The Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) and Marylebone Cricket Membership (MCC) are implementing a brand new catching rule in cricket from October 2026 that may prohibit the ‘bunny-hop’ catches the place fielders leap and contact the ball whereas being outdoors the boundary. The rule change will nonetheless permit catches the place fielders push the ball from throughout the boundary, step out, and dive again to finish the catch, however any contact with the ball from outdoors the boundary would require the fielder to land inside the sector of play for the catch to depend. The MCC has developed this rule change in response to considerations about catches that seem unfair to cricket audiences. The present legislation solely invalidates catches the place the participant contacts each the ball and floor whereas outdoors the boundary ropes. “MCC has devised a brand new wording the place the ‘bunny-hop’ wholly past the boundary is eliminated, however these catches the place the fielder pushes the ball up from contained in the boundary, steps outdoors after which dives again in to catch the ball, are permitted,” states the MCC word. The brand new rule supplies particular tips for fielders trying boundary catches. In response to the MCC: “Our answer has been to restrict any fielder who has gone outdoors the boundary to touching the ball whereas airborne solely as soon as, after which, having executed so, to be wholly grounded throughout the boundary for the remainder of the length of that supply.”
The MCC additional clarifies: “Even when the ball is parried – to a different fielder or inside the sector of play – if the fielder lands outdoors the boundary, or subsequently steps outdoors, then a boundary will probably be scored. For readability, which means the fielder will get one probability, and one probability solely, to the touch the ball having jumped from outdoors the boundary. After that time, the boundary turns into a tough line – and any time they contact the bottom in that supply, no matter else occurs, they have to be inside.“ The brand new legislation will probably be mirrored in ICC taking part in circumstances as early as subsequent week, although official implementation begins in October 2026. Beneath the revised guidelines, catches like Michael Neser’s within the 2023 Large Bash League and Dewald Brevis’s for Chennai Tremendous Kings in opposition to Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 will now not be legitimate. Quiz: Who’s that IPL participant? The precise legislation, numbered 19.5.2, states {that a} fielder not touching the bottom is taken into account past the boundary if their final floor contact earlier than touching the ball was not totally throughout the boundary. This is applicable to all fielders contacting the ball after the bowler’s supply. Part 19.5.2.1 of the legislation specifies that if a fielder’s preliminary ball contact complies with 19.5.2, they could leap from outdoors to the touch the ball whereas airborne. Nevertheless, all subsequent floor contact should happen throughout the discipline of play till the ball turns into lifeless, or a boundary will probably be scored. Part 19.5.2.2 additional stipulates that if a fielder leaping from outdoors the boundary returns the ball to play, they have to land and keep throughout the boundary till the ball turns into lifeless, or a boundary will probably be awarded. This rule change goals to eradicate controversial boundary catches whereas sustaining the opportunity of spectacular fielding efforts that start throughout the discipline of play. The brand new laws present clear tips for each gamers and officers relating to boundary catches.