When is a batter out caught?
B · Beginner · How does a batter get out? · 8 of 14A batter is out caught when the ball touches their bat, or the glove on the hand holding it, and a fielder holds the ball before it touches the ground. It is not out if the ball bounced first, if it was a no-ball or if the fielder touched the ground beyond the boundary before the catch was complete.
How it works
- The ball must touch the bat first. The glove on the hand holding the bat counts as the bat.
- A fielder must hold the ball before it touches the ground.
- The catch is complete only when the fielder has full control of the ball and of their own movement. A fielder who catches it and then stumbles over the rope has not completed it.
- No runs count from a catch. The batters' runs on that ball are cancelled.
Tricky cases
Is it out if the fielder's hand is on the ground when the catch is taken?
Yes, as long as the ball itself did not touch the ground.
Is it out if the ball hits the batter's glove, not the bat?
Yes, if that glove was on a hand holding the bat. It counts as the bat.
Is it out if the fielder catches it and then touches the boundary rope?
Not out. The catch was not complete, and the batting side scores a boundary.
Is it out if the ball bounces off a fielder's helmet and is caught?
Yes. A catch off a fielder's protective gear, another fielder, the umpire, the stumps or the other batter is fair.
Can a fielder near the rope push the ball up, step outside and come back to catch it?
It depends on where they were for each touch. The first touch must come while they are inside the boundary, or in the air after jumping from inside. After that, they may jump from outside to touch the ball again while in the air, but they must land inside and stay inside until the ball is dead. Otherwise it is a boundary, not a catch.
Can a batter be out caught off a no-ball?
No.
Why the rule exists
Hitting the ball in the air is a risk the batter takes: a catch rewards the fielding side for it. The boundary limit keeps the catch inside the field of play.
Where it differs
Nothing. The same in the Laws and in the ICC men's Test, ODI and T20I playing conditions.
From the rule book
MCC Laws of Cricket, Laws 33.1 to 33.4, 5.6 and 19.4 to 19.5, 4th Edition, in force from 1 October 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: MCC Laws of Cricket (PDF).