A front-foot fault is one common reason for a no-ball, but it is not the only one. The umpire also watches the bowler’s action, the back foot and certain dangerous deliveries.
Look closely at the crease
At the popping crease, the bowler needs some part of the front foot to land behind the line. A foot placed entirely on or beyond the line is not enough. The back-foot rule concerns the return crease, which is a different line. That distinction matters when players argue about a marginal call.
For the umpire and scorer
The umpire calls and signals no-ball. The scorer records the penalty and does not count the delivery as a valid ball. If the batter scores runs off the bat, those runs are still credited to the batter under the normal scoring rules.
High full tosses need care
Not every high full toss is judged in exactly the same way in every competition. Look at the applicable MCC Law and match playing conditions, and do not rely on a single informal “waist-high” test.
These examples explain the general MCC Laws. International matches and local competitions can use different playing conditions. For an official decision, check the full law and the rules for your match.
Check the official law
MCC reference: Law 21 · Law 41, 2017 Code, 4th Edition (2026). Read the official MCC Laws of Cricket.
Open the interactive Cricket Laws Centre →Cricstars independent learning resource · Source edition: MCC 2026 · Prepared 21 October 2026. Not an official MCC or ICC ruling.