New rules to review wide balls
What has changed?
The IPL now allows teams to review umpiring decisions for wide balls, using ball-tracking technology (Hawk-Eye)—similar to DRS for LBW.
Key Points You Should Know
Wide decisions can be reviewed
Batters or fielding teams can challenge a wide-ball call.
This applies mainly to off-side wides (not leg-side).
Ball tracking is used
Hawk-Eye determines:
Exact ball trajectory
Where the ball passed the batter
Position of the batter at the popping crease
The review checks whether the ball would have passed within the wide guideline.
Batter’s position matters
If the batter moves across the crease, the system judges the wide relative to the batter’s actual position, not the original stance.
This prevents batters from “manufacturing” wides by stepping away.
Height and bounce are considered
The system also accounts for:
Ball height at the popping crease
Whether the ball was reachable with a normal cricket shot
Leg-side wides remain mostly unchanged
Leg-side wides are still judged largely by on-field umpires.
Reviews are primarily focused on offside wides, where technology is more reliable.
Part of the standard DRS system
Wide reviews are included in a team’s DRS quota.
If the review is successful, DRS is retained.
If unsuccessful, DRS is lost.
Why this rule was introduced
To reduce umpiring errors
To ensure fairness, especially with batters moving around the crease
To bring consistency across matches
In simple terms
“Was the ball genuinely too wide for where the batter actually stood?”
If yes → Wide
If no → Not wide
