12 Types of Outs in Cricket Explained: Full List of Dismissals

Cricket has more ways to lose a wicket than any other major sport. Beyond bowled, caught, run out, stumped and leg before wicket, the Laws of Cricket include several rare forms of dismissal that even seasoned fans have never seen happen.

In total, there are 12 officially recognised ways a batter can be given out in cricket. This guide explains each of the 12 types of outs in cricket, how they happen, which ones are common, which ones are extremely rare, and what the Laws say about each dismissal.

Full List of the 12 Dismissals in Cricket

The table below gives a quick overview of all 12 types of outs in cricket and how each one works.

1. Bowled

Bowled is one of the most satisfying dismissals for a bowler. The batter is out when the ball hits the stumps directly and dislodges at least one bail, even without touching the bat. Yorkers, inswinging deliveries and sharp spin that beats the bat are the classic ways to bowl a batter.

2. Caught

Caught is the most frequent dismissal in cricket. The batter is out caught when a fielder catches the ball directly from the bat, or from the glove holding the bat, before it touches the ground.

The catch must be fair: the ball must not have bounced, and the fielder must have control of the ball. Catches by the wicketkeeper and slips fielders off fast bowlers are among the most common sights in Test cricket.

A catch on the boundary rope still counts as long as the fielder does not touch the rope while in contact with the ball.

3. Leg Before Wicket (LBW)

LBW is the most debated dismissal in cricket. A batter is out LBW when the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps but is intercepted by any part of the batter’s body, usually the pads.

Several conditions must be met: the ball must pitch in line or outside off, the impact must be in line with the stumps, and it must not have pitched outside leg stump. The Decision Review System uses ball-tracking to judge whether the ball would have hit the stumps.

LBW is especially common against spin bowling, where batters pad up to deliveries turning into the stumps.

4. Run Out

A batter is out run out when the fielding side breaks the stumps with the ball while the batters are attempting a run and neither batter is safely inside the crease.

Run outs usually happen through direct hits from fielders or the wicketkeeper collecting a throw. They are a huge part of limited-overs cricket, where tight singles are constantly attempted under pressure.

5. Stumped

A batter is out stumped when the wicketkeeper puts down the wicket while the batter is out of their crease, having stepped forward to play the ball, and not attempting a run. Stumping almost always happens against spin bowlers, when the batter dances down the pitch, misses, and the wicketkeeper breaks the stumps in a fraction of a second.

6. Hit Wicket

A batter is out hit wicket when they dislodge their own stumps with their body or bat while playing a shot or setting off for a run. This usually happens when a batter loses balance pulling a short ball or rocks back too far onto the stumps.

Hit wicket is a soft dismissal, but it counts the same as any other.

7. Handled the Ball

A batter is out handled the ball if they deliberately touch the ball with a hand not holding the bat, without the consent of the fielding side. The most common scenario is a batter picking up a ball that has stopped near the stumps to return it to the fielders.

This dismissal is now covered under the obstructing the field law in the current Laws of Cricket, but it remains one of the 12 recognised forms of dismissal. It has happened only a handful of times in international cricket history.

8. Obstructing the Field

A batter is out obstructing the field if they wilfully obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action. This includes deliberately blocking a throw with the bat or body, or changing direction while running to block a fielder’s throw.

The most famous modern example involved a batter changing their running line to block a throw at the stumps. Umpires judge intent, so accidental obstruction is not given out.

9. Timed Out

A batter is out timed out if the incoming batter is not ready to face or for their partner to be ready to face the next ball within the time limit after a wicket falls. In international cricket the limit is two minutes in Tests and shorter in limited-overs formats.

This dismissal made global headlines when it was enforced in a World Cup match, the first such instance in international cricket. It remains the rarest dismissal at the top level.

10. Retired Out

A batter is out retired out when they retire during their innings without the permission of the umpires and do not return to bat. This is different from retiring hurt, where the batter may return later in the innings.

Retired out is a tactical dismissal. It has been used in T20 leagues when a struggling batter steps aside so a bigger hitter can come in during the death overs. It counts as a dismissal in the scorebook.

11. Hit the Ball Twice

A batter is out hit the ball twice if they deliberately strike the ball a second time, except to guard their wicket. A batter is allowed to hit the ball a second time purely to stop it hitting the stumps, but not to score runs or avoid being caught.

This is one of the rarest dismissals in the game and has almost never occurred in international cricket. Most second strikes at the ball are instinctive defensive actions, which are legal.

12. Caught and Bowled

Caught and bowled is a special case of the caught dismissal where the bowler catches the ball themselves off their own delivery. It is recorded separately in scorecards and statistics because it is such a prized achievement for a bowler.

Sharp return catches off powerful straight drives are among the most athletic moments in cricket.

Which Dismissals Are the Most Common?

In Test cricket, caught behind the wicket and in the slips, LBW and bowled account for the large majority of wickets. Fast bowlers take most of their wickets caught or bowled, while spinners add LBW and stumped to the mix.

In T20 cricket, run outs spike because of the constant pressure to steal runs, and caught on the boundary becomes a major dismissal mode as batters attack every ball.

Hit wicket, handled the ball, obstructing the field, timed out, retired out and hit the ball twice together make up a tiny fraction of all dismissals. Most professional cricketers go their whole careers without seeing several of these.

Dismissals That No Longer Exist Separately

Older fans may remember handled the ball as a separate law. In the 2017 update to the Laws of Cricket, handled the ball was folded into obstructing the field. The dismissal still exists in the list of 12, but it is now judged under the obstruction law.

Famous Rare Dismissals in Cricket History

Timed out was enforced for the first time in international cricket during a World Cup match, sparking a worldwide debate about the spirit of cricket. Obstructing the field has produced some of the most controversial moments in the game, and handled the ball dismissals are so rare that each one becomes a famous trivia question.

How many ways can a batter be out in cricket?

There are 12 officially recognised ways a batter can be dismissed in cricket: bowled, caught, LBW, run out, stumped, hit wicket, handled the ball, obstructing the field, timed out, retired out, hit the ball twice, and caught and bowled.

What is the most common dismissal in cricket?

Caught is the most common dismissal in cricket. A large share of all wickets fall to catches, from edges behind the wicket to catches in the deep. Bowled and LBW are the next most common.

What is the rarest dismissal in cricket?

Timed out and hit the ball twice are the rarest dismissals in international cricket. Timed out was enforced for the first time in international cricket during a World Cup match, and hit the ball twice has almost never happened at the top level.

Is retired out the same as retired hurt?

No. A batter who retires hurt may return to bat later in the innings with the umpire’s permission. A batter who is retired out leaves deliberately without permission and cannot return, and it counts as a dismissal.

Can a batter be out for handling the ball?

Yes. Deliberately handling the ball without the fielding side’s consent is a dismissal, now judged under the obstructing the field law. Simply picking up a dead ball to hand it back is not out, but doing so while the ball is live can be.

### What happens if the bails are already off when a run out is attempted?

If the bails have already been removed, the fielding side can still effect a run out by pulling a stump out of the ground with the ball in hand, or by putting the ball against a stump. The stumps must be fairly broken with the ball.