The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has introduced a significant change to the laws of cricket, making boundary catches involving the so-called “bunny hop” technique illegal. According to the revised law—set to be incorporated into the ICC’s playing conditions later this month and officially included in the MCC’s Laws of Cricket by October 2026—a fielder airborne outside the boundary may only make contact with the ball once. To complete a legal catch, the player must return to the field before regaining control of the ball.
‘Bunny Hop’ Boundary Catch Rule
This change directly impacts plays like the one executed by Michael Neser, where he tapped the ball back into play while airborne outside the boundary and made a second contact before re-entering the field. Under the new rule, such catches will no longer be considered valid.
THE NEW BOUNDARY CATCHES LAW:
If fielder’s first touch takes them outside the boundary, their second touch must take them back inside.
Fielders no longer allowed to keep throwing the ball to themselves outside the boundary for as long as they’d like pic.twitter.com/QDzgAp5iqZ
— 𝘾𝙍𝙄𝘾𝙆𝙀𝙏 💙 (@c65185) June 14, 2025
