The Marylebone Cricket Membership (MCC) Legal guidelines of Cricket has launched a brand new rule that may think about “bunny hop” boundary catches unlawful. This transformation is ready to be integrated into the ICC’s taking part in circumstances later this month and formally added to the Legal guidelines of Cricket in October 2026. The choice was made after incidents within the Massive Bash League (BBL), notably Michael Neser’s acrobatic effort throughout BBL 2023.
Based on MCC’s up to date Regulation 19.5.2 will now forestall fielders from making a number of airborne touches of the ball whereas exterior the boundary. Underneath the brand new rule, if a fielder jumps from exterior the boundary and touches the ball, they have to land completely inside the sphere of play for the catch to be legitimate. Any subsequent contact with the bottom exterior the ropes throughout the identical supply, even when not involved with the ball, will lead to a boundary.
“MCC has devised a brand new wording the place the ‘bunny hop’ wholly past the boundary is eliminated, however these catches, the place the fielder pushes the ball up from contained in the boundary, steps exterior after which dives again in to catch the ball, are permitted. Our resolution has been to restrict any fielder who has gone exterior the boundary to touching the ball whereas airborne solely as soon as, after which, having finished so, to be wholly grounded inside the boundary for the remainder of the length of that supply,” the MCC observe learn.
The revised legislation applies to relay catches as effectively. If a fielder pushes the ball to a teammate whereas exterior the boundary and fails to return inside earlier than the ball is useless, a boundary shall be given whatever the ultimate catch. Whereas the previous legislation, which got here into being in 2010, has produced unusual-looking and unfair dismissals.
Notably, there have been recommendations to return to pre-2010 guidelines, the place fielders needed to floor themselves inside the sphere earlier than any additional contact. Nevertheless, MCC felt that it could be harsh and would rule out legit efforts, similar to Harleen Deol’s 2021 catch or Alex Hales’ boundary effort in 2020.
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