WATCH: ICC set to ban ‘bunny hop’ boundary catches

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to introduce a new rule to make ‘bunny hop’ boundary catches illegal, following changes announced by the Marylebone cricket club (MCC) on Friday.

The updated rule targets catches popularised by Big Bash League (BBL) players like Michael Neser and Tom Banton.

The new regulation will be incorporated into the ICC’s playing conditions later this month and formally added to the MCC’s Laws in October 2026.

Under the updated rule, a fielder who leaves the field of play can only make one contact with the ball while airborne outside the boundary.

To complete a legal catch, the fielder must then return fully inside the playing area before any further contact with the ball. 

This change effectively prohibits the multi-touch relay catches beyond the rope that sparked debate in recent seasons.

The amendment follows dramatic incidents in the BBL that highlighted the loophole. During the 2023 season, Brisbane Heat’s Michael Neser executed a stunning yet controversial catch to dismiss Sydney Sixers’ Jordan Silk.

Chasing a lofted drive near the boundary, Neser caught the ball but his momentum carried him over the rope. 

He cleverly tossed the ball up while airborne, landed outside the field, leapt again to palm it back in, and then completed the catch inside the boundary.

Although legal under the current law, the spectacle prompted questions about whether it aligned with the spirit of the game.

Neser credited his awareness of the rule to teammate Matt Renshaw’s similar feat during BBL 2020, when Renshaw relayed a boundary catch to Tom Banton after stepping outside the field of play.

Both moments divided fans and players, reigniting debate over whether the existing law encouraged unnatural fielding manoeuvres.

An MCC statement circulated by the ICC explained the rationale behind the revision.

“While the existing rule allowed for spectacular fielding, it also resulted in unusual catches that, to much of the cricketing public, seemed unfair. The ‘bunny hop’ felt like the fielder had—quite literally—gone too far.”

The MCC considered reverting fully to the pre-2010 rule, which required a fielder to re-establish contact with the ground inside the field before any further touches.

Instead, the updated wording strikes a balance. Fielders may still leap from within the field to push the ball back before stepping over the boundary, but once outside, they are allowed only a single airborne touch before they must return fully in play.

The change will first come into force in the ICC’s playing conditions for the upcoming World Test championship cycle, beginning with Sri Lanka’s Test against Bangladesh in Galle on June 17. 

It will be enshrined in the official laws during the next scheduled update in October 2026.