No-Ball
Also known as: no ball, front-foot no ball
A no-ball is an illegal delivery in cricket — most commonly when the bowler's front foot lands beyond the popping crease — resulting in one extra run and the delivery being re-bowled, and the batter cannot be dismissed (except run out).
The most common no-ball is the front-foot no-ball: the bowler's leading foot must land entirely behind the popping crease at the instant of delivery. If any part of that foot lands on or in front of the line, the umpire calls no-ball. Other causes include the ball bouncing more than twice before reaching the batter (a pitch-ball-double-bounce), the ball going over head height (a beamer), the fielding side having too many fielders outside the fielding restrictions, and others. No-balls carry a one-run penalty added to extras, the delivery is a free-hit in limited-overs cricket (meaning the batter can only be run out from a no-ball), and the delivery must be bowled again. Professional bowlers are penalised heavily in team dynamics for regular no-balls because they concede runs and remove the possibility of taking wickets.
Example
The bowler bowls a thunderous delivery and the batter is caught behind — but the umpire raises the arm for no-ball because the foot was over the crease, and the batter is reprieved.
Why it matters
No-balls waste deliveries and protect the batter. SwingVantage's cricket analysis (in development) will track foot-landing position relative to the crease in video so bowlers can eliminate this common and costly error.
Frequently asked questions
Can a batter be out from a no-ball?
A batter can only be dismissed run out from a no-ball. All other modes of dismissal — bowled, caught, LBW, stumped, hit wicket — do not apply to a no-ball delivery.
Related terms
- CreaseThe crease is any of the white painted lines on the cricket pitch that define legal bowling positions, the safe zone for batters, and the starting point for LBW and run-out adjudications.
- WideA wide is a delivery that passes outside the marked wide lines on the pitch — too far from the batter to be played normally — penalising the fielding team with one extra run and requiring the delivery to be re-bowled.
Put this into your swing
SwingVantage can spot this in your own swing — free to start.