No-ball

In the sport of cricket a no ball is a penalty against the fielding team, usually as a result of an illegal delivery by the bowler. The delivery of a no ball results in one run (or occasionally two, depending upon the competition) to be added to the batting team's score, and an additional ball must be bowled. In addition, the number of ways in which the batsman can be given out is reduced. In twenty20 and recently one-day cricket matches, a batsman receives a 'free hit' on the ball after a 'front foot' no ball (see below). This means the batsman can freely hit the ball with no danger of being out in certain ways. No balls are not uncommon, especially in short form cricket, and fast bowlers tend to bowl them more often than spin bowlers, due to their longer run-up.

What constitutes a no ball

A no ball may be called for a variety of reasons . Most commonly, it is the result of a bowler breaking one of the first two rules below (a front foot no ball or back foot no ball). Dangerous deliveries (beamers) are another common reason.

An umpire will rule a no ball under any of the following conditions:

Illegal action by the bowler

• If the bowler bowls without some part of the front foot (either grounded or raised) behind the popping crease.
• If the bowler bowls with the back foot not wholly inside the return crease.
• If the bowler throws, rather than bowls, the ball. (See bowling for an explanation.)
• If the bowler changes the arm with which he bowls without notifying the umpire.
• If the bowler changes the side of the wicket from which he bowls without notifying the umpire.
• If the bowler bowls underarm unless this style of delivery is agreed before the match.
• If the bowler throws the ball towards the striker's wicket before entering the "delivery stride".
• If the ball does not touch the ground in its flight between the wickets and reaches the batsman at a height above his waist when delivered by a fast bowler (this delivery is called a 'Beamer') or the shoulder when delivered by a slow bowler.
• If the ball bounces twice or more than twice, or rolls along the ground, before reaching the popping crease at the striker's end.
• if the ball comes to rest in front of the line of the striker's wicket.

Effects of a no ball

The umpire signals a no ball by holding one arm out horizontally. If the call is for illegal placement of the bowler's feet, the umpire will also shout "No ball", to give the batsman some warning that the ball is an illegal delivery. Depending on the speed of the delivery and the batsman's reactions, the batsman may then be able to play a more aggressive shot at the delivery safe in the knowledge that he cannot be dismissed so easily by a no ball: a batsman may not be given out bowled, leg before wicket, caught, stumped or hit wicket off a no ball. (In some types of short form cricket the batsman may not be out by these methods on the following ball either - such deliveries are known as free hits. These only come into play after a front foot no ball.) However, he can still be dismissed for a run out, handling the ball, hitting the ball twice, or obstructing the field.

A no ball does not count as one of the six balls in an over, but it does count as a ball faced by the batsman.

When a no ball is bowled, a number of runs are awarded to the batting team, the number varying depending on local playing conditions in force. In Test cricket and One Day International cricket the award is one run; in some domestic competitions, particularly one-day cricket competitions, the award is two runs. These runs are scored as extras and are added to the batting team's total, but are not added to any batsman's total. For scoring, no balls are considered to be the fault of the bowler (even if the infringement was committed by a fielder), and since the early 1980s, are recorded as a negative statistic in a bowler's record.

If the batsman hits the ball he may take runs as normal. These are scored as runs by the batsman, as normal. Runs may also be scored without the batsman hitting the ball, but these are recorded as no ball extras rather than byes or leg byes.

If a ball qualifies as a no ball and a wide, the umpire will call it a no ball, rather than a wide.