until the play ends under the relevant dead ball rules.
Can a batter be out on a wide?
Yes. Law 22.9 permits hit wicket, obstructing the field, run out and stumped. A striker can miss a wide while out of their ground and be stumped if the relevant dismissal conditions are met. Batters attempting a run can also be run out. The extra is therefore not a general protection against losing a wicket.
For a specific competition, read its playing conditions alongside the Laws before judging a disputed delivery. The examples above follow the MCC Law 22 text. Work through the questions in order: whether the delivery is a no ball, whether there was contact, how the striker moved, and what happened afterwards. A painted line alone cannot answer the contact, scoring or dismissal questions.
The official rules were checked on 4 November 2026. For other decisions that often need the same careful reading, see our guides to LBW and the no shot exception, the follow on calculation and Super Over rules.
