no ball
2
7.0
- noun
- UK
:
no ball
- Because it was a no ball, the batting team received a free hit on the next delivery.
Examples
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If, when I bowl, I put my foot over the crease, that is called a no ball.
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This is no ball.
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One strike, no balls.
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No ball.
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There's no ball.
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That's no ball!
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The bowler delivered a no ball which gave the batsman an extra run.
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During the match, the umpire called a no ball after the bowler overstepped the crease.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The determiner 'no' negates the noun, so a B1 learner can infer a 'no ball' is a ball that is not valid or allowed; the basic negative composition is transparent. However, the precise technical meaning in cricket (an illegal delivery with specific penalties) and its rule-based consequences are sport-specific and not fully predictable from the parts, so the expression is only partially transparent to learners unfamiliar with cricket.
Etymology
No ball comes from the umpire saying 'no' about a bad ball, for example when the bowler steps past the front line or throws instead of bowling. That 'no' means the delivery 'does not count' and the batsman gets an extra chance, so today no ball means an illegal delivery that gives the batting side an advantage.