The acrobatic catches on the boundary that showcase a fielder's athleticism and fitness capture attention and inspire youngsters to replicate them on the field.
Over the years, with the growing fitness standards, we have seen a lot of these catches being taken at the boundaries, especially in franchise cricket, where the goal for the batters is often to clear the ropes as often as possible.
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However, one of the variants of these acrobatic efforts on the boundary, the bunny hop, has been made illegal by the ICC, with MCC set to adopt it from October 2026.
In this article, TSN explains what a bunny hop is and why it is illegal now.
What is a 'Bunny Hop' catch?
A bunny hop catch is one of the finest pieces of acrobatic work done by a fielder on the boundary.
In this type of catch, the fielder grabs the ball near the boundary and tosses it into the air to avoid touching it while stepping over the rope. After crossing the boundary, the player pushes the ball back into play before it hits the ground, allowing themselves or a teammate to complete the catch inside the field.
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This was famously done by Michael Neser in the Big Bash League back in 2023 to dismiss Matthew Wade. Watch the video below:
The MCC has changed the law to make catches like this 'bunny hop' one from Michael Neser illegal. In short:
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) June 14, 2025
If the fielder's first touch takes them outside the boundary, their *second* touch must take them back inside the field of play.
Basically, you're no longer allowed to… pic.twitter.com/1jaqAev0hy
What are ICC's new rules for catches & why is the bunny hop illegal?
Below are the new rules from ICC that will be added to the ICC playing conditions from this month and in the MCC rule-book from October 2026:
19.5.2 A fielder who is not in contact with the ground is considered to be grounded beyond the boundary if, prior to their first contact with the ball, their final contact with the ground was not entirely within the boundary. This applies to any fielder who makes contact with the ball after it has been delivered by the bowler, whether or not the ball has previously been touched by another fielder.
19.5.2.1 If a fielder's first contact with the ball does not contravene 19.5.2, that fielder may then jump from outside the boundary in order to make contact with the ball whilst airborne. After making contact with the ball once airborne, all subsequent contact with the ground by that fielder, until the ball becomes dead, must be within the field of play. Any subsequent contact with the ground outside the boundary by that fielder during that delivery, whether or not in contact with the ball, will result in a boundary being scored.
19.5.2.2 If the ball is returned to the field of play, whether to another fielder or onto the ground, by a fielder who has jumped from outside the boundary, that fielder must land, and remain, within the boundary until the ball becomes dead. Otherwise, a boundary shall be scored.
In a nutshell, the fielder's last touch to the ground before touching the ball must be inside the boundary; he may proceed to go over the rope before returning to catch the ball inside himself or rally the catch with a teammate who is already inside.
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In any case where he jumps from outside the playing field to push the ball inside, it will be given as a boundary. This will basically deem the aforementioned Michael Neser's catch as a six.