In the virtually impossible case that a bouncer bounces so high that it flies directly over the boundary without touching the ground, only 4 byes are awarded.
However, some playing conditions make byes more likely, regardless of a wicket-keeper's ability – wayward fast bowling, or an uneven pitch, or the need for the keeper to stand directly behind the stumps.
Byes are relatively rare in one-day cricket, usually making the smallest component of extras in a score.
The usual result of this is a batter's being run out, but sometimes the tactic pays off with a few One Day International matches, and at least one Test, having been won on byes.
The conventional notation for a single bye is a triangle with a horizontal edge at the base and a point at the top.