A wide is judged by whether the striker could reach the ball with a normal cricket shot. It is not decided by a fixed distance from the stumps alone.
Why people disagree about wides
A ball may pass well outside off stump while the striker stays in their normal position. If it is out of reach, the umpire may call wide. But if the striker moves towards the ball and brings it within reach, the decision can be different. This is why people watching from the boundary sometimes disagree.
What the signal means
The umpire calls and signals wide. The scorer adds the wide penalty and records any further runs from that delivery as wides under the Laws. A wide does not count as one of the over’s six valid balls.
Competition rules can be stricter
Limited-overs competitions often use stricter wide guidelines than the basic MCC Law. Before an umpiring shift, agree which playing conditions are in force.
These examples explain the general MCC Laws. International matches and local competitions can use different playing conditions. For an official decision, check the full law and the rules for your match.
Check the official law
MCC reference: Law 22, 2017 Code, 4th Edition (2026). Read the official MCC Laws of Cricket.
Open the interactive Cricket Laws Centre →Cricstars independent learning resource · Source edition: MCC 2026 · Prepared 21 October 2026. Not an official MCC or ICC ruling.