A no pitch is an umpire's ruling in baseball or softball in which a pitch thrown by a pitcher is neither a ball nor a strike. This is typically the umpire's call whenever the pitcher released the ball after the umpire called timeout.^[1] However, there are other instances in which this can be called.

Major League Baseball rules

The call is not directly defined in the MLB rulebook. However, it is still mentioned in a comment under Rule 6.02(b):^[2]

A ball which slips out of a pitcher's hand and crosses the foul line shall be called a ball; otherwise it will be called no pitch. This would be a balk with men on base.

Occurrence

There are various reasons an umpire would rule a no pitch:

• If any umpire calls time while a pitch is being delivered.
• With nobody on base, the pitcher releases the ball and the ball fails to pass over home plate or a foul line.
• While the pitch is being delivered, the ball is interfered with while in flight.
• If an umpire believes the batter is not ready or if the batter is not in the batter's box, a no pitch may also be called.
• A home plate umpire not in a ready position to call a ball or strike may call a no pitch.

One of the most famous no pitch calls occurred when Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson hit a bird with a pitch. During a spring training game on March 24, 2001, Johnson's fastball struck and killed a dove that swooped across the infield after Johnson released the pitch.^[3] MLB's chief umpire noted that under Rule 8.01(c),^[2] umpires can make calls in situations not covered by the rules using "common sense and fair play," and here a no pitch call "was the fairest thing to do."^[4]