From: andyc@is.morgan.com (Andrew Coad)
Subject: Re: HISTORY of LBW Rule Required
Keywords: History, Leg Before Wicket
Organization: Morgan Stanley - IS
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 14:42:44 GMT

In article <9221309.5464@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU>, rakesh@ecr.mu.oz.au (Rakesh DESAI) writes:
|> This is addressed to all Cricket Gurus, Historians and Archaeologist.
|> 
|> Request for history of Leg Before Wicket Rule (42 or 48 or whatever)
|> since 1877 or from its conception date.
|> 
|> Reason:  Just wish to see how this rule evolved and changed (or was it
|> same throughout the history).
|> 
|> Many times we get comments from Richie Benaud, Ian Chapple, etc. that
|> ball was missing off/on stump or ball pitched outside leg stump.  The TV
|> cameras are generally on one side of stumps and we never can tell for
|> sure that how ball pitched and in which direction (exactly) it was
|> heading.  I guess for that matter bowler and wicket keeper are also on
|> slightly different angle from the line of stumps and only umpire can
|> observe the perfect line.  I just wonder the simulation technology
|> which these days Michael Jackson uses in his video (i am not sure the
|> name but may be called Morphism), can be applied to simulate the
|> trajectory of ball from a real life situation to adjudge whether ball
|> would have hit the stump or not by removing batsman from simulated
|> picture.
|> 
|> This is just from my thought process.  Any sensible discussions welcome.
|> 
|> rakesh
|> 
|> ************************************************************************
|> *   Rakesh Desai, Mech & Manf Eng, Uni of Melbourne, Parkville,Vic 3052*
|> *   email : rakesh@ecr.mu.oz.au   * (03) 344 6728                      *
|> ************************************************************************

There is a product out now wherein a pitch in baseball can be reconstructed
electronically. It is in essence a sequence of digitized pictures taken from a single camera and some algorithm figures out where the ball is, its trajectory etc. It has been used to "prove" the theory of the existence of a "rising fast ball" (which does exist and is nothing more than a fast ball which, given a high degree of back-spin, falls less rapidly than one without back-spin). I have often thought of the usefulness of such a device in cricket although I absolutely shudder at the thought of using it 


during a match. It could be used for training purposes - you could potentially show a ball being bowled then reconstruct the picture WITHOUT THE BATSMAN to see if it would have hit the stumps. Trainee umpires could possibly benefit from this.

The article I read that discussed this device was in the "Unix Today" magazine, possibly others have read this also (around mid-year 1991?).

However, the problems that you have with such a device is that it you would need at least two cameras, one on the x plane (behind the bowler) and one on the y plane (square to batsman) in order to pick up lift off the pitch. It would also be very, very difficult to figure out the trajectory after impact of a spin bowler, particularly if the batsman gets in the way at the bounce or close to the bounce of the ball.

One final thought which is highly topical bearing in mind all the noise on the net about good and bad umpiring decisions - whatever electronic gadgets are invented and applied to analysis of sport, no matter how often a match replay is studied, you can NEVER accurately judge a ball from the two dimensional perspective of a TV screen. The only way to make a sound judgement is if you are out there in the middle. Electronics, however, may have a positive role in helping potential umpires hone their skills mor


e quickly with the proviso that ultimately you have to be out there. (P.S. let this also be a word of caution to all "arm chair umpires" who may or may not have even seen footage of "bad" umpiring decisions but are still able to pronounce on them)

Andrew Coad
Morgan Stanley
New York
(212) 703-2397
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket