Huge Rule Change In Cricket: Boundary Catches Involving 'Bunny Hops' Now Illegal, To Be Integrated In ICC Manual

[rollingstoned]

Huge Rule Change In Cricket: Boundary Catches Involving 'Bunny Hops' Now Illegal, To Be Integrated In ICC Manual

The new ruling set to be integrated into ICC's playing conditions this month and the MCC's laws from October next year

 

An example of a 'bunny hop' catch.©

Boundary catches involving 'bunny hops', or multiple airborne touches outside the rope, have been deemed illegal by the Marylebone Cricket Club, with the new ruling set to be integrated into ICC's playing conditions this month and the MCC's laws from October next year. Spectacular catches like the ones pulled off by Michael Neser during BBL 2023 and Tom Banton, with Matt Renshaw's help in 2020, will not be considered legal once the updated rule comes into force. According to an MCC note circulated to member boards by the ICC, while the existing law "led to some spectacular" fielding efforts, it also allowed "some unusual-looking catches that, to the majority of the cricketing public, feel unfair".

 

Describing Neser's catch for Brisbane Heat to dismiss Jordan Silk, the MCC said the fielder "bunny hopped" before completing the catch inside the boundary. While the act complied with the law at the time, the note added it "felt like the fielder had - quite literally - gone too far".

Both instances triggered widespread debate, prompting the ICC and MCC to review Law 19.5.2, which was last updated in 2010.

 

As part of its revision, the MCC clarified that any fielder making a second contact with the ball after jumping from beyond the boundary must land inside the field of play, or else a boundary will be awarded.

 

"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 note said.

 

"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 apply to relay catches. If a fielder parries the ball while airborne outside the boundary and fails to return inside the field before the catch is completed — even by a teammate — it will be ruled a boundary.

 

"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.

 

 

"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." The revised rule will be enforced starting June 17, when the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle begins with Sri Lanka taking on Bangladesh in Galle. The change in the laws will officially take effect from October 2026.

[putrevus]

Correct call. Fielder should be able to throw ball to another fielder but him catching it himself while whole body is outside the ropes is ridiculous.

 

 

[vvvslaxman]

It is an obvious call. Once the fielder is out of bounds anything he does there is invalid. Jumping, flying whatever. He can get inside and do the same

[BacktoCricaddict]

So this is invalid from now on? Not sure if I agree. 

 

[BacktoCricaddict]

And sky's catch vs SA?

 

[vvvslaxman]

7 minutes ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

And sky's catch vs SA?

 

Legit. He made contact with the ball when he was inside the playing area. 

[vvvslaxman]

@Lord  If this rule was put in place a month back Punab would have won the title

[Gollum]

Game is rigged too much in favor of batsmen. 

 

Besides we will miss some exceptional pieces of athletecism, skill, presence of mind....for what, more 6s?

[Lord]

3 hours ago, vvvslaxman said:

@Lord  If this rule was put in place a month back Punab would have won the title

Salt's catch off Priyansh?

[Lord]

3 hours ago, Gollum said:

Game is rigged too much in favor of batsmen. 

 

Besides we will miss some exceptional pieces of athletecism, skill, presence of mind....for what, more 6s?

yes. Switch hit is justified by saying it takes skills.

 

Then this takes skills too.

[BacktoCricaddict]

3 hours ago, Gollum said:

Game is rigged too much in favor of batsmen. 

 

Besides we will miss some exceptional pieces of athletecism, skill, presence of mind....for what, more 6s?

True. And in the example video in the OC, see how far inside the ground the boundary is. Why don't they just make the boundary far enough that this won't even be an issue?

[vvvslaxman]

14 minutes ago, Lord said:

Salt's catch off Priyansh?

yes

[putrevus]

I don't see any skill invloved in Neser and Renshaw's catches.It is ridiculous that they were given out.

[sage]

Good decision

[raki05]

7 hours ago, rollingstoned said:

Huge Rule Change In Cricket: Boundary Catches Involving 'Bunny Hops' Now Illegal, To Be Integrated In ICC Manual

The new ruling set to be integrated into ICC's playing conditions this month and the MCC's laws from October next year

 

An example of a 'bunny hop' catch.©

Boundary catches involving 'bunny hops', or multiple airborne touches outside the rope, have been deemed illegal by the Marylebone Cricket Club, with the new ruling set to be integrated into ICC's playing conditions this month and the MCC's laws from October next year. Spectacular catches like the ones pulled off by Michael Neser during BBL 2023 and Tom Banton, with Matt Renshaw's help in 2020, will not be considered legal once the updated rule comes into force. According to an MCC note circulated to member boards by the ICC, while the existing law "led to some spectacular" fielding efforts, it also allowed "some unusual-looking catches that, to the majority of the cricketing public, feel unfair".

 

Describing Neser's catch for Brisbane Heat to dismiss Jordan Silk, the MCC said the fielder "bunny hopped" before completing the catch inside the boundary. While the act complied with the law at the time, the note added it "felt like the fielder had - quite literally - gone too far".

Both instances triggered widespread debate, prompting the ICC and MCC to review Law 19.5.2, which was last updated in 2010.

 

As part of its revision, the MCC clarified that any fielder making a second contact with the ball after jumping from beyond the boundary must land inside the field of play, or else a boundary will be awarded.

 

"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 note said.

 

"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 apply to relay catches. If a fielder parries the ball while airborne outside the boundary and fails to return inside the field before the catch is completed — even by a teammate — it will be ruled a boundary.

 

"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.

 

 

"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." The revised rule will be enforced starting June 17, when the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle begins with Sri Lanka taking on Bangladesh in Galle. The change in the laws will officially take effect from October 2026.

The one which shown in the above video is absolute mockery. It means that any player can stand outside boundary while ball is about to be hit by batsmen , all he has to do is jump in the air outside boundary and throw the ball inside and catch it, absolute nonsense is this.

[rollingstoned]

2 hours ago, raki05 said:

The one which shown in the above video is absolute mockery. It means that any player can stand outside boundary while ball is about to be hit by batsmen , all he has to do is jump in the air outside boundary and throw the ball inside and catch it, absolute nonsense is this.

Yea I don't remeber when I saw a catch like that being taken in international cricket which was deemed legal. 

[rollingstoned]

5 hours ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

True. And in the example video in the OC, see how far inside the ground the boundary is. Why don't they just make the boundary far enough that this won't even be an issue?

Boundary being inside might have to do with minimum safe distance from rope to first row of spectator because now there are a lot more cameramen sitting there too. I remember when the rope used to touch the edge in Mcg and English grounds. 

[rkt.india]

10 hours ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

So this is invalid from now on? Not sure if I agree. 

 

This is legal 

[rkt.india]

9 hours ago, Gollum said:

Game is rigged too much in favor of batsmen. 

 

Besides we will miss some exceptional pieces of athletecism, skill, presence of mind....for what, more 6s?

You are confused.  Those catches aren't illegal. Only illegal is touching the ball and ground more than once outside the boundary.

[bowl_out]

10 hours ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

So this is invalid from now on? Not sure if I agree. 

 

This should be valid in my opinion because it has only one hop. The one in the OP should be illegal