The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Laws of Cricket has introduced a new rule that will consider “bunny hop” boundary catches illegal. This change is set to be incorporated into the ICC’s playing conditions later this month and officially added to the Laws of Cricket in October 2026. The decision was made after incidents in the Big Bash League (BBL), particularly .

According to MCC’s updated Law 19.5.2 will now prevent fielders from making multiple airborne touches of the ball while outside the boundary. Under the new rule, if a fielder jumps from outside the boundary and touches the ball, they must land entirely inside the field of play for the catch to be valid. Any subsequent contact with the ground outside the ropes during the same delivery, even if not in contact with the ball, will result in a boundary.

"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. 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 MCC note read.

The revised law applies to relay catches as well. If a fielder pushes the ball to a teammate while outside the boundary and fails to return inside before the ball is dead, a boundary will be given regardless of the final catch. While the old law, which came into being in 2010, has produced unusual-looking and unfair dismissals.

Notably, there were suggestions to return to pre-2010 rules, where fielders had to ground themselves inside the field before any further contact. However, MCC felt that it would be harsh and would rule out legitimate efforts, such as Harleen Deol’s 2021 catch or ’ boundary effort in 2020.