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.
The call is not directly defined in the MLB rulebook. However, it is still mentioned in a comment under Rule 6.02(b):[2]
There are various reasons an umpire would rule 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]
The umpire's call whenever he rules that a pitch is neither a ball nor a strike, usually because the pitcher released the ball after the umpire called timeout.