For fans watching men's Test cricket in Australia, under the ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions effective from October 2026 (2026/27). Covers reviews per innings, Umpire's Call, what can be reviewed, the technology, review timing and umpire-initiated checks.
In each innings, each team may make a maximum of three (3) Player Review requests that are categorised as "Unsuccessful". A successful review (where the on-field decision is reversed) does not count towards that limit, so a team can keep reviewing as long as its reviews keep succeeding.
The limit is stated per innings, and the scoreboard shows how many Player Reviews each team has remaining in the innings in progress.
Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective from October 2026), Appendix D, paragraphs 3.6.1, 3.6.2 and 3.6.10.
Only an "Unsuccessful" Player Review counts towards the limit of three per innings.
The third umpire counts the Unsuccessful reviews and tells the on-field umpires once a team has used up its allowance for the innings. The scoreboard shows the number of Player Reviews each team has left in the innings in progress.
Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective from October 2026), Appendix D, paragraph 3.6.
A Player Review can be requested for any on-field decision about whether or not a batter is dismissed, except "Timed out". No other umpire decisions are eligible for a Player Review.
A decision that could have been the subject of an Umpire Review becomes eligible for a Player Review as soon as it is clear the on-field umpire has chosen not to initiate the Umpire Review.
Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective from October 2026), Appendix D, paragraph 3.1.
The player makes a "T" sign with both forearms at head height. The total time between the ball becoming dead and the request must be no more than 15 seconds. The bowler's end umpire gives the player a prompt after 10 seconds if no request has been made, and the player must then request immediately. If the umpires believe the request was outside 15 seconds, they decline it.
Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective from October 2026), Appendix D, paragraph 3.2.
The third umpire may use, during a Player Review:
Other technology may be used if the ICC is satisfied it meets the required standards of accuracy and time efficiency. The ICC Match Referee makes the final decision on the technology used in a match, in consultation with the ICC Technical Official, ICC management and the teams' governing bodies.
Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective from October 2026), Appendix D, paragraph 3.8.
Umpire's Call is the category used when ball-tracking shows a marginal result, and the on-field decision of the bowler's end umpire stands. Ball-tracking reports three things for an lbw review:
If an lbw review leaves the decision unchanged solely because of Umpire's Call, it is categorised "Unchanged - Umpire's Call" and does not cost the team a review.
Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective from October 2026), Appendix D, paragraphs 3.4 and 3.6.4.
Yes. When a Not out lbw decision is reviewed and the ball-tracking shows the ball was Hitting, the point of first interception was In Line, and the ball landed In Line or Outside Off, the on-field decision still stands (Not out) if either of these applies:
Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective from October 2026), Appendix D, paragraph 3.4.6.4.
If, despite the available technology, the third umpire cannot decide with a high degree of confidence whether the original on-field decision should be changed, they report that the replays are "inconclusive" and the on-field decision stands. The third umpire does not give answers conveying likelihoods or probabilities.
Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective from October 2026), Appendix D, paragraph 3.3.6.
Under an Umpire Review, the on-field umpire may refer or consult the third umpire about:
The third umpire also automatically reviews any call of Short run, and reviews television replays of the bowler's feet landing, advising the bowler's end umpire to call No ball if the front-foot or back-foot requirements are not met.
Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective from October 2026), Appendix D, paragraph 2 and clause 21.5.
No. Apart from requesting a Player Review, players may not appeal to the on-field umpires to use the Umpire Review. A breach may constitute dissent, and the player may face disciplinary action under the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.
Signals from the dressing room must not be given to help a captain or batters decide on a Player Review, and the umpires may decline a request if they believe input came from anyone other than the players on the field.
Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective from October 2026), Appendix D, paragraphs 2 and 3.2.3.
Yes, in limited cases. An Unsuccessful Player Review may be reinstated by the ICC Match Referee, at their sole discretion, if the review could not properly be concluded because of a failure of the technology. The decision is final and is communicated to both teams once the facts are known.
It is not reinstated if the correct decision could still have been made using the other available technology, or if the technology worked as intended but the evidence was inconclusive.
Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective from October 2026), Appendix D, paragraph 3.6.8.
DRS requires, as a minimum, the mandatory camera set-up plus approved ball-tracking technology and approved sound-based edge detection technology.
Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective from October 2026), Appendix D, paragraph 1.1.