What does the cricket abbreviation LBW stand for?

In cricket, LBW stands for “leg before wicket,” a method of dismissing a batter. It occurs when the batter's body stops a delivery that would otherwise have hit the stumps, subject to several conditions in the laws.

The fielding side must appeal before the umpire can give the batter out. The ball generally must pitch in line with or on the off side of the stumps, strike the batter without first touching the bat, and be projected to hit the wicket. A batter can also be out LBW after being struck outside off stump if they made no genuine attempt to play the ball.

LBW was introduced into the Laws of Cricket in 1774. Its early purpose was to prevent batters from deliberately using their legs as a shield, especially when older curved bats made it easier to stand in front of the wicket.

LBW is not simply “the ball hit the pad.” The ball's line, pitching location, contact point, batter's shot attempt, and predicted trajectory all matter. A no-ball cannot result in an LBW dismissal.