In a sweeping update to cricket’s rulebook, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and International Cricket Council (ICC) have scrapped the controversial “bunny hop” boundary catches, a decision that redefines the legality of airborne dismissals near the rope. According to reports, the new law will be enforced in ICC playing conditions beginning June 17, aligning with the start of the new World Test Championship cycle, and will be fully integrated into the MCC laws in October 2026.
The end of the ‘bunny hop’ era
The “bunny hop” catch, exemplified by Michael Neser‘s acrobatic dismissal during the 2023 Big Bash League, involved fielders juggling the ball multiple times while airborne outside the boundary before completing the catch inside the rope. Though such catches complied with existing rules, they stirred widespread debate.
According to a MCC note circulated to ICC member boards, while the old law “led to some spectacular” moments, it also enabled “some unusual-looking catches that, to the majority of the cricketing public, feel unfair.” In Neser’s case, the MCC described the act as having “bunny hopped” and added it “felt like the fielder had – quite literally – gone too far.”
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
New boundary catch law explained
The revised Law 19.5.2 introduces a strict framework for airborne catches involving the boundary. As per the MCC: “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 updated regulation aims to balance fairness and spectacle without compromising the integrity of the game. “Our solution has been to limit any fielder who has gone outside the boundary to touching the ball while airborne only once, and then, having done so, to be wholly grounded within the boundary for the rest of the duration of that delivery.”
The rule will also govern relay catches. If a fielder, while airborne outside the field, parries the ball but fails to re-enter the field of play before the ball is caught—either by themselves or a teammate—a boundary will be awarded. “Even if the ball is parried – to another fielder or inside the field of play – if the fielder lands outside the boundary, or subsequently steps outside, then a boundary will be scored,” the MCC clarified.
“For clarity, that means the fielder gets one chance, and one chance only, to touch the ball having jumped from outside the boundary. After that point, the boundary becomes a hard line – and any time they touch the ground in that delivery, whatever else happens, they must be inside.”
Broader rule changes: ODI balls and concussion subs
In addition to the boundary catch amendment, the ICC has approved changes to the two-ball rule in men’s One Day Internationals (ODIs). Under the new guidelines, two new balls will be used from overs 1 to 34, after which the bowling team will choose one ball to use from overs 35 to 50. The ICC said this change was made to “readdress the balance between bat and ball.”
Also introduced are revised concussion substitute protocols. Teams must now name five specific substitute roles before each match: one batter, one wicketkeeper, one seam bowler, one spin bowler, and one allrounder. If the designated substitute is also concussed, match referees may select a replacement based on existing like-for-like standards.
These changes come in response to recent controversies, such as India’s substitution of Shivam Dube with Harshit Rana during a T20I earlier this year, which raised questions about the fair application of concussion protocols.
Looking ahead
With these sweeping updates, cricket’s lawmakers aim to eliminate grey areas, reinforce the spirit of fair play, and ensure fans witness contests that are not only exciting but equitable. The elimination of the “bunny hop” catch marks a turning point in how athletic boundary fielding will be judged—and performed—on the international stage.
