Overstepping occurs when a bowler’s front foot lands completely beyond the white ‘crease’ line at the moment of delivery. This results in a ‘no-ball’ penalty, awarding the batting team one extra run and, in limited-overs games, a ‘free hit’ on the following delivery.
Example: The bowler took a wicket with a beautiful ball, but it was cancelled out because he was caught overstepping the line.
Pro-Tip: Overstepping is usually caused by a bowler trying to bowl too fast and losing control of their run-up. To fix this, players practice their ‘rhythm’ and often move their starting mark back a few inches to ensure their foot stays safely behind the line.
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