The International Cricket Council (ICC), in collaboration with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), has announced a major change to cricket’s boundary catch rule. Fielders will no longer be allowed to complete catches by jumping from outside the boundary and remaining airborne while touching the ball.
This update aims to end confusion and debates around the legality of such efforts that have become increasingly common in modern cricket.
New ICC Catch Rule Redefines Boundary Requirements
Under the revised rule, catches where a fielder leaves the field of play and then makes contact with the ball while airborne outside the boundary will now be ruled invalid.
To put it simply, once a fielder jumps from beyond the boundary and touches the ball while still airborne without ever returning inside, it will result in a boundary.
However, efforts where a fielder taps or pushes the ball from inside the field, temporarily steps out due to momentum, and then comes back in to complete the catch will still be allowed.
The change officially takes effect from October 2026, though the updated language will appear in ICC playing conditions from next week.
Suryakumar Yadav’s Catch Still Legal, Neser’s Is Not
A prime example of a valid effort under the new law is Suryakumar Yadav’s spectacular boundary catch during the T20 World Cup 2024. In that moment, Yadav stepped out but managed to leap back in to take a clean catch, impressing fans worldwide.
Catch of the Year 2024 :
Surya Kumar Yadav 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/dw8jVQw5vd
— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) December 31, 2024
In contrast, Michael Neser’s 2023 Big Bash League catch, which involved leaping from beyond the boundary, touching the ball mid-air and landing outside again, would now be ruled a boundary.
Outrageous catch from Michael Neser 😱
Allow Glenn Maxwell to explain why it’s a legit catch #BBL12 pic.twitter.com/7YORTIUFat
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 1, 2023
Another recent example is Dewald Brevis’ boundary effort for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025. That type of play will now fall under the banned category if the fielder never re-enters the field of play before or after the catch.
The updated rule will apply regardless of whether the fielder catches the ball, taps it to another teammate, or throws it back into the field.
MCC Explains Logic Behind New Catching Law
The MCC stated that the older rule allowed for some boundary catches that, while technically correct, appeared unfair to many viewers and players.
According to the MCC note quoted in the report, “MCC has devised a new wording where the ‘bunny hop’ wholly beyond the boundary is removed, but these catches where the fielder pushes the ball up from inside the boundary, steps outside and then dives back in to catch the ball, are permitted.”
They further added that the change is intended to reinforce the idea that the boundary should be a solid limit. Once a fielder steps outside, they are allowed to touch the ball only once while airborne. After that, they must be entirely inside the field for the remainder of that play.
“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 rule also ensures that if the fielder does not come back inside after touching the ball, even if it is sent to another player or returned to the field, the batting team will still be awarded a boundary.
The Updated Rule: Clause 19.5.2 Explained
The detailed legal wording has been included in Law 19.5.2. It redefines when a fielder is considered to be grounded beyond the boundary and how that impacts the catch.
It reads, “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.”
It continues, “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.”
If the fielder lands outside or steps out again at any point after this, the result is a boundary, regardless of whether the ball remains in play.
The ICC and MCC hope this change will lead to more consistency and clarity, putting an end to controversial moments at the edge of the field.
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