The International Cricket Council (ICC) is cracking down on crazy catches. You know, the ones where fielders jump, toss the ball, and catch it after crossing the boundary line? Those will soon be a thing of the past. The ICC has made some big changes to the rules for catches near the boundary.
As of this month, any fielder who touches the ball more than once in the air while standing outside the boundary will not be allowed to complete the catch. Instead, it’ll be considered a six. This means fielders won’t be able to show off their acrobatic skills as much as they used to.
This change might remind you of a crazy catch from the Big Bash League 2023. Australian player Michael Nesser caught a ball while standing outside the boundary, tossed it in the air, and then jumped back inside to complete the catch. At the time, it was considered a valid catch, but under the new rules, it would be ruled a six.
The ICC isn’t just changing the rules for catches, though. They’re also making some changes to the one-day game. For the first 34 overs, teams will still use two new balls, just like they do now. But after the 35th over, the fielding team will have to choose one of those balls and use it for the remaining 16 overs.
These changes will take effect this month, but the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) won’t adopt them until October 2026. It’ll be interesting to see how these new rules play out in the world of cricket.
What’s Changing
- Catches near the boundary: fielders can’t touch the ball more than once in the air while standing outside the boundary
- One-day games: teams will use one ball for the last 16 overs, instead of two new balls for the whole game
These rule changes might take some getting used to, but they’re meant to make the game more exciting and fair for everyone involved.