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Cricket Umpire Signals: What Each Arm Movement Means

Every umpire signal in the 2026 Laws of Cricket, from out, four and six to bye, leg bye, short run and penalty runs, plus the ICC's free hit and review signals.

By Published 3 min read

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Key takeaways

  • Four signals can be made while the ball is in play: dead ball, no ball, out and wide.
  • Scoring signals such as four, six, bye and leg bye are made to the scorers only once the ball is dead.
  • A scorer must acknowledge each signal before play continues, and several signals are given in the order the events happened.
  • 'Revoke last signal', touching both shoulders, cancels a mistaken or overturned signal.
  • The ICC's ODI playing conditions add signals for a free hit, a powerplay over and a referral to the TV umpire.

Umpires talk to the scorers, the players and the crowd with their arms. The code of signals is set out in Law 2.13 of the Laws of Cricket, in MCC's 2026 edition, and the ICC's international playing conditions add a few of their own. Knowing them lets you follow a match without commentary.

Signals while the ball is in play

Law 2.13 lists four signals an umpire can make before the ball is dead:

Signal Meaning
One arm extended horizontally No ball
Both arms extended horizontally Wide
Index finger raised above the head Out (if not out, the umpire simply calls "Not out")
Wrists crossed and re-crossed below the waist Dead ball

When the ball is dead, the bowler's end umpire repeats the no ball, wide and dead ball signals to the scorers. The out signal is not repeated.

Signals to the scorers once the ball is dead

Signal Meaning
Arm waved from side to side, finishing across the chest Boundary 4
Both arms raised above the head Boundary 6
Open hand raised above the head Bye
Hand touching a raised knee Leg bye
One arm bent upwards, fingertips touching the nearer shoulder Short run
Repeated tapping of one shoulder with the opposite hand Five penalty runs to the batting side
One hand placed on the opposite shoulder Five penalty runs to the fielding side
Ball held above the head New ball
Pointing to a raised wrist with the other hand Start of the last hour
Both shoulders touched, each with the opposite hand Revoke last signal

Two pairs are easy to confuse. The bye and leg bye signals separate runs that pass the batter from runs off the body; how cricket scoring works explains when each is allowed. The two penalty-run signals differ only in whether the hand taps the shoulder repeatedly (batting side) or rests on it (fielding side).

Who signals, and the scorers' acknowledgement

The Laws assign the dead-ball scoring signals to the bowler's end umpire, with one exception: short run is signalled by the umpire at the end where it happened, though the bowler's end umpire gives the final signal and tells the scorers how many runs to record.

Two procedures keep the scorebook accurate:

  • Acknowledgement. The umpire waits until a scorer has acknowledged each signal before play continues.
  • Order. If several signals are needed, they are given in the order the events occurred. A no ball that is then hit for four is signalled no ball first, then four.

A worked sequence

In a one-day international, the bowler oversteps and the batter hits the ball over the boundary on the full:

  1. Under the ICC's ODI playing conditions, the third umpire reviews replays of the bowler's feet landing and advises the bowler's end umpire, who immediately calls and signals no ball, one arm out.
  2. Once the ball is dead, the umpire repeats the no ball signal to the scorers, then signals six, both arms above the head, waiting for each to be acknowledged.
  3. Under the ICC's playing conditions, the umpire then signals a free hit for the next ball, the arm raised and circled.

The scorers record seven runs: the one-run no ball penalty, charged to the bowler, and six credited to the batter.

Conduct signals

The Laws also give two-part signals for serious offences under Law 42, Players' conduct. For Level 3 and Level 4 offences, the first part is the same, one arm out to the side and repeatedly raised and lowered; the second part distinguishes the level: both hands raised to shoulder height with fingers spread for Level 3, and an index finger held at shoulder height for Level 4.

Extra signals in international cricket

The ICC's ODI playing conditions add:

Signal Meaning
After the no ball signal, one arm raised straight up and moved in a circle Free hit
An arm rotated in a large circle Powerplay over
The shape of a TV screen drawn with the hands Referral to the third umpire, or a player review under way

A player asks for a review with a "T" made with both forearms at head height. If a review overturns a decision, the umpire makes the revoke last signal before giving the new one; how DRS works covers the process, and no ball and wide rules explains the free hit.

Watching the umpire is part of reading a match, from the raised finger for each of the ways to get out to the waved arm for four. In Cricket Sport Career Simulator, one of our sports career games, the store screenshots show a cricket field view and live match stats as your cricketer's matches unfold.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

How does an umpire signal a four and a six?
A four is signalled by waving an arm from side to side, finishing with the arm across the chest. A six is signalled by raising both arms above the head. Both are made to the scorers once the ball is dead.
What is the difference between the bye and leg bye signals?
For a bye, the umpire raises an open hand above the head. For a leg bye, the umpire touches a raised knee with the hand. Both tell the scorers the runs are extras, not runs off the bat.
What does it mean when an umpire touches both shoulders?
It is the signal to revoke the last signal: the umpire is cancelling the previous signal, for example after a mistaken call or after a review overturns a decision. One hand on the opposite shoulder is different: that awards five penalty runs to the fielding side.
What does the TV screen sign mean?
In ICC ODIs, an umpire drawing the shape of a TV screen with the hands is referring a decision to the third umpire, or confirming that a player has asked for a review.

Sources

  1. The Laws of Cricket, 2017 Code, 4th Edition (2026), Law 2.13 Signals (opens in a new tab)Marylebone Cricket Club — accessed
  2. ICC Men's ODI Playing Conditions, October 2026 (opens in a new tab)International Cricket Council — accessed

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