No ball
No ball is considered an unlawful pitch in the professional cricket league. In this particular scenario, the game is halted, and the side that is being battered suffers an extra injury. In addition, if this is an ODI or Twenty20I match, the team receives a free hit – a serve that protects the batsman from being knocked out of the game (if the wicket is knocked down, the ball is caught, etc.). It is necessary for the player to re-throw the ball if they serve the ball, since this does not qualify as a full attempt for bowlers. Please refer to our post for more details.
No Ball: General Information And Reasons
The Laws of Cricket is the document that defines the rules of the cricket game around the world. The main body of Laws of Cricket is a section with 42 Laws and a section with five appendices.
In this article, we will discuss Law № 21, which talks about a term called no ball.
In the sport of professional cricket, if the match referee issues the instruction “no ball,” it indicates that the bowler delivered the ball in an inappropriate manner or the field players broke the rules when they were serving the ball. When it comes to this aspect, the squad that is being battered is always given an extra wound. When it comes to filing, there are a few different cases that are regarded unlawful. In a nutshell, let’s make an effort to comprehend each of them.
The bowler will switch hands or sides as they are serving the ball. Before starting to play his over, each bowler notifies the referee of which hand and on which side of the wicket he will shoot. If the player who is now holding the ball decides that he wants to change his hand for whatever reason, he is required to inform the referee of this decision. In the event that this prerequisite is not satisfied, the referee will halt the game and signal that there will be a no ball in cricket.
When throwing, the hand action is incorrect. It is only possible for bowlers to bend their elbow joint to a specific degree (up to 15 degrees) while they are really throwing. If a player violates this regulation, the referee will give the no ball signal, which will also cause play to be stopped. Additionally, the referee has the authority to remove the bowler from the game for the remainder of the inning if he serves a second time in violation of the sport’s rules.
When it comes to this regulation, the less common form of throw is also valid. In the event when the bowler strikes the batter before entering the delivery stride area, the referee has the ability to interrupt the game. To put it another way, the player who is in possession of the ball executes an early swing and throw. It is strictly prohibited in cricket!
You cannot roll the ball on the ground (underarm bowling). These kinds of behaviors on the part of a bowler are regarded to be unlawful in today’s world, and they show complete and utter contempt to the other players. A player who is in control of the ball is not allowed to drop the ball from the bottom during a normal match. On the other hand, if two sides both reach a consensus before to the match, then it is permissible to roll the ball on the ground (although this is something that happens extremely seldom).
One of the most well-known events involving serves of this kind took place in the final match of the 1981 Australia Tri-Series Cup, which was played against New Zealand and Australia. In order for the New Zealand side to get a tie in the match, they simply needed to score six runs. On the other hand, bowler Trevor Chappell, who is also his brother, started throwing the ball during his innings under the instruction of Australia’s captain Greg Chappell. Naturally, the batsman could not hit the ball properly and thus earn enough runs for the team.
Soon, the local public began to boo such actions. In addition, both batsmen left the field ahead of schedule. Even though such services were allowed in those days, Australia received a lot of negative criticism. After this match, such services without agreement are prohibited.
The photo below shows the judge extending his arm to the side. It means that the pitch is no ball.
Walkers. Such things are popular in many sports. In cricket, the spade is fixed in the following situations:
- When thrown, the bowler’s foot completely crosses the popping crease. This can usually be seen with the naked eye, but there is a video replay system if the evidence is needed at matches. To prevent the judge from counting the serve as a no ball in cricket, part of the foot (heel) must be behind the popping crease.
- The server must also ensure that his hind foot is fully in front of the return crease. It is worth noting that the spade is considered in both cases, even if the leg crosses the crease in the air!
Broken wicket. The surface is always equipped with two wickets at all times. One from the bowler’s side, the other from the batsman’s side. In the event if the bowler breaks the wicket that is on his side while the service is being performed, the referee will evaluate the throw as a no ball. This means that stumps are assumed to have been destroyed even if they have been touched by an article of clothing or an accessory of any type (for example, spectacles).
It is essential to work out situations like this with a high level of quality throughout training in order to prevent them. Because no one wants to use their feeds in such a manner, it is important for every rookie player to learn the habit of taking care of themselves and their stuff.
Bouncing the ball off the pitch. After the bowler has released the ball, the ball must either fly straight to the batter or bounce no more than once off the pitch. This is only allowed to happen while the bowler is serving. The throw is also considered to be a no ball if the ball bounces much than once or just rolls across the field (underarm bowling or other similar situations). In the event that the ball does not make it to the batter, the service will also be considered incomplete.
A touch of a fielder. The field players are serving team members whose task is to catch the ball in the shortest possible time after the batsman hit. If the ball is thrown hits the fielder (before the ball is hit), then such a serve will be designated as a no ball in cricket.
This rule also applies to the keeper of the wicket (standing behind the batsman). He must stay behind the wicket until:
- The ball will not be hit or hit by a batsman;
- The ball will not fly past the wicket;
- The batsman will not move towards the opposite wicket (runs).
Dangerous serves. Since cricket is a fast game (in terms of serving and hitting speed), the Laws of Cricket should have rules that prohibit the bowler from serving dangerous serves. These include:
- If, when thrown, the ball does not bounce off the pitch and flies above the waist at the batsman (the serve is referred to as a beamer);
- If the ball bounces off the pitch to a height above the level of the batsman’s head, then such a serve will also be counted as no ball in cricket;
- If the serving player has repeated such throws, the referees have the legal right to remove the bowler from play until the end of the inning.
Illegal actions of field players. Despite the fact that the majority of the limits were outlined in the paragraph that was named “touching the fielder,” there are other reasons that are behind the directive to not hit the ball. If the playing field is divided into two portions (beginning from the side of the batsman), then the left side will be referred to as the on (leg)side, while the right side will be referred to as the off side.
Therefore, a violation will be considered to have occurred when, during the service, there are more than two field players behind the wicket on the leg side of the field. Additionally, there are limitations placed on the number of outfield players who are allowed to play beyond the 30-yard circle (you can find more information on this topic on our website in another prepared material).
In One Day and Twenty20 competitions, after an illegal no ball, a free hit is played. The batsman has the opportunity to play more openly and risky since the free hit is considered a protected serve. The batsman cannot be sent off.
