MCC outlaws 'bunny hop' boundary catches, new rule to come into effect this month

No More Bunny Hops: MCC Brings the Rope Rule Back to Earth Spectacular grabs like Michael Neser’s boundary-defying leap in BBL 2023 or the acrobatic assist between Tom Banton and Matt Renshaw in 2020 may soon be highlights of a bygone era. The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), guardians of the game’s laws, have ruled that catches involving multiple touches outside the boundary — the so-called ‘bunny hop’ or airborne relay catches — will no longer be considered legal. The move is aimed at restoring clarity and fairness around boundary catches. The updated interpretation will be woven into the ICC’s playing conditions this month, while the MCC’s own lawbook will reflect the change from October next year. In short: if you're airborne outside the rope when touching the ball, it won’t count. Spectacle will give way to simplicity — and perhaps a little less chaos near the boundary line.