ICC to Enforce New Boundary Catch Rule Starting with Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Series. The International Cricket Council (ICC) will implement a significant change to the boundary catch rule during the upcoming series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, following a recent revision made by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
Under the new rule, dismissals involving multiple airborne touches beyond the boundary — often referred to as ‘bunny hops’ — will be deemed illegal. These changes are set to be officially adopted globally from October next year.
Previously, fielders were allowed to complete catches even after stepping outside the boundary line, as long as they remained airborne while touching the ball. Over time, many spectacular catches have been made under this rule.
However, the legality of such dismissals came under scrutiny during the Big Bash League (BBL) 2023, when Australian cricketer Michael Neser completed a remarkable boundary catch using a series of mid-air taps after stepping beyond the boundary. Positioned at wide long-off, Neser caught the ball, tossed it mid-air while still airborne beyond the rope, landed outside the field, jumped again to push the ball back into play, and then returned inside the boundary to finish the catch. The move sparked intense debate among fans and experts.
Since then, such catches have remained a hot topic in cricket discussions. Responding to the controversy, the MCC has updated the rules. Under the new law, a fielder can only make one airborne contact with the ball outside the boundary. After that, they must land fully inside the field of play to complete the catch.
ICC to Enforce New Boundary Catch Rule: One Touch Only for Fielders Jumping from Outside
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has clarified that the updated boundary catch rule will also apply to relay catches. According to the new guideline: “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.”
To simplify, this means a fielder who jumps from beyond the boundary has only one opportunity to touch the ball mid-air. After that, the boundary is treated as a hard line ICC, if the fielder touches the ground at any point in that delivery, they must be inside the field of play for the action to count.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) will implement this rule starting with the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh series, marking the beginning of the new ICC World Test Championship (2025–27). The change will officially come into effect from October 2026.
