Umpires, the third umpire and the Decision Review System.

Which documents this page uses

The Laws are the MCC's 2017 Code 4th Edition (2026), in force from 1 October 2026. For the ICC's rules, the research behind this page read the ICC Women's Championship 2025-2029 Playing Conditions, effective July 2026 (the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions). The ICC's men's playing conditions were not read for these rules, so the men's review allowances are not confirmed here. Other ICC changes come from ICC news releases or press reports, as labelled.

Umpires under the Laws

• Two umpires, one for each end, control the match with absolute impartiality, arriving at least 45 minutes before the scheduled start of each day (Law 2.1).
• The umpires make sure no player uses equipment other than what the Laws allow (Law 2.5.3). New in 2026, Law 41.17.6 requires them to act on any equipment either umpire judges unfair or illegal; the MCC says the aim is to stop further use where possible and to report it in every case.
• Penalty runs and other decisions are signalled under Law 2.13.
• Nobody is given out without an appeal (Law 31.1).
• Umpires deal with player conduct under Law 42, which runs from Level 1 to Level 4 offences, up to removing a player from the field.
• Scorers agree the totals with the umpires at intervals and at the end of the match (Law 3.2); once they agree the final scores, the result cannot be changed (Law 16.10).

Umpires in ICC matches

The ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (effective July 2026) change and add to these rules:

• Arrival. Umpires must be at the ground at least 90 minutes before the scheduled start (clause 2.1.1), not 45.
• Appointments. For televised matches using DRS, one umpire is appointed by the ICC from an ICC panel and two by the home board, at least one of them a female umpire from the host's International Panel, plus a fourth umpire who serves as emergency on-field umpire (clause 2.1.2).
• Panels. The document defines the Elite Panel (umpires contracted to the ICC), the International Panel and First-Class Panel (nominated by Full Members), the ICC Development Panel (nominated by Full and Associate Members), and an International Panel of Referees.

The third umpire

Under Appendix D of those conditions, a third umpire is appointed wherever the minimum camera specification is met. Even without DRS, the third umpire decides questions the on-field umpires refer, using broadcast replays; this is called an Umpire Review. In televised matches the third umpire also checks replays of where the bowler's front foot landed and tells the bowler's end umpire to call No ball when the rule is not met.

The Decision Review System

The ICC defines DRS as the process by which the third umpire may be consulted on an on-field decision, either by an Umpire Review or by a Player Review. DRS may be used only if both boards agree and the minimum requirements, including approved ball-tracking and sound-based edge-detection technology, are met (Appendix D, paragraph 1).

Player Reviews (Appendix D, women's ODI conditions, July 2026)

• What can be reviewed. Any decision on whether a batter is out, except Timed out. Players may not review any other umpiring decision (3.1.1 and 3.1.2).
• Who may ask. Only the batter concerned may ask for a review of an Out decision, and only the fielding captain, or acting captain, of a Not out decision (3.1.3).
• How and when. By making a "T" with both forearms at head height, no more than 15 seconds after the ball becomes dead; the bowler's end umpire prompts the player after 10 seconds (3.2).
• How many. No more than two unsuccessful Player Reviews per team per innings (3.6.1). The third umpire keeps count and tells the on-field umpires when a team has used them up (3.6.9).
• Reviews that do not count. An LBW review where the decision stands only because of Umpire's Call is recorded as "Unchanged, Umpire's Call" and does not count against the limit; nor does a review whose outcome stands because the delivery was a No ball (3.6.4 and 3.6.6).
• Technology failure. The ICC Match Referee may reinstate an unsuccessful review if the technology failed, but not where it worked and the evidence was simply inconclusive.

Umpire's Call and the zones

Umpire's Call means the on-field decision stands where ball-tracking shows a marginal result for the Impact Zone or the Wicket Zone (clause 5.10). The ICC defines three zones (clauses 5.11 to 5.13):

Pitching Zone

The area between the two sets of stumps, as wide as the outer stumps.

Impact Zone

The same footprint, extended upward without limit.

Wicket Zone

Bounded by the outer stumps, their base and the outline of the top of the bails.

The ICC announced on 27 June 2025 that the DRS Wicket Zone is now the actual outline of the stumps and bails.

Dated changes

Wikipedia and press sources record that the ICC cut Test reviews to two unsuccessful per innings, with no top-up after 80 overs, from late 2017, and temporarily raised the number to three during the COVID-19 period. We could not check this against a current men's ICC document, so it is unconfirmed.

Which dismissals can be reviewed, and the Laws behind them, are on the dismissals page.