No ball
A no-ball is an illegal delivery — most often because the bowler's front foot lands beyond the popping crease. The batting side gets 1 run and the ball is bowled again.
What you need to know
- Front foot: some part of it (grounded or raised) must land behind the popping crease.
- Back foot: it must land inside, and not touching, the return crease.
- Other reasons include throwing (an illegal arm action) and several fielding and wicket-keeping infringements.
- The 1-run penalty is added straight away and stands even if a batter is then out.
- A no-ball doesn't count as one of the 6 balls of the over.
- Runs the batters hit off a no-ball go to the batter, on top of the 1-run penalty. If the ball wasn't hit, runs are byes or leg byes.
- Off a no-ball a batter can only be out Hit the ball twice, Obstructing the field, or Run out.
Examples
In some competitions — not a Law
The free hit is not a Law. In ICC T20 and one-day internationals the ball after any no-ball is a free hit, off which the striker can only be out in the ways allowed off a no-ball. A local tournament uses free hits only if its organizer says so. View ICC T20I clause 21.19 →
Specific situations
What a free hit is
A free hit is the ball after a no-ball. On it, the striker can only be out run out, hit the ball twice or obstructing the field — not bowled, caught, LBW, stumped or hit wicket.
- It follows every kind of no-ball (ICC 21.19.1).
- If the free-hit ball is itself a wide or a no-ball, the next ball is a free hit too.
- The fielding side can't change the field for it unless the striker has changed (ICC 21.19.3).
Not a Law: Free hits are an ICC playing condition, not an MCC Law. In a local match there is a free hit only if the organizer says so; without one, the ball after a no-ball is an ordinary delivery.
Source: ICC T20I clause 21.19 · MCC Law 21
Bowled on a free hit
You're not out — and any runs you complete count. Hitting the stumps doesn't stop play on a free hit, so you can keep running.
- On a free hit the striker can only be out in the ways allowed off a no-ball: run out, hit the ball twice, or obstructing the field (ICC 21.19.2 and 21.18). Bowled isn't one of them.
- The ball only becomes dead when a batter is out (ICC 20.1.1.3, the same as MCC Law 20.1.1.3). Nobody is out, so the ball is still in play after it hits the stumps.
- If the ball hit the stumps without touching your bat or body, the runs you complete are byes (ICC 23.1). If it came off your bat first, they are your runs.
- You can still be run out while you're running.
Not a Law: Free hits are an ICC playing condition, not an MCC Law. In a local match there is a free hit only if the organizer says so; without one, the ball after a no-ball is an ordinary delivery.
Source: ICC T20I clause 21.19 · ICC T20I clause 20.1.1.3 · ICC T20I clause 23.1
Caught on a free hit
Not out. You can't be caught on a free hit, and the ball stays in play — any runs you complete count, and they're yours because the ball came off the bat.
- On a free hit the striker can only be out in the ways allowed off a no-ball: run out, hit the ball twice, or obstructing the field (ICC 21.19.2 and 21.18). Caught isn't one of them.
- Taking the catch doesn't make the ball dead, because nobody is out (ICC 20.1.1.3).
- The fielder can still throw at the stumps, so you can be run out.
Not a Law: Free hits are an ICC playing condition, not an MCC Law. In a local match there is a free hit only if the organizer says so; without one, the ball after a no-ball is an ordinary delivery.
Source: ICC T20I clause 21.19 · ICC T20I clause 20.1.1.3 · MCC Law 33
LBW on a free hit
Not out. You can't be out LBW on a free hit.
- On a free hit the striker can only be out in the ways allowed off a no-ball: run out, hit the ball twice, or obstructing the field (ICC 21.19.2 and 21.18).
- Play carries on. If the batters run, the runs count as leg byes only if you tried to play the ball with the bat or tried to get out of its way (Law 23.2).
Not a Law: Free hits are an ICC playing condition, not an MCC Law. In a local match there is a free hit only if the organizer says so; without one, the ball after a no-ball is an ordinary delivery.
Source: ICC T20I clause 21.19 · MCC Law 23
Changing the field for a free hit
No — the fielders can't be moved for a free hit, unless the striker has changed, or the no-ball was for breaking a fielding restriction (then only that breach is corrected).
- ICC 21.19.3: neither field changes nor swapping fielders between positions are allowed for a free hit, with those two exceptions.
- A change of striker usually happens because the batters ran an odd number of runs off the no-ball.
Not a Law: Free hits are an ICC playing condition, not an MCC Law. In a local match there is a free hit only if the organizer says so; without one, the ball after a no-ball is an ordinary delivery.
Source: ICC T20I clause 21.19
Bowled off a no-ball
Not out. You can't be bowled off a no-ball, and the ball stays in play — so any runs you complete count, on top of the 1-run no-ball penalty.
- Off a no-ball, neither batter can be out except hit the ball twice, obstructing the field or run out (Law 21.17).
- Calling no-ball doesn't make the ball dead (Law 21.13), and hitting the stumps doesn't either, because nobody is out (Law 20.1.1.3).
- The 1-run penalty is a no-ball extra. Runs you complete are credited to the batter if the ball came off the bat, otherwise they're byes (Law 21.15).
Source: MCC Law 21 · MCC Law 20
Caught off a no-ball
Not out. You can't be caught off a no-ball. The 1-run penalty is added, and any runs you complete count as yours.
- Off a no-ball, neither batter can be out except hit the ball twice, obstructing the field or run out (Law 21.17).
- The ball stays in play (Law 21.13), so the batters can keep running after the catch.
- Runs off the bat go to the striker; the no-ball penalty is scored as a no-ball extra (Law 21.15).
Source: MCC Law 21 · MCC Law 33
A no-ball that goes to the boundary
The batting side gets the 1-run no-ball penalty plus the boundary. Off the bat that's 5 for a four (7 for a six), with the 4 or 6 credited to the batter. If it didn't touch the bat, the 4 is scored as byes or leg byes.
- A no-ball always adds a 1-run penalty, on top of any other runs (Law 21.14).
- Runs off the bat go to the striker; otherwise they are byes or leg byes (Law 21.15).
- A no-ball doesn't count as one of the over (Law 21.16).
Not a Law: In ICC T20 and one-day internationals the next ball is a free hit (ICC playing condition 21.19). A local tournament has free hits only if the organizer says so.
Source: MCC Law 21 · MCC Law 19 · ICC T20I clause 21.19
Runs off a no-ball
Every run counts, plus the 1-run no-ball penalty. Runs off the bat go to the batter; if it didn't touch the bat they are byes or leg byes.
- Calling no-ball doesn't make the ball dead (Law 21.13), and the penalty is added to any other runs (Law 21.14).
- Crediting follows Law 21.15.
Source: MCC Law 21
An overthrow off a no-ball
Add the 1-run no-ball penalty to the overthrow runs: the boundary allowance, the runs completed when the fielder threw, and the run in progress if the batters had crossed.
- The no-ball penalty is in addition to all other runs (Law 21.14).
- Overthrow boundaries are scored as in Law 19.8.1; crediting follows Law 21.15.
Source: MCC Law 21 · MCC Law 19
Keeper takes the ball in front of the stumps
No-ball. The keeper must stay wholly behind the stumps until the ball touches the bat or the striker, passes the stumps, or the striker sets off for a run.
- Law 27.3.1 sets the keeper's position; Law 27.3.2 says the striker's-end umpire calls no-ball if it's broken.
Source: MCC Law 27 · MCC Law 21
Bowler breaks the wicket in their delivery
No-ball — if the bowler breaks the wicket at any time after the ball comes into play and before completing the stride after the delivery stride. That includes anything falling from the bowler.
- Law 21.6. (Running out a non-striker who has left early is different — see Law 38.3.)
Source: MCC Law 21
A delivery that bounces twice
No-ball — if it bounces more than once, or rolls along the ground, before reaching the popping crease. Also a no-ball if it lands off the pitch before reaching the line of the stumps.
- Law 21.7.1 and 21.7.2.
Source: MCC Law 21
A full toss above waist height
No-ball. Any delivery that passes (or would have passed) above the waist of the striker standing upright at the crease, without bouncing, is a no-ball. If it's also dangerous, the bowler is warned; a second dangerous one and they're taken off for the innings.
- Law 41.7.1 makes it a no-ball; Laws 41.7.2 to 41.7.4 deal with dangerous ones.
Not a Law: Under ICC playing conditions the next ball is a free hit. A local tournament has free hits only if the organizer says so.
Source: MCC Law 41 · ICC T20I clause 21.19
Underarm bowling
Not allowed — the umpire calls no-ball — unless both sides agreed before the match to allow it.
- Law 21.1.2; the umpires' action is in Law 21.3.
Source: MCC Law 21
Throwing instead of bowling
No-ball. A delivery is a throw if, once the arm has reached shoulder level in the delivery swing, the elbow straightens partly or fully before the ball is released. Bending the wrist is allowed.
- Law 21.2 defines a fair arm action; Law 21.3 is the umpires' action.
Source: MCC Law 21
Official source
The Laws of Cricket, 2017 Code 4th Edition (2026). Summary in Inswing's own words — follow the link for the official text.
Related: Wide ball · Overs · Unfair play