MCC bans bunny-hop boundary catches: A major revision to Law 19.5.2 affects ICC play from June 2025. Learn key facts for exams, historical context, and takeaways.
MCC Bans “Bunny‑Hop” Boundary Catches — A Major Law Revision
What’s the Change?
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has initiated a significant revision to Law 19.5.2, deeming “bunny‑hop” boundary catches illegal. Under this new rule, any fielder who leaps from outside the boundary rope, touches the ball mid‑air, and fails to land back inside will have the catch ruled as a boundary instead of a dismissal. This eliminates the multiple airborne touches previously allowed since 2010
Why Now, and When?
The International Cricket Council (ICC) will start implementing this change in playing conditions from June 17, 2025, coinciding with the new World Test Championship cycle. MCC’s official Laws of Cricket will incorporate the change from October 2026
What Exactly Is a “Bunny‑Hop” Catch?
The bunny‑hop refers to the dramatic act where a fielder inside the boundary jumps, carries the momentum outside to tap the ball back in the air mid‑air, and then hops back in to complete the catch. Notable examples include efforts by Michael Neser (BBL 2023) and Matt Renshaw/Tom Banton (BBL 2020), which, though technically legal at the time, sparked debate over fairness
What the New Law Permits and Prohibits
- Allowed: Pushing the ball back from a jump that begins inside the boundary, as long as the fielder lands back inside later.
- Prohibited: Jumping off the ground outside the boundary, then tapping the ball—even once—without landing fully inside afterward. That will now be automatically ruled a boundary
Impact on the Game
This rule update aims to reduce confusion and maintain natural competition levels. It ensures that spectacular athleticism doesn’t compromise fairness, converting some previously legal but controversial feats into boundaries under the new system.
Why This News Matters
Leveling the Playing Field
This rule change ensures equity and clarity in boundary decisions, aligning spectacular fielding with principled gameplay. It avoids the feeling that fielders are gaining an unfair advantage by manipulating boundaries mid‑air .
Reinforcing Law Integrity
Cricket laws must serve both spectacle and fairness. As the MCC memo warned, while current rules permitted spectacular feats, they sometimes resulted in “unusual-looking catches”—ones that fans and pundits felt went beyond the spirit of the game
Exam-Centric Relevance
For government exam aspirants in teaching, police, banking, railways, defence, and civil services (e.g., PSCs, IAS), this change exemplifies how regulatory bodies update rules and regulations to enhance fairness, transparency, and system integrity—key traits evaluated in current affairs sections.
Broad Takeaways
Students can note how established institutions respond to public sentiment, align technical provisions with ethical excellence, and use phased implementation (mid‑2025 and late‑2026) to ease transitions. This reflects a general pattern across policy and law applicable to other governance scenarios.
Historical Context: Law 19.5.2 Over Time
Pre‑2010 Era
Before 2010, cricket law specified that once a fielder left the field of play, they could not touch the ball again unless they first re-grounded inside the boundary. This was considered rigid but clear.
2010 Revision
Law changed in 2010 to allow one airborne catch initiated from inside the boundary, enabling more athletic fielding. But it also inadvertently allowed “bunny‑hop” feats like those seen in 2020–2023
Controversial Demonstrations
Catch showpieces by Michael Neser and Matt Renshaw drew mixed reactions. Technically legal, they stirred the feeling that the rules were being stretched, prompting action from the ICC and MCC
Legislative Revision
Responding to these events, ICC urged MCC to re-examine the rule. MCC’s solution: limit airborne boundary touches to one, and require landing fully inside the field thereafter. This was implemented in phased stages: ICC playing conditions (June 2025) and MCC laws (October 2026)
Key Takeaways from “MCC Bans Bunny Hop Boundary Catches”
| S. No | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|
| 1 | Definition Update: “Bunny‑hop” catches now banned—touching ball from outside and landing outside is no longer legal. |
| 2 | Implementation Phases: ICC will enforce from June 17, 2025; MCC’s Laws change from October 2026. |
| 3 | One‑Touch Rule: Fielder may touch mid‑air once after leaving the field, but must land inside thereafter. |
| 4 | Spirit of Fairness: Rule aims to balance athleticism with equity and clarity in boundary decisions. |
| 5 | Exam Relevance: Highlights how rule‑making bodies adjust regulations based on public sentiment and institutional ethics—useful in current affairs contexts. |
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the “bunny-hop” boundary catch?
A “bunny-hop” boundary catch refers to an act where a fielder, often after jumping from inside the boundary, taps or catches the ball mid-air while airborne and crosses outside the boundary before returning or tapping it back in. It previously allowed multiple touches in the air, even if the fielder left the field of play.
Q2. Why did MCC ban bunny-hop catches?
The MCC banned bunny-hop boundary catches to bring clarity and fairness to fielding laws. The rule was perceived as giving an unfair advantage to fielders and led to visually confusing plays that challenged the spirit of the game.
Q3. From when will this rule be applicable?
The new rule will be enforced in ICC playing conditions starting June 17, 2025. It will also be included in MCC’s official Laws of Cricket from October 2026.
Q4. Can a fielder still push the ball back from outside the boundary?
No, under the new rule, once a fielder has left the field of play, they cannot make contact with the ball unless they re-establish themselves inside the boundary before doing so.
Q5. Why is this important for competitive exams?
This development illustrates how regulatory bodies evolve rules to ensure fair play and public trust. It is an excellent example of rule-making, implementation cycles, and governance — all topics frequently featured in current affairs questions for exams like IAS, SSC, and defence services.
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