MCC reveals new rule change: ‘Bunny Hops’ fielding now illegal and to be inducted into the ICC Rules

Boundary catches that involve the fielder to juggle the ball or ‘bunny hop’ the airborne ball multiple times are now deemed illegal by a new Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) rule. The rule will be coming into practice from October 2026 as implemented by The International Cricket Council (ICC). The rule will still allow fielders to catch a ball, jump outside the boundary line without contact to the ball and juggle it back into the field. 

The MCC rule change as pitched to the ICC said that while the ‘bunny hops’ fielding might have “led to some spectacular” efforts and pushing their teams to win, many instances and comments from cricketing public have said that it is, “some unusual-looking catches that, to the majority of the cricketing public, feel unfair”.

The recent debates on Michael Neser’s catch in BBL and others have led to both ICC and the MCC to draw the rule changes. According to the MCC, “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 clarification of the new rule is that any fielder doing a second contact outside the boundary with no contact with the ground must land inside the boundary line, or else a boundary will be awarded. 

The rule also applies to relay catches, “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.”

The revised rule will be in practice from 17 June from the new World Test Championship cycle begins, specifically from the series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at Galle. The law change will take effect from October 2026.