Law 26: Bye and leg bye
1. Byes
If the ball, not being a No ball or a Wide, passes the striker without touching his bat or person, any runs completed by the batsmen or a boundary allowance shall be credited as Byes to the batting side.
2. Leg byes
(a) If the ball, not having previously touched the striker's bat, strikes his person and the umpire is satisfied that the striker has
either (i) attempted to play the ball with his bat,
or (ii) tried to avoid being hit by the ball,
then any runs completed by the batsmen or a boundary allowance shall be credited to the batting side as Leg byes, unless No ball has been called.
(b) If No ball has been called, the runs in (a) above, together with the penalty for the No ball, shall be scored as No ball extras.
3. Leg byes not to be awarded
If in the circumstances of 2(a) above, the umpire considers that neither of the conditions (i) and (ii) has been met, then Leg byes will not be awarded. The batting side shall not be credited with any runs from that delivery apart from the one run penalty for a No ball if applicable. Moreover, no other penalties shall be awarded to the batting side when the ball is dead. See Law 42.17 (Penalty runs). The following procedure shall be adopted.
(a) If no run is attempted but the ball reaches the boundary, the umpire shall call and signal Dead ball, and disallow the boundary.
(b) If runs are attempted and if
(i) neither batsman is dismissed and the ball does not become dead for any other reason, the umpire shall call and signal Dead ball as soon as one run is completed or the ball reaches the boundary. The batsmen shall return to their original ends. The run or boundary shall be disallowed.
(ii) before one run is completed or the ball reaches the boundary, a batsman is dismissed, or the ball becomes dead for any reason, all the provisions of the Laws will apply, except that no runs and no penalties shall be credited to the batting side, other than the penalty for a No ball if applicable.
If the ball, not being a No ball or a Wide, passes the striker without touching his bat or person, any runs completed by the batsmen or a boundary allowance shall be credited as Byes to the batting side.
2. Leg byes
(a) If the ball, not having previously touched the striker's bat, strikes his person and the umpire is satisfied that the striker has
either (i) attempted to play the ball with his bat,
or (ii) tried to avoid being hit by the ball,
then any runs completed by the batsmen or a boundary allowance shall be credited to the batting side as Leg byes, unless No ball has been called.
(b) If No ball has been called, the runs in (a) above, together with the penalty for the No ball, shall be scored as No ball extras.
3. Leg byes not to be awarded
If in the circumstances of 2(a) above, the umpire considers that neither of the conditions (i) and (ii) has been met, then Leg byes will not be awarded. The batting side shall not be credited with any runs from that delivery apart from the one run penalty for a No ball if applicable. Moreover, no other penalties shall be awarded to the batting side when the ball is dead. See Law 42.17 (Penalty runs). The following procedure shall be adopted.
(a) If no run is attempted but the ball reaches the boundary, the umpire shall call and signal Dead ball, and disallow the boundary.
(b) If runs are attempted and if
(i) neither batsman is dismissed and the ball does not become dead for any other reason, the umpire shall call and signal Dead ball as soon as one run is completed or the ball reaches the boundary. The batsmen shall return to their original ends. The run or boundary shall be disallowed.
(ii) before one run is completed or the ball reaches the boundary, a batsman is dismissed, or the ball becomes dead for any reason, all the provisions of the Laws will apply, except that no runs and no penalties shall be credited to the batting side, other than the penalty for a No ball if applicable.
