No Ball in Cricket – Types, Rules and Conditions Explained (2022)

No ball is a part of cricket that is considered an ‘extra’ or illegitimate delivery. The umpire raises his right arm sideways whenever a No Ball is bowled.

There are 16 types of No Ball in Cricket. Here we have discussed them all:

1. Front foot no ball

There is a straight white line in front of both wickets. So, when the bowler is bowling from one end, the rule is, that when the bowler is about to release the ball, at the point of first contact with the crease, at least some part of the bowler’s boot of the front leg has to be compulsorily behind the white line.

So if even a tiny part of the bowler’s front leg boot is not behind the white line, it will be considered a no ball. Even if the front leg boot is touching the white line at the first point of contact with the crease just before releasing the ball, it will be called a no ball.

2. Waist High Full toss

Ideally, before the ball reaches the batsman, the ball makes contact with the pitch once, that is it bounces on the pitch before it reaches the batsman, even if it doesn’t, the ball should reach the batsman at a level below his waist.

Hence if the ball reaches the batsman without any bounce and the level of the ball when it reaches the batsman is above the waist of the batsman, then it will be called a no ball.

3. bowling More than a legitimate number of bouncers

A bouncer is a type of ball or delivery that usually touches somewhere in the middle of the pitch and then reaches the batsman somewhere at a level between his shoulders and head (above the head high ball is called a ‘wide ball’ plus also declared as a bouncer). In Test cricket and ODI cricket, a bowler is allowed to bowl a maximum of 2 bouncers whereas in T20 cricket, a bowler can bowl a maximum of 1 bouncer.

Hence, if a bowler bowls more than the allotted legitimate number of bouncers in an over, then it will be called a no ball, that id in Test and ODI cricket, the 3rd bouncer will be declared as a no ball whereas, in T20 cricket, the 2nd bouncer will be declared as a no ball.

4. More than one bounce

As discussed in Case 2 of waist high full toss, the ball should either bounce once or be at a level below the waist high of the batsman before it reaches the batsman in order to be a legal delivery and not a no ball.

Hence, if the ball bounces or makes contact with the pitch more than one time before it reaches the batsman, then that delivery will be adjudged a no ball.

5. Ball bouncing out of the pitch

It is compulsory that the ball remains inside the periphery of the pitch before or while bouncing. If the ball goes or lands completely out of the pitch before it reaches the batsman then too, it will be deemed as a no ball.

6. Fielding restrictions

This happens mainly in limited overs cricket. During the powerplay, a maximum of two players are allowed outside the 30-yard circle and after the powerplay, a maximum of 4 players are allowed outside the 30-yard circle.

So, if during the powerplay more than 2 fielders are outside the 30-yard circle and after the powerplay if more than 4 fielders are outside the 30-yard circle, then the delivery during that moment of time will be called a no ball.

7. Moving Fielders

Ideally, before the bowler starts to bowl, all the fielders should take their respective fielding positions and shouldn’t move or switch positions when the bowler is bowling.

Hence if fielders are moving or changing their fielding positions when the ball is being bowled, then that ball will be called as a no ball.

8. Mistake from the wicket keeper

The wicket keeper should touch or have contact with the ball only after the ball has gone past the wickets behind the batsman.

In case the wicket keeper touches or collects the ball before it has crossed the wickets behind the batsman, then that particular ball will become a no ball.

The above 8 are the main reasons for a no ball in cricket. Here are some of the interesting facts related to it –

Top 10 matches with the most number of no balls

Sl. No.	Match	Date	Ground	Total Number of No Balls
1	West Indies vs Pakistan	18th February 1977	Bridgetown	103
2	Australia vs West Indies	2nd December 1988	Perth	90
3	West Indies vs England	8th April 1994	Bridgetown	81
4	West Indies vs England	6th March 1974	Bridgetown	79
5	West Indies vs Australia	26th March 1999	Bridgetown	78
6	Pakistan vs Sri Lanka	6th March 2002	Lahore	75
7	Pakistan vs Sri Lanka	12th March 2000	Karachi	75
8	West Indies vs Australia	23rd March 1991	Georgetown	75
9	New Zealand vs Sri Lanka	1st March 1991	Auckland	71
10	Australia vs West Indies	3rd February 1989	Adelaide	71

5 Bowlers who have never bowled a no ball –

1. Lance Gibbs (West Indies)
2. Ian Botham (England)
3. Imran Khan (Pakistan)
4. Dennis Lillee (Australia)
5. Kapil Dev (India)

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