What are byes and leg byes?
I · Intermediate · How are runs scored? · 10 of 19Checked 13 October 2026
How it works
- Byes and leg byes are extras. They go to the team's total, not to the batter, and are not charged to the bowler.
- A bye or leg bye that reaches the boundary is four byes or four leg byes.
- For leg byes, the umpire judges whether the batter tried to hit the ball or to avoid it. If not, no runs count and the batters are sent back. The umpire waits until the ball reaches the boundary or the first run is completed, then calls dead ball.
- Off a no-ball, the no-ball's one run is recorded as a no-ball and the rest as byes or leg byes.
- Off a wide, any runs the batters take are recorded as wides, not byes.
Tricky cases
Can a batter take leg byes without playing a shot?
Only if they tried to get out of the way of the ball. Padding it away on purpose with no shot means no runs.
Are runs off a wide counted as byes?
No. They are all counted as wides.
Does a bye count against the bowler?
No. Byes and leg byes are not charged to the bowler.
Is it a leg bye if the ball hits the batter's glove?
No. A glove on the hand holding the bat counts as the bat, so runs off it go to the batter.
Why the rule exists
Byes reward the batting side when the bowler and keeper let the ball through. The leg bye condition stops batters using their pads to block the ball deliberately and still collect runs.
Where it differs
Nothing. The same in the Laws and in the ICC men's playing conditions.
From the rule book
MCC Laws of Cricket, Laws 23.1 to 23.3, 18.10 and 5.6, 4th Edition, in force from 1 October 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: MCC Laws of Cricket (PDF).