Key Points:
- MCC approves 73 law changes effective October 2026 to modernise cricket and boost women’s participation.
- Laminated bats allowed in recreational cricket; full final over mandatory in red-ball matches.
- Fielding and wicketkeeping rules tightened, with standardised balls for women’s and junior cricket.
Cricket is set to undergo one of its most significant regulatory updates in decades after the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) approved a sweeping revision of the game’s Laws. A total of 73 changes have been confirmed, with the new regulations scheduled to come into force from 1 October 2026. The reforms aim to modernise cricket, improve clarity for officials, and ensure greater fairness and accessibility across formats, including the rapidly growing women’s game.
As the long-standing custodian of cricket Laws, the MCC said the revisions reflect extensive consultation with administrators, umpires, and players worldwide. While international and elite-level cricket will continue to operate under strict professional standards, several of the new measures are targeted at grassroots and recreational cricket, where participation in women’s and girls’ cricket has expanded sharply in recent years.
Bat Regulations and Match Flow Take Priority
One of the most notable amendments concerns cricket bats. The updated Cricket Laws will permit laminated bats made from multiple pieces of wood in open-age recreational cricket. Previously, adult bats were required to be crafted from a single piece of wood, typically English willow. With high-quality willow becoming increasingly scarce and expensive, the MCC believes the change will make the game more affordable, particularly for emerging women’s leagues and community programmes, without meaningfully altering performance.
Match regulations in multi-day and red-ball cricket have also been adjusted to improve competitive balance. Under the revised Cricket Laws, a full final over must now be completed even if a wicket falls during that over. In the past, play could end immediately following a dismissal close to stumps, often denying bowlers the chance to exploit difficult late-day conditions. The new rule restores tactical significance to the final moments of play in both men’s and women’s red-ball formats.
Additional clarifications have been introduced around overthrows, dead-ball scenarios, and umpire discretion to reduce confusion and ensure more consistent decision-making during critical phases of matches.
Fielding Rules, Fair Play, and the Future of Women’s Cricket
Several changes focus on fielding and boundary interpretations. The MCC has formally moved to ban the “bunny hop” boundary catch, a technique where fielders leap repeatedly from outside the boundary rope to complete a catch. The revised wording tightens the definition of a legal catch near the boundary, emphasising control and fairness.
Wicketkeeping regulations have also been updated. Keepers will now be allowed to stand in front of the stumps during the bowler’s run-up, provided they are fully behind the stumps at the moment of delivery. Meanwhile, cricket balls used in women’s and junior cricket have been standardised into clearly defined categories, a move expected to improve consistency across competitions and aid player development.
Together, these amendments represent a careful attempt to balance tradition with evolution. While cricket’s fundamental character remains unchanged, the MCC believes the revised Cricket Laws will help the sport adapt to modern realities and support the continued rise of women’s cricket worldwide as the game enters a new regulatory phase.
Also Read: The 30 Richest Women’s Sports Teams and How They Became Financial Giants
