Cricket Umpire Signals: A Plain-English Guide to Every Call

Cricket umpire signals are a visual language for decisions that must reach players, scorers and a stadium full of spectators. The core calls are out, four, six, no-ball, wide, bye, leg-bye, dead ball, new ball, free hit, review and drinks. This text guide describes each signal so the page remains useful even when a reader cannot see an illustration.

For the underlying rules, see cricket fielding positions, what a Test match is, cricket umpire rules, Umpire’s Call in DRS and what MCC means in cricket.

What are the main cricket umpire signals?

The main signals identify a dismissal, boundary, extra, stoppage or administrative event.

Decision	Signal in plain English	What the scorer records
Out	One index finger raised above the head	Wicket, with dismissal type
Four	One arm swept horizontally across the chest	Four boundary runs
Six	Both arms raised above the head	Six boundary runs
No-ball	One arm extended horizontally	No-ball extra and any runs
Wide	Both arms extended horizontally	Wide extra and any runs
Bye	Open palm raised above the head	Bye runs
Leg-bye	One knee touched or raised with the hand	Leg-bye runs
Dead ball	Both arms held horizontally and crossed at the wrists	Ball is dead; scoring follows the reason
New ball	The ball is held above the head	New ball authorised under conditions
Free hit	One arm held out and waved in a circular motion	Next delivery has the format’s free-hit condition

The scorer records the result, not only the gesture. A no-ball, for example, may also include a boundary or a run completed by the batters.

What do out, four and six look like?

Out is one finger straight above the head, four is a horizontal sweep of one arm and six is both arms raised.

The out signal follows an appeal and a decision. The boundary signals are used after the ball reaches the rope or is otherwise awarded as a boundary under the Laws. A four and a six are not interchangeable: one arm and two arms communicate different run values.

If a ball is caught and then the batter is given out, the out signal is the result that matters. The scorer then adds the dismissal detail to the scorecard.

What are the signals for no-ball, wide, bye and leg-bye?

No-ball, wide, bye and leg-bye signals tell the scorer which type of extra has occurred.

• No-ball: one arm held straight out to the side.
• Wide: both arms held straight out to the sides.
• Bye: one open hand raised above the head.
• Leg-bye: one knee is touched or raised with the hand.

The signal does not always equal the final number of runs. A wide can run to the boundary, and a no-ball can be hit for four or six. Scorers combine the signal with the completed play.

What do dead ball, new ball and free hit mean?

These signals communicate a change in the status of the next delivery or the ball in play.

Dead ball stops ordinary play for the incident covered by the Law. New ball tells both sides that the captain has taken a replacement ball when permitted. Free hit is a limited-overs playing-condition signal that gives the next delivery special protection from some dismissals after a qualifying no-ball.

The exact circumstances differ between Test, ODI, T20 and local matches, so the signal should be read with the playing conditions rather than treated as a universal scoring rule.

How is a DRS or third-umpire review signalled?

The review gesture is made by drawing a rectangle or square in the air with the hands, resembling a television screen.

The third-umpire process can involve an on-field review, a player review and a final decision. The signal tells viewers that technology is being consulted; it does not itself say out, not out or Umpire’s Call. That result is communicated after the review.

For current international details, use the ICC DRS protocol and our Umpire’s Call explainer.

What is the drinks-break signal?

The drinks signal crosses the forearms in front of the chest to indicate a scheduled or authorised drinks interval.

Drinks breaks are controlled by match conditions, weather and the umpires. An umpire may also stop play for safety or another dead-ball reason, but a drinks signal specifically tells teams and scorers that the interval is the scheduled one.

This is why signals are more than spectator shorthand: they organise the match and help the scorer keep a legal record.

Frequently asked questions

What is the signal for out?

One index finger raised above the head.

What is the signal for four?

One arm swept horizontally across the chest.

What is the signal for six?

Both arms raised above the head.

How is a wide signalled?

Both arms extended horizontally.

How is a no-ball signalled?

One arm extended horizontally.

How are DRS and drinks shown?

DRS uses a square-screen gesture; drinks are shown with crossed forearms.

Bottom line

Cricket umpire signals turn decisions into a shared visual language. Learn out, four, six, no-ball, wide, bye, leg-bye, dead ball, new ball, free hit, review and drinks first, then use the written description and current competition conditions to interpret less common calls accurately. For a career-level comparison of officials, see greatest cricket umpires.