Have a look at the rules and meaning of a back foot no ball in cricket
Mitchell Starc was at the center of an unusual back-foot no-ball controversy in IPL 2025, find out more about it and the meaning behind the term below.
The incident took place during a clash between the Delhi Capitals and the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025 Super Over. The same incident also occurred during LSG vs RCB when Digvesh Rathi’s wicket was ruled out due to it back a back foot no ball.
What is a back foot no ball in cricket, return and popping crease rule and meaning explained
Lets learn the BACKFOOT NO-BALL rule…
Ft. Anil Chaudhary #LSGvRCB #IPL2025 https://t.co/pVsqQbdfnn pic.twitter.com/aNGBmJVTxO— Robin (@robinchopra10) May 28, 2025
Back foot se bhi no-ball nahi, front foot se bhi no-ball? Do we have a middle foot for spinner ? pic.twitter.com/IUfS9dm7mp
— Coder’s Things (@Codersthings) May 22, 2025
Back foot no-ball has been there in Cricket for a long time. On-field Umpires rarely call it but commentators have criticised if the umpires have missed it in the past. It was a right call. pic.twitter.com/ODsS3ECjrD
— Rahul Shankar (@S_Rahul96) May 27, 2025
Mitch Starc gets embroiled in Back-Foot No-Ball controversy
Delhi Capitals batsman Mitchell Starc was recently embroiled in a back-foot no-ball controversy following while bowling the Super Over for Delhi. Earlier in the game, Mitchell had already conceded nine runs in his first four deliveries. As the veteran batsman walked back to his mark, the third umpire signaled a no-ball for his fourth delivery.
Starc initially assumed that the referee was signalling a front-foot violation, but the replays showed that his back foot had barely grazed the return crease while delivering the ball. Despite the slight infraction, the conditions met the criteria for a back-foot no-ball. As a result, Rajasthan gained an extra run and a free hit as a result. Although the incident did not prove substantial for Delhi in the match, it caused debate and confusion among fans and players alike.
Back-Foot No-Ball meaning in cricket explained
The Back-Foot No-Ball is a less known rule in cricket that rarely comes into play. In cricket, bowlers are required to follow all kinds of foot-placement rules during delivery. While most players are familiar with the front-foot rule, some part of the front foot must notably remain behind the popping crease for a delivery to be considered legal. Given below are the rule’s specifics according to MCC law 21.5:
Side no ball is for back foot not front foot. Understand the rules before claiming it was fixed.
— Akshay Shinde (@folklore69_) May 22, 2025
21.5.1: The bowler’s back foot must land within and not touch the return crease.
21.5.2: The front foot must land on the same side of the imaginary line connecting the middle stumps and behind the popping crease.
The confusion around the Back-Foot No-Ball rule usually arises because the front foot can hover over or breach the crease, but players cannot have any part of the back foot touching or crossing the return crease on landing. In most cases, spotting such infractions can be tricky, especially for the standing umpire with a limited view. However, the IPL relies on the third umpire and technology to monitor these nuances.
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