When should I intervene on dangerous short-pitched bowling?

Under Law 41.6 (2026 Laws), short-pitched bowling is:

• dangerous if, taking into account the skill of the striker, its speed, length, height and direction make it likely to injure the striker. Ignore any protective equipment the striker is wearing;
• unfair, even if not dangerous, if short balls repeatedly pass above head height of the striker standing upright at the crease. (Under Law 22.1.3, any delivery that bounces over head height is now called Wide.)

As soon as you decide short-pitched bowling has become dangerous or unfair:

1. Call and signal No ball. When the ball is dead, give the bowler a first and final warning, which lasts for the rest of the innings. Tell the other umpire, the fielding captain and the batters.
2. If that bowler bowls another such delivery in the innings: call No ball, and direct the fielding captain to suspend the bowler for the rest of the innings. The over is finished by a bowler who did not bowl the previous over and won't bowl the next. Tell the batters and the batting captain, and report it after the match with the other umpire.

Because the striker's skill is part of the test, a delivery that is acceptable to an experienced adult can be dangerous to a young or inexperienced batter. Competitions can add stricter limits; for example, the ECB's 2026 20-over playing conditions allowed only one delivery per over over shoulder height.