Athleticism has peaked in cricket, especially in the fielding department. We often get to see some spectacular fielding efforts.
From Ravindra Jadeja’s rocket throws to Glenn Phillips’ airborne catches, these moments bring matches alive. But what caps them all are the juggling efforts on the boundary ropes.
In the blink of an eye, a fielder turns a sure-shot six into a sensational catch. And we fans love it, don’t we?
But the fielders need to be cautious while taking such catches in the future. Why so?
Turns out, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the guardians of cricket, have brought in boundary catch rule changes.
So what changes now? Here are all the details you need to know about the new boundary catch rule.
Final Contact with Ground
First things first, a catch is fair if the fielder completes it within the boundary. And for that to happen, the fielder must remain inside the ropes before touching the ball.
That means a fielder can’t remain outside the boundary after the bowler delivers the ball, then jump in and touch or catch the ball. MCC’s Law 19.5.2 disbars fielders from doing so.
If the fielder’s final ground contact is inside the boundary before they touch and get hold of the ball, only then will it be a legal catch.
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Land Inside After Going Out
Once the fielder meets the above criteria, they sort of have the liberty to jump from outside to complete a catch. You must’ve seen fielders jumping in and out of the ropes to pull off some brilliant catches.
For instance, a fielder touches the ball, throws it in the air, goes outside, and returns inside to complete the catch. Remember Suryakumar Yadav’s catch in the 2024 T20 World Cup Final?
This is a fair catch and will remain so if the fielder doesn’t step outside once they make a subsequent contact with the ball.
Once the fielder throws the ball up and catches it again midair after jumping from outside, their next ground contact must be inside the boundary. If they land outside, it will be a boundary.
The same will apply to relay catches, where two or more fielders might be involved. The fielder who jumps from outside before tossing the ball inside must return inside the boundary. If the fielder doesn’t return inside, it will be a boundary, irrespective of their teammate completing the catch.
Only One Touch Allowed
One more thing fielders need to keep in mind is they can now make only one contact after throwing the ball up. As per the updated Law 19.5.2.1, fielders can’t make multiple contacts with the ball outside the boundary.
Under the rule change, a fielder can toss the ball in the air, go outside, catch the ball in the air and make their first ground contact inside the boundary. If a fielder makes multiple contacts outside, it will count as a boundary.
For instance, catches like these won’t be valid under the new changes.
The new boundary catch rule changes have come into effect from June 17, 2025. The MCC, though, will integrate the amendments into the laws from October 2026.
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