Throwing, commonly referred to as chucking, is an illegal bowling action in the sport of cricket. This occurs when a bowler straightens the bowling arm when delivering the ball. If the umpire deems that the ball has been thrown, they will call a no-ball, the bowling team is penalised runs and must deliver the ball again. The charge of 'throwing' against a bowler is one of the most serious and controversial that can be made in cricket, as a bowler with an illegal action must take steps to correct their action or face effectively being banned from the game.