No-Ball and Wide Rules in Cricket: Complete Guide to Illegal Deliveries
A no-ball is an illegal delivery costing 1 run penalty where the batsman cannot be dismissed (except run-out). A wide is a ball too far outside the stumps for the batsman to play, also costing 1 run. Both must be bowled again. In T20 cricket, no-balls also trigger a free hit. Understanding exactly what constitutes these illegal deliveries helps follow cricket at a deeper level.
No-ball types: a no-ball in cricket is an illegal delivery that costs the fielding side 1 run (regardless of what else happens on the delivery), cannot dismiss the batsman (except run-out), and must be bowled again (it does not count as one of the over's 6 deliveries). Types of no-ball: (1) Front-foot no-ball: the most common type — the bowler's front foot lands beyond the popping crease at the moment of delivery. (2) Back-foot no-ball: the bowler's back foot lands beyond the return crease (the side crease) before the delivery. (3) Height no-ball (full toss above waist): a ball that passes the batsman above waist height without bouncing is a no-ball — this prevents dangerously high full tosses at the batsman's head. (4) Bouncer limit: in Test cricket, 2 bouncers per over per batsman; in ODI cricket, 1 bouncer per over; if the limit is exceeded, it is a no-ball. (5) Ball bouncing twice before reaching batsman (a very rare no-ball). (6) Fielder outside the fielding restriction in a powerplay (counted as a no-ball in limited-overs cricket if the fielding breach occurs).
What Happens on a No-Ball
Consequences of a no-ball delivery: when a no-ball is bowled: (1) 1 run is added to the team's total as an extra (no-ball penalty) — regardless of what the batsman does with the delivery; (2) the batsman cannot be dismissed by the delivery itself — caught, bowled, LBW, stumped, or hit wicket off a no-ball are all not out; (3) the delivery does not count as one of the 6 balls in the over — the bowler must bowl an extra ball to complete the over; (4) any runs scored from the delivery (batting runs or bye runs) are added on top of the no-ball penalty; (5) in T20I and ODI cricket: the next delivery is a free hit (the batsman cannot be dismissed by the next ball, except run-out). The no-ball signal: the on-field umpire calls 'no-ball' and signals with one arm held straight out at shoulder height. TV umpire checking (limited-overs international cricket from 2022): every delivery is reviewed by the third umpire for front-foot compliance; the third umpire confirms 'legal' or signals 'no-ball' for each delivery.
Bouncer and Height Rules
Bouncer rules and height no-balls: the bouncer (short-pitched delivery that rises steeply toward the batsman's chest/head) is governed by specific laws: Bouncer limit: (1) Test cricket: maximum 2 bouncers per over per batsman. A third bouncer in an over to the same batsman is a no-ball; (2) ODI cricket: maximum 1 bouncer per over (regardless of batsman). A second bouncer in an ODI over is a no-ball; (3) T20I cricket: maximum 1 bouncer per over (same as ODI). The beamer (high full toss): a full toss delivery that reaches the batsman above waist height without bouncing is always a no-ball — this prevents accidental or deliberate throws at the batsman's head at full pace. A deliberate beamer results in the umpire immediately removing the bowler from bowling for the remainder of the innings — one of cricket's strongest on-field disciplinary measures. The line between bouncer and beamer: a ball that bounces and rises above head height (even steeply) is a bouncer (counted against the bouncer limit); a ball that reaches the batsman above waist height without bouncing is a beamer (automatically a no-ball, regardless of intent).
No-Ball Penalty in Scoring
No-ball and wide in the scorebook: in cricket scorebooks and official statistics: No-ball runs are recorded as 'extras' in the fielding team's analysis — they count against the bowler's figures in one specific way: the no-ball run(s) are charged to the bowler's bowling figures as runs conceded (they count toward the bowler's economy rate and bowling average), but the no-ball does NOT count as a ball bowled in the bowler's over analysis. Wide runs: wides are also recorded as extras — similar to no-balls, wide runs count against the bowler's economy rate (runs conceded go up) but the wide ball is not counted as a ball bowled (it does not count toward the 6 balls in the over). The effect on bowling averages and economy rates: a bowler who bowls several wides or no-balls per match will have a higher economy rate than their balls-bowled count suggests — the extra deliveries (that don't count toward the over) concede runs without being formally counted as 'balls'. This is why bowlers with high wide/no-ball rates can appear to have satisfactory 'overs bowled' figures while still being expensive.
Frequently asked questions
What is a no-ball in cricket?
A no-ball in cricket is an illegal delivery that: costs the fielding side 1 run as a penalty (automatically added to the batting team's total); cannot dismiss the batsman by the delivery itself (the batsman cannot be out caught, bowled, LBW, stumped, or hit wicket from a no-ball — only run-out is permitted); and does not count as one of the 6 balls in the over (the bowler must bowl an extra delivery). The most common type of no-ball is the front-foot no-ball — when the bowler's front foot steps beyond the popping crease (the line 4 feet from the stumps) at the moment of delivery. Other types of no-ball: a ball above waist height that reaches the batsman without bouncing (beamer); exceeding the bouncer limit (3rd bouncer in Test cricket, 2nd bouncer in ODI); the back foot crossing the return crease; and fielding restriction violations in limited-overs cricket. In T20I and ODI cricket, a front-foot no-ball triggers a free hit on the following delivery — the batsman cannot be dismissed (except run-out) from the next ball. In Test cricket, no-balls do not trigger free hits.
What is a wide ball in cricket?
A wide ball in cricket is a delivery that passes the batsman too far outside the stumps (or too high) for the batsman to play using a normal cricket shot from their normal stance. The umpire calls wide when: the ball passes outside an imaginary line drawn level with the batsman's off stump (on the off side) — any ball further outside this line is typically a wide in Test and first-class cricket; for T20I and ODI, the wide line is drawn on the pitch (a tramline mark) and the rule is applied more strictly; on the leg side, a ball passing outside the leg stump line is a wide. Consequences of a wide: 1 run is added to the batting team's total as an extra; the ball must be bowled again (it does not count toward the over); the batsman can be dismissed stumped (if they step out of their crease to play the wide and the keeper breaks the stumps) or run-out; the batsman cannot be caught, bowled, LBW, or hit wicket from a wide. Wide balls do NOT trigger free hits in T20I cricket — only no-balls trigger free hits. Format difference: in T20I cricket, umpires apply the wide rule more strictly (leading to more wides called) to encourage bowlers to bowl straight and maintain scoring opportunities for batsmen.
Can you be out on a no-ball in cricket?
No — you cannot be dismissed by the delivery itself on a no-ball in cricket. However, you CAN be dismissed run-out from a no-ball. Specifically: from a no-ball delivery, the batsman CANNOT be dismissed: caught, bowled, LBW, stumped, hit wicket, or any other mode that involves the actual delivery striking the stumps or being caught. The batsman CAN be dismissed: run-out (if the batsmen attempt a run and one of them is caught outside their crease when the stumps are broken). The batsman cannot be stumped from a no-ball (stumping requires the ball to have been delivered legally — a no-ball cannot result in a stumping even if the batsman leaves their crease). Free hit (ODI and T20I): on the delivery immediately following a no-ball (the free hit ball), the batsman also cannot be dismissed except run-out. So two consecutive balls (the no-ball itself and the subsequent free hit) are both protected against dismissal, with run-out being the only exception on each.