Section IV of the NBA rule book contains the official definition of a dead ball.
So, for example, although the recording of a third out generally winds down a half inning, the ball is not automatically dead.
If it is to the advantage of the defense to attempt to record a fourth out for any reason, the ball is live and such a play is permitted.
In this context, the ball was not actually "dead" but for various reasons tended to be difficult to hit for distance, resulting in low scores and few home runs by modern standards.
The term "dead ball" has been a fundamental part of cricket's laws for centuries, though its formal introduction came in 1798.
Over time, the dead ball rule evolved to cover various stoppages in play, maintaining the integrity of the game.
This happened on 9 October 2005, when Australian batter Michael Hussey hit the retracted roof at the Telstra Dome.
For example, in the CFL, the ball becomes dead if it makes contact with an official, while under NCAA rules, it does not.
The clock may or may not be stopped during this time, depending on the specific conditions triggering the dead ball.
This results in a goal line drop out if the defending team had caused the ball to go dead; otherwise, a 20-metre restart ensues.