In a significant update that’s set to redefine boundary fielding in cricket, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has introduced a new rule outlawing ‘bunny hop’ or multi-touch airborne boundary catches. This change, which will take effect in ICC’s playing conditions from June 17 and be incorporated into the MCC’s official Laws of Cricket from October 2026, puts an end to some of the most acrobatic—yet controversial—fielding efforts seen in recent years.
Notable examples that sparked this change include Michael Neser’s boundary-juggling catch for Brisbane Heat in the 2023 Big Bash League and a similar effort by Tom Banton, assisted by Matt Renshaw, in 2020. Both catches, while legal under existing laws, left fans and experts divided, with many questioning the fairness of fielders using multiple contacts while airborne outside the rope to complete dismissals.
The MCC, in a note circulated to cricket boards via the ICC, acknowledged that although such catches have produced spectacular moments, they often “felt unfair” to the broader cricket audience. The note pointed specifically to Neser’s catch, which involved bunny-hopping outside the boundary before completing the dismissal inside the rope—an act that, while technically legal, “felt like the fielder had—quite literally—gone too far.”
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Following a detailed review of Law 19.5.2, which was last updated in 2010, the MCC has now ruled that a fielder who jumps from beyond the boundary is allowed just one contact with the ball while airborne. After that, they must return to the field of play and be fully grounded within the boundary before making any further contact. Failure to do so will result in a boundary being awarded.
The MCC has changed the law to make catches like this ‘bunny hop’ one from Michael Neser illegal. In short:
If the fielder’s first touch takes them outside the boundary, their *second* touch must take them back inside the field of play.
Basically, you’re no longer allowed to… pic.twitter.com/1jaqAev0hy
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) June 14, 2025
“MCC has devised a new wording where the ‘bunny hop’ wholly beyond the boundary is removed,” the note stated. “However, catches that involve pushing the ball back from inside the rope, stepping out, and diving back in are still permitted.”
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This updated rule also affects relay catches. If a fielder bats the ball back into play from beyond the boundary but fails to re-enter the field and ground themselves before a teammate completes the catch, it will no longer count as an out—it will be deemed a boundary.
The revised interpretation emphasizes finality and fairness. As the MCC summed up: “The fielder gets one chance, and one chance only, to touch the ball after jumping from outside the boundary. From that point on, the boundary becomes a hard line.”
