Who gets credited for the runs from a leg bye?

No batter is credited. The runs are added to the team's total as 'extras' or 'sundries'.

Is a leg bye given if the batter doesn't try to hit the ball?

Yes, but only if, in the umpire's judgement, the batter was attempting to avoid being hit or was trying to play a shot. If they make no attempt and simply let it hit them, it is usually not awarded.

What's the difference between a 'bye' and a 'leg bye'?

A 'bye' is when the ball misses both bat and batter and runs are scored. A 'leg bye' is when the ball hits the batter's body (or protective equipment) and runs are scored.

Can you be out from a leg bye?

Yes. While running the leg bye, a batter can still be run out. Also, if the ball deflects from the batter's body onto the stumps and the batter is out of their crease, they can be out 'hit wicket'.

leg bye

Very Low (Specialist Sports Terminology)

UK/ˌleɡ ˈbaɪ/US/ˌlɛɡ ˈbaɪ/

Technical / Sporting

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

In cricket, a run scored when the ball deflects off the batter's body or protective equipment (except the hand holding the bat) and the batters complete a run without the ball hitting the bat.

A specific type of 'extra' (a run added to the batting team's total but not credited to the batter) in the sport of cricket, awarded when the ball makes contact with the batter's person rather than the bat.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

This is a single, indivisible compound noun specific to cricket. It cannot be parsed as an adjective-noun phrase. A 'bye' is a run scored when the ball passes the batter without contact; a 'leg bye' is its subclass where contact with the body occurs.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

The term is almost exclusively used in cricket-playing nations (UK, Australia, India, etc.) and is virtually unknown in general American English due to cricket's low profile in the US. In American contexts where baseball is dominant, there is no direct equivalent concept.

Connotations

In cricket contexts, it's a neutral technical term. In non-cricket contexts (like the US), it is likely to be completely unfamiliar or misunderstood.

Frequency

Very high frequency in UK/Commonwealth cricket commentary and reporting; near-zero frequency in American English.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

awarded a leg byescored off a leg byesignalled a leg byeleg bye was given

medium

single leg byetwo leg byesappeal for a leg byerun came from a leg bye

weak

took a leg byebyes and leg byesleg bye to fine leg

Grammar

Valency Patterns

[Umpire] signalled a leg bye.[Team] scored [number] leg byes.The run came from a leg bye.It was given as a leg bye.

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

bye (specific subclass)

Neutral

extra run

Vocabulary

Antonyms

batting runrun credited to batter

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Not used.

Academic

Only in academic papers or texts on the history/rules of cricket.

Everyday

Extremely rare outside of conversations about watching or playing cricket.

Technical

Core term in cricket scoring, commentary, and rulebooks (Law 23 of the Laws of Cricket).

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

The batters managed to leg-bye a single.

American English

Not used as a verb in US English.

adverb

British English

Not used as an adverb.

American English

Not used as an adverb.

adjective

British English

The leg-bye run proved crucial.

American English

Not used as an adjective in US English.

Examples

By CEFR Level

The umpire gave a leg bye.

They scored two leg byes from that delivery.

The extra run, signalled as a leg bye, tied the scores.

Controversially, the umpire awarded a leg bye despite the batter not attempting a shot, a decision debated under Law 23.2.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: The ball hits the LEG, so the run is a BYE (not from the bat). LEG + BYE = run from the leg.

Conceptual Metaphor

TERM AS A RECORDING CATEGORY (The word names a specific box on a scoresheet where certain types of events are tallied).

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Avoid literal translation 'нога пока' or 'нога до свидания'. There is no standard Russian equivalent. Use descriptive translation like 'ран (ов) за отскок от тела batsmanа' or the transliterated borrowing 'лег-бай' with explanation.

Common Mistakes

Writing it as 'legby' or 'leg-bye' (though hyphenated form is sometimes seen).
Using it to describe a run scored from a shot off the bat that goes towards the leg side (that is a 'leg glance' or just a run).
Pronouncing 'bye' as /biː/ (like 'bee') instead of /baɪ/ (like 'buy').

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

The batters ran a quick single, but the umpire signalled it as a because the ball had brushed the pad, not the bat.

Multiple Choice

In cricket, what is a 'leg bye'?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: No batter is credited. The runs are added to the team's total as 'extras' or 'sundries'.
: Yes, but only if, in the umpire's judgement, the batter was attempting to avoid being hit or was trying to play a shot. If they make no attempt and simply let it hit them, it is usually not awarded.
: A 'bye' is when the ball misses both bat and batter and runs are scored. A 'leg bye' is when the ball hits the batter's body (or protective equipment) and runs are scored.
: Yes. While running the leg bye, a batter can still be run out. Also, if the ball deflects from the batter's body onto the stumps and the batter is out of their crease, they can be out 'hit wicket'.