No-ball


In cricket, a no-ball is a type of illegal delivery to a batter. It is also a type of extra, being the run awarded to the batting team as a consequence of the illegal delivery. For most cricket games, especially amateur, the definition of all forms of no-ball is from the MCC Laws of Cricket.
Originally "no Ball" was called when a bowler overstepped the bowling crease with their back foot, requiring them to try again to bowl a fair ball.
Today the test for overstepping is whether the front foot lands behind the popping crease
As the game developed, "No ball" has also been called for an unfair ball delivered roundarm, overarm or thrown, eventually resulting in today's overarm bowling being the only legal style.
Technical infringements, and practices considered unfair or dangerous, have been added for bowling, field placement, fielder and wicket-keeper actions. "No-ball" has become a passage of play.
The delivery of a no-ball results in one "extra" run – two under some regulations – added to the batting team's overall score. That illegal delivery does not count as one of the six 'fair balls' in the over. A further delivery must then be bowled.
In playing the illegal delivery, the batter can only be out in three ways.
For traditional games, another delivery is bowled and, if that ball is 'fair', a batter is not protected, and can be out in any way.
In shorter competition cricket, including the World Cup T20 or ODI the further delivery is a "free hit": the batter can play it free from being out except in three ways.
In all cases, if the further delivery is also illegal, yet further deliveries are bowled until a fair ball, that counts as one of the six in the over, is achieved, no matter how many deliveries may be needed.
No-balls due to overstepping the crease are common, especially in short form cricket, and fast bowlers tend to bowl them more often than spin bowlers.
It is also a no-ball when the bowler's back foot lands touching or wide of the return crease.
Any of the many no-ball cases is at least 'unfair' to the extent that the batting team is given a fair ball and a penalty run in compensation. Some no-balls are given under Law 41 'Unfair Play' and hence have further repercussions: a fast short pitched delivery may be judged to be a no-ball by the umpire, and any high full-pitched delivery, or any deliberate front-foot fault, is inherently dangerous or unfair.
Any beamer is unfair and therefore a no-ball, but the umpire may judge that a particular beamer is not also dangerous, and does not warrant a warning or suspension.
For deliberate beamers and deliberate overstepping, the bowler may be suspended from bowling immediately, and the incident reported. For other dangerous and unfair no-balls, or for throwing, repetition will have additional consequences for the bowler and team. The bowler may be suspended from bowling in the game, reported, and required to undertake remedial work on their bowling action.

Causes

A no-ball may be called for several reasons, most commonly because the bowler breaks the first rule below, and also frequently as a result of dangerous or unfair bowling.
Note that if a ball qualifies as both a no-ball and a wide, it is a no-ball.
The umpire will call a no-ball in any of the following situations:

Illegal action by the bowler

Position of feet

"Overstepping"
  • If the bowler bowls without some part of the front foot behind the popping crease when it lands. If the front foot of a bowler lands behind the crease and slides beyond, then it is not a no-ball. If the foot lands beyond the crease, it is a no-ball. It is legal for a spin bowler, for example, to land with their toe spikes grounded wholly in front of the crease but to have their heel in the air behind that line. The bowler must satisfy the umpire that some part of the foot lands initially behind the line, and in big games this question is now subject to minute examination by television replay. Recent practice has been to allow the bowler the benefit of any residual doubt in this judgement. Note: the crease refers to the inside edge of the painted line, not the line itself.
Wide of the Crease
  • If the bowler bowls with any part of the back foot wide of - i.e. on or outside the line of - the return crease when it lands. In one example New Zealand slow bowler Glenn Phillips was shown on Umpire Review replay to have grounded almost his entire back foot wide of the return crease in the act of bowling a wicket-taking ball to Jos Buttler, but was adjudged to have grounded only the toe in the act of landing, and this wholly within the return crease, thus the ball was adjudged legal by the third umpire, and the batter given out.
One side of the Wicket
  • If the bowler bowls without some part of the front foot landing either grounded or in the air on the same side of the wicket as the back foot lands.

    Method of delivery

  • If the bowler throws, rather than bowls, the ball.
  • If the bowler breaks the non-striker's wicket during the act of delivery.
  • If the bowler changes the arm with which they bowl without notifying the umpire.
  • If the bowler changes the side of the wicket from which they bowl without notifying the umpire.
  • If the bowler bowls underarm unless this style of delivery is agreed before the match.
  • If the ball bounces more than once, or rolls along the ground, before reaching the popping crease at the striker's end.
  • If the ball bounces not wholly within the 10 foot width of a full pitch, or bounces wholly or partly on an artificial surface next to the pitch, or bounces not wholly on the artificial surface in use.
  • If the ball comes to rest in front of the line of the striker's wicket.
  • If the ball is so far from the pitch that the batter would be obliged to leave the pitch to play it

    Unfair / dangerous bowling

  • If the ball does not touch the ground in its flight between the wickets and reaches the batter on the full over waist height. 'Waist' means the top of the trousers when the batter is standing upright at the popping crease.
  • If the bowler bowls any fast short pitch ball that, taking into account its trajectory and the skill of the batter, is dangerous.
  • If the bowler bowls a ball that bounces and passes the batter above head height
  • If the bowler repeatedly bowls balls that bounce and pass the batter above head height, the bowling can also be judged unfair by the umpire under Law 41, even if not dangerous as above, and incurs the same sanctions.
In professional cricket, the Laws of Cricket are often modified by a playing regulation that any ball over head height is a Wide ball, but a second fast ball above shoulder height in an over is a no-ball, e.g. in International T20 Cricket and IPLT20. But in International One-Day Cricket and in Test Cricket, two fast pitched short balls per over may pass over shoulder height before no-ball is called, and again any ball over head height is a Wide. Thus competition rules may both tone down the definition of 'dangerous and unfair' and put definite limits on repetition, intended not only to protect the batter but also to maintain a fair contest between bat and ball, preventing such bowling being used to limit the batter's ability to score. There is presently some difference of opinion between the authorities that is evident in the differences between Law and regulation.

Illegal action by a fielder

  • If the wicket keeper moves any part of their person in front of the line of the stumps before either a) the ball strikes the batter's person or bat; or b) the ball passes the line of the stumps.
  • If a fielder has any part of their body grounded or in the air over the pitch.
  • If a fielder intercepts the ball before it has hit the striker or their bat or passed their wicket. The ball also becomes dead immediately.
  • If there are more than two fielders that are on the leg side and behind the batter's crease.
  • Under certain playing conditions, further restrictions apply to the placement of fielders. For example in One Day International cricket, there can be no more than five fielders a) on the on side; and b) outside the 30-yard circle..

    Umpire making the call of no-ball

By default, it is the bowler's end umpire who calls and signals no-ball. When judgement of ball height is required, their colleague may assist them with a signal.
Either umpire may call a bowler for throwing, although the striker's end umpire is naturally better-placed, and so has the primary responsibility.
The striker's end umpire calls no-ball for infringement by the wicket-keeper, and for position of the fielders, but the bowler's end umpire calls no-ball for fielder encroachment on the wicket.
After what would have been a wicket-taking event, the umpire can call and signal a no-ball, and even call back a batter who has not left the field of play.
The bowler's end umpire initially signals a foot-fault no-ball by holding one arm out horizontally and calling "no-ball", which may give the batter some warning that the ball is an illegal delivery. Other reasons for a no-ball, e.g. illegal position of fielder, throwing the ball, or height of delivery, are initially judged by the striker's end umpire, who indicates their judgement to the bowler's end umpire.
When the ball is dead, the umpire will repeat the no-ball hand signal for the benefit of the scorers, and wait for their acknowledgement.

Effects

Dismissal

A batter may not be given out bowled, leg before wicket, caught, stumped or hit wicket off a no-ball. A batter may be given out run out, hit the ball twice or obstructing the field. Thus the call of no-ball protects the batter against losing their wicket in ways that are attributed to the bowler, but not in ways that are attributed to the batter's running or conduct.
A batter may even be given out Run out not attempting a run, just as if the ball were legal, except for the case that would be stumped were it not a no-ball, i.e. it is not out if the batter is not attempting a run and the wicket keeper puts the wicket down without the intervention of another fielder. The keeper can still run out the batter if they move to attempt a run.