DRS, the Decision Review System, lets a player challenge an eligible on-field dismissal decision and have it checked by the third umpire. Umpire's Call is a specific outcome for marginal LBW judgments: the original decision stands, and a review retained solely on that basis does not reduce the team's allowance. These rules are set out in the ICC men's playing conditions dated October 2026.
| Men's international format | Unsuccessful reviews allowed per team, per innings |
|---|---|
| Test | 3 |
| ODI | 2 |
| T20I | 2 |
The ICC's DRS overview separates two routes. An Umpire Review begins with an on-field official referring a decision. A Player Review begins with a player challenging a decision. Seeing the third umpire examine footage does not, by itself, establish which route is being used.
Who can ask for DRS, and what is the time limit?
Under Appendix D of the men's ODI conditions, the dismissed batter can request review of an out decision. The fielding captain, or acting captain, requests review of a not-out decision. Player Reviews concern whether a batter is dismissed, with timed out excluded; they are not a general appeal against every umpiring decision.
The player makes a T signal with both forearms at head height. The request must arrive within 15 seconds of the ball becoming dead. The umpire prompts the player after 10 seconds if no request has yet been made. A late request is declined.
The captain may consult the bowler and other fielders, and the two batters may discuss their decision together. Once requested, a Player Review cannot be withdrawn. That makes the signal consequential: asking for a review is different from briefly discussing whether to ask for one.
How many reviews does a team get?
The allowances count unsuccessful reviews, not every review requested. Appendix D, paragraph 3.6.1, sets three for each team in each Test innings and two in each ODI or T20I innings. A successful challenge that reverses the original decision does not use up one of those unsuccessful-review allowances.
For an illustrative Test sequence, suppose a team begins an innings with three reviews available. Its first challenge overturns a decision. The team still has three available. A later ordinary unsuccessful challenge leaves two. A subsequent review retained because of Umpire's Call leaves that number unchanged. This is a hypothetical sequence, not a record from a match.
The men's Test conditions also distinguish other outcomes. If a not-out decision remains unchanged because the delivery was a no-ball and no further evaluation is needed, that review does not count as unsuccessful. If a separate Umpire Review makes the Player Review unnecessary, the request is disregarded.
What does Umpire's Call mean in an LBW review?
The men's T20I conditions describe marginal impact and wicket judgments in Appendix D. For the wicket test, Umpire's Call means the projected ball is touching the wicket but its centre is outside the defined wicket zone. It is a specified category within the rules, not a fresh discretionary guess after the replay.
Consider a hypothetical appeal where every other LBW requirement is satisfied and the only marginal element is the projected contact with the wicket. If the original decision was not out and that contact is Umpire's Call, the batter remains not out. If the original decision was out, that same marginal wicket contact does not overturn the dismissal.
Impact has its own tests, including whether the batter genuinely attempted to play the ball. Pitching also has a separate rule: a ball landing outside leg stump cannot produce an LBW dismissal. For that reason, a television graphic showing contact with the wicket is only part of the decision.
When an LBW decision is unchanged solely because of Umpire's Call, the team keeps the review under paragraph 3.6.4. The word solely matters. A challenge that fails for another reason should not automatically be treated as a retained review just because one marginal element appeared during the examination.
Can a failed review be restored?
The Test conditions allow the match referee to reinstate an unsuccessful review when a failure of the review equipment prevented it from being properly completed. That is discretionary. The rules do not permit restoration simply because the evidence was inconclusive, or when other available evidence still allowed the correct decision despite a failure.
When following a review, track three things separately: the original decision, the final dismissal decision and the remaining review count. They answer different questions. A batter staying out does not always mean the review count falls, and a long examination does not itself establish that a review should be restored.
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