New Delhi: In a landmark change set to reshape the way fielders operate near the boundary ropes, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a significant amendment to the rules governing catches made while airborne outside the playing area. The revision, targeting the much-debated “bunny hop” style boundary catches, will be incorporated into the ICC’s playing conditions starting June 17, 2025, and formally integrated into the Marylebone Cricket Club’s (MCC) laws by October 2026.
The update comes after growing debate over fielders jumping from beyond the boundary to make multiple touches mid-air before completing a catch inside the field. While previously legal under Law 19.5.2, such efforts, though acrobatic, were increasingly seen as “unnatural” and unfair by fans and cricketing authorities alike.
One of the most talked-about examples of this rule being exploited was Michael Neser’s catch during the Big Bash League (BBL) in 2023. Neser, fielding for Brisbane Heat, jumped from beyond the boundary and touched the ball multiple times in mid-air before completing the catch legally under the law at the time. Another instance involved Tom Banton and Matt Renshaw in 2020, which also sparked widespread debate.
In a note circulated to cricket boards worldwide, the MCC acknowledged the previous law did allow for “spectacular” moments, but also “unusual-looking catches that, to the majority of the cricketing public, feel unfair.” Describing Neser’s effort, the MCC said it “felt like the fielder had – quite literally – gone too far.”
The Revised Law – Key Points:
• A fielder jumping from beyond the boundary is now allowed only one airborne touch of the ball.
• After that single contact, the fielder must return completely inside the field of play before making another contact with the ball.
• If the fielder touches the ball again without being fully grounded inside the boundary, the ball will be ruled a boundary.
• This change applies equally to relay catches. If a player outside the rope parries the ball and fails to return inside before the catch is completed — even by a teammate — the batting side will be awarded a boundary.
• The boundary will now be treated as a “hard line” after the first contact: any subsequent touch of the ball during that delivery must occur with the fielder wholly within the field.
“Our solution has been to limit any fielder who has gone outside the boundary to touching the ball while airborne only once,” the MCC said in its explanatory note. “Once that has happened, any further action must be fully inside the field of play.”
Implementation Timeline:
• June 17, 2025 – ICC will adopt the revised rule as part of its playing conditions, starting with the next cycle of the World Test Championship, during the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Test at Galle.
• October 2026 – The MCC will formally incorporate the change into the Laws of Cricket, ensuring uniform enforcement across all levels of the game.
The move is being welcomed as a progressive step towards greater fairness and clarity, ensuring that incredible athleticism remains within the bounds of the playing field — literally and figuratively.
As cricket continues to evolve in the age of T20 spectacle and boundary-line theatrics, this rule aims to draw a clearer distinction between innovation and overreach. With the start of the new WTC cycle just days away, fielders around the world will need to recalibrate their instincts and boundary-line maneuvers — because in cricket now, one airborne touch is all you get.
