What Is a Free Hit in Cricket? The Rule Fully Explained for Beginners

A free hit is a special delivery in limited-overs cricket (T20Is and ODIs) where the batter can only be dismissed run out — all other methods of dismissal are suspended. A free hit is awarded whenever the bowler delivers a front-foot no-ball: a delivery where the bowler's front foot lands beyond or on the batting crease at the moment of delivery. The batter on a free hit cannot be bowled, caught, LBW, stumped, or dismissed in any way except a run out, giving them the freedom to swing as hard as they like without risk.

What Triggers a Free Hit?

A free hit is specifically triggered by a front-foot no-ball — when the bowler's front foot oversteps the batting crease (the popping crease) at the time of delivery. The on-field umpire signals no-ball (extending one arm horizontally), and then signals the upcoming free hit (making a circular motion with the same arm). The no-ball itself gives the batting team one run (unless more runs are scored off the delivery), and the next delivery — the free hit — carries the additional protection. Not all no-balls trigger a free hit: for example, a no-ball for height (full toss above waist) or a no-ball for a fielding placement infringement does not trigger a free hit in standard ICC rules.

What Can and Cannot Dismiss a Batter on a Free Hit

On a free hit delivery, the following dismissals are NOT possible: bowled (ball hitting the stumps does not count); caught (ball touched bat and carried to a fielder); LBW (ball hitting the pad in front of the stumps); stumped (wicketkeeper breaking the stumps while the batter is out of their crease without a shot being played); and hit wicket (batter accidentally dislodges a bail with bat or body). The only dismissal that IS possible on a free hit is a run out — if the batter attempts a run and is short of their crease when the stumps are broken by a fielder's throw. This means the batter can play any attacking shot without risk of the most common dismissals.

Free Hit After a Wide or Height No-Ball?

In standard ICC playing conditions for T20Is and ODIs, a free hit is only given after a front-foot no-ball. It is NOT given after a wide delivery, NOT after a height no-ball (full toss above waist), and NOT after a fielding restriction violation no-ball. Some domestic T20 leagues have experimented with expanded free hit triggers — for instance, awarding a free hit after any type of no-ball — but this is not the standard ICC rule for international cricket. Always check the specific competition's playing conditions if a particular league applies an expanded free hit trigger.

Free Hit in Test Cricket

Free hits do not exist in Test cricket. In the longest format, a front-foot no-ball results in one run to the batting team (a no-ball extra) and the delivery does not count toward the over — it must be rebowled. The batter on the no-ball itself cannot be dismissed except run out (as in all formats), but there is no subsequent protected free hit delivery. The free hit rule was introduced specifically for limited-overs cricket to penalise front-foot no-balls more heavily, since in T20 and ODI cricket the impact of a bowler not being penalised adequately for consistent overstepping would be significant.