Dead ball is a phenomenon in many sports in which the ball is deemed temporarily not playable, and no movement may be made with it or the players from their respective positions of significance. Depending on the sport, this event may be quite routine, and often occurs between individual plays of the game.

Gridiron football

In Gridiron football

Gridiron football

Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...

, a dead ball is a condition that occurs between football plays, after the player with the ball has run out of bounds or after he is legally downed. During the time in which a ball is dead, a team may not attempt to advance it and no change of possession can take place.

The clock may or may not be stopped during this time, depending on the circumstances.

Baseball

In baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

, when the ball

Baseball (object)

A baseball is a ball used primarily in the sport of the same name, baseball. The ball features a rubber or cork center, wrapped in yarn and covered in leather. It is in circumference . The yarn or string used to wrap the baseball can be up to one mile in length...

 is dead, no runners may advance beyond the respective bases they are entitled to, and no runners may be put out. The ball becomes dead when:

• A batter is touched by a pitch or a batted ball (hit by pitch
  Hit by pitch
  In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
  
  )
• The plate umpire
  Umpire (baseball)
  In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
  
   hinders a catcher
  Catcher
  Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
  
  's throw attempt and the throw does not directly retire a runner
• A ball is illegally batted, such as when a batter hits the ball while outside of the batter's box
• A foul ball
  Foul ball
  In baseball, a foul ball is a batted ball that:* Settles on foul territory between home and first base or between home and third base, or* Bounds past first or third base on or over foul territory, or...
  
   is not caught
• A fair ball
  Fair ball
  In baseball, a fair ball is a batted ball that entitles the batter to attempt to reach first base. In order for a batted ball to be fair, it must be hit in such a way that it:...
  
   touches a runner or an umpire on fair territory before it touches an infielder
  Infielder
  An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
  
   (including the pitcher)
• A fair ball touches a runner or an umpire before it has passed an infielder other than the pitcher
• A live ball lodges in the umpire's or catcher's equipment or in a fence or in another object on the field
• Any legal pitch touches a runner trying to score
• A live ball passes out of the playing field (unless it hits or crosses over a base on the ground)
• A runner or spectator commits interference
  Interference (baseball)
  In baseball, interference is an infraction where a person illegally changes the course of play from what is expected. Interference might be committed by players on the offense, players not currently in the game, catchers, umpires, or spectators; each type of interference is covered differently by...
  
  
• The defense leaves the field after the game ends
• An umpire calls time. Umpires typically call "time" after being asked to do so by a participant. An umpire in chief (plate umpire) will also call "time" when:
  • Weather, darkness or similar conditions make play impossible or dangerous
  • Light failure makes it difficult or impossible for the umpires to follow the play
  • An accident incapacitates a player or an umpire
  • The umpire wishes to examine the ball, to consult with either manager
    Manager (baseball)
    In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
    
    , or for any similar cause.
  • An umpire orders a player or any other person removed from the playing field.
  • A balk
    Balk
    In baseball, a pitcher can commit a number of illegal motions or actions that constitute a balk. In games played under the Official Baseball Rules, a balk results in a dead ball or delayed dead ball. In certain other circumstances, a balk may be wholly or partially disregarded...
    
     or obstruction
    Obstruction (baseball)
    In baseball, when a fielder illegally hinders a baserunner, the fielder is guilty of obstruction.Baserunners are generally permitted the free privilege to run from base to base without being physically blocked or hindered by a fielder...
    
     is committed and immediate ensuing play ends
  • The catcher interferes with the batter before the time of pitch
    Time of pitch
    In baseball, the time of pitch is that instant when the pitcher has begun his pitching motion and, by the rules, has committed himself to throwing the pitch. This instant thus occurs before the pitcher actually releases the ball. Once a pitcher commits himself to throwing a pitch, it is illegal...
    
    

In general, the ball does not automatically become dead after playing action ends.

After a dead ball, the ball becomes alive

Live ball (baseball)

In baseball, when the ball is alive , the game can proceed. The pitcher may pitch the ball , the batter may attempt to hit such a pitch, baserunners may attempt to advance at their own risk, and the defense may attempt to put the batter or baserunners out.-Definition:The ball becomes live when the...

 again when the pitcher stands on the pitcher's plate ready to pitch, the batter, catcher and umpire are ready, and the umpire calls or signals "Play."

Players and coaches may ask an umpire for "time," but they themselves may not call "time" and cause the ball

Baseball (object)

A baseball is a ball used primarily in the sport of the same name, baseball. The ball features a rubber or cork center, wrapped in yarn and covered in leather. It is in circumference . The yarn or string used to wrap the baseball can be up to one mile in length...

 to become dead. Nevertheless, "time" is usually granted by the umpire when asked, and thus, colloquially, it is often said that players or coaches indeed can "call time." Unlike other U.S. sports, the phrase "time out" is not used in baseball.

Cricket

In cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

, a dead ball is a particular state of play in which the players may not perform any of the active aspects of the game. In other words, batsmen may not score runs and fielders may not attempt to get batsmen out.

The ball, referring to the cricket ball

Cricket ball

A cricket ball is a hard, solid leather ball used to play cricket. Constructed of cork and leather, a cricket ball is heavily regulated by cricket law at first class level...

, becomes live when the bowler begins his run up in preparation to bowling

Bowling (cricket)

In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...

 at the batsman. In the live state, play occurs with the batsmen able to score runs and get out.

The ball then becomes dead when any of the following situations occur:

• The umpire
  Umpire (cricket)
  In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
  
   is satisfied that, with adequate reason, the batsman is not ready for the delivery of the ball.
• The ball passes the batsman, is gathered by the wicket-keeper
  Wicket-keeper
  The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
  
  , and the batsmen obviously decline to attempt to take runs.
• The ball is finally settled in the hands of the wicket-keeper or the bowler, and the batsmen obviously decline to attempt to take any more runs.
• The umpire feels that both the fielding team and the batsmen consider the ball no longer to be in play.
• The ball reaches the boundary
  Boundary (cricket)
  Boundary has two distinct meanings in the sport of cricket:# the edge or boundary of the playing field, and# a manner of scoring runs.-Edge of the field:...
  
   and four runs or six runs are scored.
• Either batsman is out.
• The ball lodges in the clothing or equipment of a batsman or umpire
  Umpire (cricket)
  In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
  
  .
• The ball lodges in a protective helmet worn by a fielder.
• The batsmen attempt to run leg bye
  Leg bye
  In the sport of cricket, a leg bye is a run scored by the batting team when the batsman has not hit the ball with his bat, but the ball has hit the batsman's body or protective gear.-Scoring leg byes:...
  
  s, and, in the umpire's opinion, no attempt was made either to hit the ball with the bat or to evade it. This nullifies the leg byes.
• The umpire intervenes in the occurrence of injury or unfair play.

Umpires may also call dead ball at their discretion, in the case of a series for events for which there is no provision in either the Laws of Cricket

Laws of cricket

The laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...

 or agreements made prior to the match. This happened on 9 October 2005, when Australian batsman Michael Hussey

Michael Hussey

Michael Edward Killeen Hussey is an Australian cricketer, a left-handed specialist batsman. Hussey is also widely known by his nickname Mr Cricket. Hussey was a relative latecomer to both the one-day international and Test Australian teams, debuting at 28 and 30 years of age in the respective...

 hit the retracted roof at the Telstra Dome

Telstra Dome

Docklands Stadium is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...

. What would have been six in an open stadium was ruled a dead ball, and no runs were awarded.

Note that the ball becomes dead as soon as a batsman is out, so it is not possible to dismiss the other batsman immediately. Thus the baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 concept of a double play

Double play

In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....

 cannot occur in cricket.

If necessary to make it clear to the players that the umpire considers the ball to be dead, the umpire signals dead ball by crossing and uncrossing his arms in front of his body.

Association football

In association football, the term "dead ball" refers to a situation when the ball is not in play, e.g. when play has not been restarted after the ball has gone out of bounds or a foul has been committed. It also applies before each kick-off, either at the start of each half or after a goal has been scored. In a dead ball situation, players can position the ball with their hands prior to restarting play. Furthermore, even though the ball is not in play, the referee may still award a foul for any incident that occurs off the ball.

National Basketball Association

In the National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 (NBA) in North America, most or any time play is stopped the ball is considered dead. Player substitutions may then be made.
See section IV of the NBA rule book, See also or.

Other sports

Other sports in which the ball may be deemed a "dead ball" include rugby football

Rugby football

Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...

.

See also

• Cricket terminology
• Dead-ball era
  Dead-ball era
  The dead-ball era is a baseball term used to describe the period between 1900 and the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1919. In 1919, Ruth hit a then league record 29 home runs, a spectacular feat at that time.This era was characterized by low-scoring games and a lack of home runs...
  
   (Baseball)
• Glossary of American football
  Glossary of American football
  The following terms are used in American football and Canadian football, but see also the glossary of Canadian football.-0-9: A formation of the 4-3 defense featuring several dramatic shifts of personnel...
  
  
• Set piece (football)
  Set piece (football)
  The term set piece or set play is used in association football and rugby to refer to a situation when the ball is returned to open play following a stoppage, particularly in a forward area of the pitch. Most often, the term is used to refer to free kicks and corners, but sometimes throw-ins. Many...