The free hit is newer than you'd think
The free hit only came into international one-day cricket in 2007. Loads of people playing gully cricket today are older than it, and plenty of grounds never picked it up in the first place.
Why a lot of gullies drop it
Who called the no-ball? In most gully games there's no umpire, or the umpire is the next batter in, who has a very obvious interest in there being a free hit. With free hits on, every no-ball call is worth a free swing, so every no-ball call turns into a debate. Take the free hit away and a no-ball goes back to being a small thing.
What changes
| After a no-ball | Free hits on | No free hits |
|---|---|---|
| The next ball | A free hit | A normal ball |
| Can the batter be bowled or caught? | No | Yes |
| Can the batter be run out? | Yes | Yes |
| The no-ball itself | Bowled again | Bowled again |
On a proper free hit the batter can only go the ways you can go off a no-ball: run out, hitting the ball twice, or obstructing the field. Bowled, caught, LBW and stumped are all off.
