Umpiring & reviews
No more soft signal
On-field umpires no longer give a 'soft signal' when they refer a catch. The TV umpire decides on the evidence alone.
Updated 29 Sept 2026
When on-field umpires weren't sure whether a catch had carried, they used to refer it to the TV umpire with a soft signal, their best guess of out or not out. The TV umpire needed conclusive evidence to overturn that guess.
What changed
The ICC scrapped the soft signal in June 2023. Now the on-field umpires simply ask the TV umpire for help, and the TV umpire decides using the replays.
Why
Low catches are very hard to judge from 20 metres away. Letting the official with the best view decide, without an on-field guess tipping the balance, gives fairer outcomes.
Official source: icc-cricket.com ↗
This is a plain-language club summary for learning. For match decisions, the official ICC Playing Conditions and MCC Laws of Cricket apply.