No Ball and Wide Explained: Cricket's Illegal Deliveries
What no balls and wides are in cricket — the rules governing illegal deliveries, when they are called, the penalty runs awarded, and why no balls and wides matter strategically in limited-overs cricket.
No balls and wides are illegal deliveries in cricket — deliveries that violate the Laws in specific ways and result in penalty runs being added to the batting team's score. Both give the batting team a free ball (an additional delivery to make up for the illegal one) and one run as a penalty, plus any runs scored off the delivery. Understanding no balls and wides helps explain why bowlers are penalised, why certain deliveries prompt instant umpire signals, and why these deliveries are particularly costly in T20I cricket.
No Ball: Foot, Height, and Other Violations
A no ball is called when: the bowler's front foot lands ahead of the popping crease (front-foot no ball — most common); the bowler's back foot lands outside the return crease; the delivery is bowled above waist height without bouncing (a full-pitched beamer above waist height); the delivery is above head height as it reaches the batter (a high full toss — T20I cricket has specific height rules); or the fielding team has more than the permitted number of fielders behind square on the leg side at the moment of delivery. A no ball adds one run as a penalty; any runs scored off a no ball are also added.
Wide: Too Far Outside the Legal Zone
A wide is called when the delivery passes too far to the side of the batter to be reachable — the batter would have had to move unreasonably to play the ball. The definition differs between formats: in Test cricket, the standard is relatively generous (the ball must be well outside the batter's reach to be wide); in ODI and T20I cricket, the definition is stricter — deliveries down the leg side that the batter cannot comfortably reach, or well wide of off stump, are called wides more readily. A wide also adds one run as a penalty and must be rebowled.
Free Hit After a No Ball
In limited-overs cricket (ODI and T20I), a front-foot no ball results in a 'free hit' — the delivery following the no ball is a free hit, meaning the batter cannot be dismissed by any fielding method except run out. The free hit is indicated by the umpire rotating their arm and pointing upward (the free hit signal). The free hit gives the batter an opportunity to hit the ball without risk of dismissal, creating boundary-scoring opportunities that would otherwise carry risk. The free hit does NOT apply to other types of no ball (height, beamer) — only front-foot no balls trigger the free hit in the standard Laws.
Frequently asked questions
What is a no ball in cricket?
An illegal delivery resulting in one penalty run plus any runs scored, and a free hit (in limited-overs cricket). Most commonly: the bowler's front foot lands past the popping crease. Also called for deliveries above waist/head height. The delivery must be rebowled.
What is a wide in cricket?
A delivery too far to the side of the batter to be reached — adds one penalty run and must be rebowled. The wide standard differs by format: stricter in ODI and T20I cricket (particularly leg-side wides) than in Test cricket. A wide cannot result in a caught dismissal (because the batter didn't hit it).
What is a free hit in cricket?
The delivery following a front-foot no ball in limited-overs cricket — the batter cannot be dismissed (except run out) on the free hit delivery. The umpire signals a free hit by rotating their arm and pointing up. Free hits only follow front-foot no balls, not other types of no ball.