MCC introduces boundary rule change: What is it and how does it affect the sport?

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) are implementing a caller catching regularisation successful cricket from October 2026 that volition prohibit the 'bunny-hop' catches wherever fielders leap and interaction the shot portion being extracurricular the boundary.

The regularisation alteration volition inactive let catches wherever fielders propulsion the shot from wrong the boundary, measurement out, and dive backmost to implicit the catch, but immoderate interaction with the shot from extracurricular the bound volition necessitate the fielder to onshore wrong the tract of play for the drawback to count. The MCC has developed this regularisation alteration successful effect to concerns astir catches that look unfair to cricket audiences. The existent instrumentality lone invalidates catches wherever the subordinate contacts some the shot and crushed portion extracurricular the bound ropes.

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"MCC has devised a caller wording wherever the 'bunny-hop' wholly beyond the bound is removed, but these catches wherever the fielder pushes the shot up from wrong the boundary, steps extracurricular and past dives backmost successful to drawback the ball, are permitted," states the MCC note. The caller regularisation provides circumstantial guidelines for fielders attempting bound catches. According to the MCC: "Our solution has been to bounds immoderate fielder who has gone extracurricular the bound to touching the shot portion airborne lone once, and then, having done so, to beryllium wholly grounded wrong the bound for the remainder of the duration of that delivery."

The MCC further clarifies: "Even if the shot is parried – to different fielder oregon wrong the tract of play – if the fielder lands extracurricular the boundary, oregon subsequently steps outside, past a bound volition beryllium scored. For clarity, that means the fielder gets 1 chance, and 1 accidental only, to interaction the shot having jumped from extracurricular the boundary. After that point, the bound becomes a hard enactment – and immoderate clip they interaction the crushed successful that delivery, immoderate other happens, they indispensable beryllium inside.

" The caller instrumentality volition beryllium reflected successful ICC playing conditions arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent week, though authoritative implementation begins successful October 2026. Under the revised rules, catches similar Michael Neser's successful the 2023 Big Bash League and Dewald Brevis's for Chennai Super Kings against Punjab Kings successful IPL 2025 volition nary longer beryllium valid. Quiz: Who's that IPL player? The nonstop law, numbered 19.5.2, states that a fielder not touching the crushed is considered beyond the bound if their past crushed interaction earlier touching the shot was not wholly wrong the boundary.

This applies to each fielders contacting the shot aft the bowler's delivery. Section 19.5.2.1 of the instrumentality specifies that if a fielder's archetypal shot interaction complies with 19.5.2, they whitethorn leap from extracurricular to interaction the shot portion airborne. However, each consequent crushed interaction indispensable hap wrong the tract of play until the shot becomes dead, oregon a bound volition beryllium scored. Section 19.5.2.2 further stipulates that if a fielder jumping from extracurricular the bound returns the shot to play, they indispensable onshore and enactment wrong the bound until the shot becomes dead, oregon a bound volition beryllium awarded. This regularisation alteration aims to destruct arguable bound catches portion maintaining the anticipation of spectacular fielding efforts that statesman wrong the tract of play. The caller regulations supply wide guidelines for some players and officials regarding bound catches.