MCC Bans ‘Bunny Hop’ Boundary Catches, New Law to Be Added in October 2026

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the guardian of cricket laws, has introduced a new rule. This rule makes ‘bunny hop’ boundary catches illegal. The change will be included in the ICC’s playing conditions later this month. It will officially become part of the Laws of Cricket in October 2026. This new rule comes after several confusing catches in recent years. The main example came during the Big Bash League (BBL) in 2023.

Australian cricketer Michael Neser completed a catch by jumping in and out of the field. Many fans and experts felt that the catch, although legal under the old law, looked strange and unfair. Such catches involved fielders jumping from outside the boundary. They would tap the ball in the air multiple times before finally completing the catch. This led to debate and calls for a clearer law.

What Does The New Rule Say About Bunny Hop?

The new rule changes Law 19.5.2 of the Laws of Cricket. Under the updated law, a fielder is not allowed to touch the ball more than once while airborne outside the boundary. If a fielder touches the ball after jumping from outside the field, they must land fully inside the boundary for the catch to be legal.
If a fielder lands or steps outside the ropes during the same play, even without touching the ball again, it will be called a boundary. The MCC wants to make sure that catches near the boundary are fair and clearly within the field of play. MCC shared a note explaining the change.

This makes the law simpler and easier to understand. It also makes sure that no fielder can take unfair advantage of the boundary space.

What about Relay Catches?

The rule also applies to relay catches. These are when one fielder passes the ball to a teammate while near the boundary. Under the new law, if a fielder is outside the boundary and throws or taps the ball to another player before getting back inside, the ball will be declared a boundary. So even if the final catch is taken cleanly, it won’t count unless the first fielder has returned inside the boundary.
The earlier version of Law 19.5.2 was added in 2010. It allowed players to complete catches even after stepping or jumping from outside the boundary. Some of these catches looked odd and seemed to break the spirit of the game. Over the years, many fans, former players, and experts have suggested going back to the older pre-2010 rule. That older law said a fielder had to come back inside the field before making any more contact with the ball.
However, MCC decided not to go back completely. They felt it would make some brilliant and fair catches illegal. The MCC said they didn’t want to remove great moments from the game. They gave examples like Harleen Deol’s stunning catch in 2021 and Alex Hales’ brilliant effort in 2020. These catches involved great skill but were fair under the rules.
The new law tries to keep such exciting moments in the game. At the same time, it stops unfair catches that involve running or jumping from outside the ropes too many times. The change will help umpires, players, and fans understand what is legal. It aims to make the game fairer and the rules clearer for everyone. The official law will come into effect in October 2026, but ICC will use it in matches much earlier.