New Delhi: The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has decided to make amendments to its law concerning boundary catches, specifically making the “bunny hops” done beyond the boundary line illegal. In a massive move, the new law will put an end to such stunning catches near the ropes, as in the future they will be deemed illegal. The law change will be operational this month itself, considerably reducing the excitement levels of the fans.
The updated rule will also be integrated into the playing conditions of the ICC this month and will be adopted by the MCC in October 2026. The new law states that a fielder who is airborne, can only touch the ball once beyond the boundary line, and will need to come back inside the field for the catch to be called fair.
What is a ‘bunny hop’?
The MCC, the custodians of the cricket laws, in its note to the ICC, mentioned an example of Michael Neser’s effort in a Sydney Sixers vs Brisbane Heat BBL 2023 game. What Neser executed was a “bunny hop” catch, as described in the note, where he palmed the ball up as a contact while being airborne outside the boundary, but had also landed outside, which will now stand invalid.
Neser caught the ball with both hands while inside the field, but his running momentum took him over the ropes. He tossed the ball up, initially while airborne, landing outside the ropes, where he jumped again, palming the ball back into the field with both feet in the air. Then he hopped back onto the playing field to complete the catch. The batter, Jordan Silk, was ruled out and was visibly annoyed, but the catch was hailed as one of the finest.
Neser had later revealed that he was inspired by fellow teammate Matt Renshaw’s effort to help Tom Banton catch Hobart Hurricanes’ Matthew Wade in the BBL 2020.
Efforts like Michael Neser’s in BBL 2023 will no longer be legal –
Michael Neser’s juggling act ends Silk’s stay!
Cue the debate about the Laws of Cricket… #BBL12 pic.twitter.com/5Vco84erpj
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 1, 2023
Why the need of rule change?
Earlier this year, the ICC cricket committee had asked the MCC to review the law in question, and since then, the two bodies have worked together on the new version of the rule. The note from the MCC voiced against the “bunny hopping” of the players beyond the boundary line and called for a rule change, as some attempts were unfair.
As per the existing Law 19.5.2, the fielder’s last contact with the ground before they first touch the ball must be within the boundary (this part of the law will remain in the new iteration). The fielder cannot touch the ball and the ground outside the boundary at the same time. If the fielder completes those criteria and also the catch, then it is deemed legal.
The rule change is not to be mistaken with the catches where the fielder airs the ball inside the field before going out and then coming back in to complete the catch. “MCC has devised a new wording where the ‘bunny hop’ wholly beyond the boundary is removed, but these catches where the fielder pushes the ball up from inside the boundary, steps outside and then dives back in to catch the ball, are permitted,” the note added.
“Our solution has been to limit any fielder who has gone outside the boundary to touching the ball while airborne only once, and then, having done so, to be wholly grounded within the boundary for the rest of the duration of that delivery.”
The law will be effective from October 2026, when the next round of changes by the ICC will come into effect. However, the updated law will be applied to the ICC playing conditions in the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, starting on June 17.
Boundary catches completed via “bunny hops” have been nullified by the MCC, bringing in a change in the law which will be integrated into the ICC’s playing conditions this month and into the MCC’s laws in October 2026. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
