MCC outlaws ‘bunny hop’ boundary catches, new rule to come into effect this month

MCC bans 'bunny hop' boundary catches in cricket, new rule to be enforced from June 17, 2026.

Boundary catches involving 'bunny hops', or multiple airborne touches outside the rope, have been deemed illegal by the Marylebone Cricket Club, with the new ruling set to be integrated into ICC's playing conditions this month and the MCC's laws from October next year.

Spectacular catches like the ones pulled off by Michael Neser during BBL 2023 and Tom Banton, with Matt Renshaw's help in 2020, will not be considered legal once the updated rule comes into force.

According to an MCC note circulated to member boards by the ICC, while the existing law "led to some spectacular" fielding efforts, it also allowed "some unusual-looking catches that, to the majority of the cricketing public, feel unfair".

Describing Neser's catch for Brisbane Heat to dismiss Jordan Silk, the MCC said the fielder "bunny hopped" before completing the catch inside the boundary. While the act complied with the law at the time, the note added it "felt like the fielder had - quite literally - gone too far".

Both instances triggered widespread debate, prompting the ICC and MCC to review Law 19.5.2, which was last updated in 2010.

As part of its revision, the MCC clarified that any fielder making a second contact with the ball after jumping from beyond the boundary must land inside the field of play, or else a boundary will be awarded.

"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 said.