In one-day and T20 cricket, all sorts of no-balls are followed by a free shot in accordance with a 2015 law revision that was accepted by the ICC. Runs given to the batting side that are included in the team total but not included in the batters’ score are referred to as extras or sundries. The five different sorts of extras in cricket are no balls, wides, byes, leg byes, and penalties. No ball is the only extra among the others that have many variations.
Below, we examine several cricket no-ball regulations and categories of no-balls.
No balls Rules in Cricket
A no-ball is an illegal delivery produced by the bowler that, in limited-over forms, results in an additional run being granted to the batting team as well as a free hit. The bowler has six legal deliveries to finish an over, however, the No ball delivery does not count against that total.
A free hit occurs after a No ball in One-Day and T20 cricket.
Prior to 2015, only front-foot no balls qualified for a free hit for the batting side in one-day and T20 cricket. However, the 2015 revision of playing regulations, which was accepted by the International Cricket Council (ICC), now grants free hits for all types of no-balls.
No matter what kind of No ball is used, free hits prevent a hitter from being called out on pitches that come after the No ball unless there is a run-out, a stumping, and the batter blocks the field, or the batter hits the ball twice. The same rules apply to free hits in T20 and one-day cricket.
How many types of No balls are in Cricket?
Cricket has 15 different varieties of no-balls. A bowling team may be deemed to have delivered a No ball in a number of ways other than the bowler stepping over the popping crease.
Let’s examine each category of no ball in cricket.
Front foot No balls
The referee indicates a front foot. When the entire bowler’s foot is not behind the popping crease, there is no ball. A line that runs parallel to the stumps for about four feet is called a popping crease.
The bowler must have a portion of their foot behind the popping crease when they throw the ball for it to be considered lawful. The ball is still considered to be a valid delivery as long as some portion of it remained behind the popping crease at the moment of landing even if the bowler’s foot travels forward of the crease after landing.
Back foot No balls
When the bowler’s following foot cuts the return crease as the ball is released, the umpire flags a back foot no ball. The two lines on either side of the wicket are referred to as the return crease. They delineate the specific region where a bowler must send the ball and are positioned at right angles to the bowling and popping creases.
The bowler’s back foot must fall inside and not touch the return crease relevant to his or her stated style of delivery, which is behind the popping crease, according to Law 21.5 of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the stewards of cricket regulations. The bowler’s end umpire is required to call and signal “No ball” if he or she is not confident that all three requirements have been completed.
Waist height No balls
When a bowler completes a full toss over the batter’s waist, the umpire signals a no-ball for height. According to ICC match clause 41 for unfair play, if a bowler throws two waist-high full tosses (beamers) in a game, the umpire has the authority to stop the bowler from throwing any further non-pitching deliveries if he believes there is a chance the batter at the striker’s end may be hurt.
No balls for ball bouncing over the head
The umpire may call a no ball in accordance with MCC Law 21.10 for No Balls if the bowler’s ball crosses over or would have passed over the head of the striker when he or she is standing straight in the popping crease. Additionally, if the on-field umpire believes the bowler is consistently regarded to throw risky and unfairly short-pitched deliveries, he may declare a No ball in accordance with laws 41.6 and 41.7. The opposing team receives a free hit and an additional run if the delivery is deemed to be illegal.
No ball for ball bouncing multiple times
In accordance with MCC Law 21.7, delivery shall be deemed a No ball if it bounces more than once or rolls across the surface before reaching the batter at the popping crease.
No ball for delivery pitching outside the playing area
The umpire may rule that delivery is a No ball if the bowler wholly or partially pitches outside the playing area or the cut strip (the line parallel to the wide line) before it reaches the striker.
No ball for the bowler breaking wickets while delivering the ball
The bowler must break the wickets at the non-end strikers after the ball enters play and before finishing the delivery stride in order for the umpire to call the delivery a no ball if the non-striker is not dismissed or leaves the crease. This also covers any apparel or anything that lands on the stumps during the delivery stride and damages the wickets.
Before 2013, if stumps at the non-end strikers were shattered during the bowler’s delivery stride, the ball was deemed dead. But when England fast bowler Steven Finn frequently damaged the stumps in the Headingly Test against South Africa in 2012, the regulation was changed in 2013.
No ball for ball throwing (chucking)
When a bowler straightens their bowling arm farther than is allowed, it is known as chucking in cricket. The bowlers are required by law to extend their elbows and arms no less than 15 degrees; if they do not, there will be no balls.
No ball for delivering underarm
A ball bowled underarm by a bowler will be signaled a no-ball unless there is a particular agreement, according to Law 21.1.2.
After the controversial 1981 World Series match, in which Trevor Chappell delivered an underarm ball for Australia to defeat the Kiwis with New Zealand needing six runs off the game’s final delivery, lob bowling or underarm bowling became prohibited.
No ball for throwing the ball toward the striker before delivery
The umpire must call the delivery a no-ball if the bowler intentionally tosses the ball in the direction of the striker before taking his delivery stride.
No ball for failure to notify umpires of the mode of delivery
According to MCC law 21.1.1, a bowler must advise the umpire before bowling whether he plans to bowl right-handedly or left-handedly, with pace or spin, and over or around the wicket. In the absence of that, the umpire may signal a No ball.
No balls for the fielder to intercept the delivery
The umpire may declare a delivery to be a No ball and instantly designate it as a dead ball if it hits any fielder before it contacts the striker, his bat, or it goes above his stumps.
No balls for breaching the number of fielders on the on side
A fielding team may deploy no more than two fielders, except the wicketkeeper, behind the square leg in accordance with MCC Law 28.4. The umpire must declare the delivery a No ball if the aforementioned law has been broken.
No balls for delivery coming to rest before reaching the striker
In accordance with Law 21.8, a ball must be deemed a No ball if, after the bowler has delivered it, it comes to rest in front of the striker without touching him or his bat.
No balls if the wicket-keeper is in front of the stumps
From the moment the ball enters play, a wicketkeeper is supposed to remain completely behind the stumps at the striker’s end. In accordance with Law 27.3.1, the wicketkeeper must catch the ball in front of or in line with the stumps before the ball contacts the batter or the batsman’s body. The wicketkeeper is permitted to retrieve the ball in front of the stumps if the batsman attempts a run.