No More Flying Boundary Catches As ICC Brings New Rule
Cricket’s “bunny hop” catches will now be deemed illegal under new ICC rules, ending the era of airborne boundary catches involving multiple touches outside the rope.
A major change is coming to cricket laws, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to outlaw the controversial “bunny hop” boundary catches.
The new playing condition, which takes effect later this month, will stop fielders from touching the ball multiple times outside the boundary before completing a catch.
‘Bunny Hop’ Catches Like Neser’s Will No Longer Be Legal
The rule tweak was prompted after Michael Neser’s viral catch in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2023. Neser had first caught the ball just inside the ropes, then jumped outside the boundary and touched the ball twice in the air before finally completing the catch inside the field.
It was legal under existing rules, but many felt it went against the spirit of the game. From now on, players will be allowed to make only one contact with the ball while airborne and outside the boundary.
If there are two or more touches outside the rope, the attempt will be declared invalid and the batting team will be awarded a boundary.
A similar catch by Matt Renshaw, where he tossed the ball mid-air from beyond the rope to teammate Tom Banton, would also be considered illegal under this rule. The revised law will only allow such relay catches if the assisting fielder has both feet inside the playing area when completing the final part of the catch.
New Rule to Begin From Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Test
The ICC has confirmed that this change will be applied starting with the upcoming Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Test seriesfrom June 17, which marks the beginning of the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
While the MCC will only update their official Laws of Cricket in October 2026, the ICC’s playing conditions will reflect this change immediately.
The MCC stated that this revision was aimed at maintaining fairness and better aligning with how fans perceive catches near the boundary.
While the athleticism in these plays is appreciated, the new law will now ensure that fielders don’t exploit technical loopholes to create match-changing moments that appear unfair.
