Caught
The striker is out caught if a fielder catches the ball after it has been hit by the bat (or the glove holding the bat), before it touches the ground.
What you need to know
- The catch counts even if the fielder's hand holding the ball is touching the ground, or the ball is hugged to the body.
- A fielder must not be touching the boundary or the ground beyond it at any time while making the catch.
- The catch is complete only when the fielder has full control of both the ball and their own movement.
- It still counts if the ball touched the wicket, an umpire, another fielder or the other batter before being caught.
- You can't be caught off a no-ball.
- If a catch is taken, any runs the batters completed on that ball don't count.
Examples
Specific situations
A catch while touching the boundary
Not out — it's a boundary. A catch only counts if the fielder holding the ball isn't touching the boundary, or the ground beyond it, before the catch is complete.
- Law 33.2.1: neither the ball nor any fielder in contact with it may be grounded beyond the boundary before the catch is completed.
- Touching the boundary rope counts as being grounded beyond it (Law 19.5.1).
- It's a six if the ball hadn't bounced before the fielder caught it, and a four if it had (Law 19.7).
Source: MCC Law 33 · MCC Law 19
Catching in the air near the boundary
It depends where the fielder last touched the ground. If they took off from outside the boundary before first touching the ball, it's a boundary. If they took off from inside, they may knock the ball back in while in the air — but after touching it they must land inside and stay inside until the ball is dead, or it's a boundary.
- Law 19.5.2: a fielder in the air counts as beyond the boundary if their last contact with the ground before first touching the ball was not entirely inside it.
- Law 19.5.2.1: a fielder who first touched the ball legally can jump from outside to touch it again while airborne; after that, every touch of the ground must be inside the boundary.
- Law 19.5.2.2: a fielder who returns the ball from beyond the boundary must land, and stay, inside until the ball is dead.
Source: MCC Law 19 · MCC Law 33
Caught after the ball hit the umpire
Out, caught — as long as it didn't touch the ground. A catch still counts if the ball bounced off an umpire, another fielder, the wicket or the other batter first.
- Law 33.2.2.3 lists these as fair catches.
- The ball doesn't become dead when it hits an umpire (Law 20.1).
Source: MCC Law 33 · MCC Law 20
Runs taken before a catch
No runs count, and the non-striker goes back to their original end — even if the batters had crossed.
- Law 33.4: when the striker is out caught, runs completed before the catch is completed are not scored (penalty runs still stand).
- The same Law sends the non-striker back to their original end, so the new batter faces the next ball unless the over has ended.
Source: MCC Law 33
Caught after the ball hits a fielder's helmet
Out, caught — as long as the ball didn't touch the ground. A catch is fair even if the ball lodges in protective equipment the fielder is wearing; only a helmet lying on the ground makes the ball dead.
- Law 33.2.2.1 lists a ball lodging in a fielder's worn protective equipment as a fair catch.
- Law 28.3 (the dead ball and 5 penalty runs) applies only to a helmet placed on the ground.
Source: MCC Law 33 · MCC Law 28
Caught off the glove
Out, caught — if the glove was on a hand holding the bat. That glove counts as the bat.
- Law 5.6.2: contact with the hand holding the bat, or a glove on it, is contact with the bat.
- Caught needs the ball to touch the bat first (Law 33.1).
Source: MCC Law 5 · MCC Law 33
Caught off the pad
Not out caught. For a catch the ball must have touched the bat (or a glove on the hand holding it) — straight off the pad to a fielder isn't a catch.
- Law 33.1: caught requires the ball to touch the striker's bat.
- Bat first, then pad, then caught is fine (Law 33.2.2.2).
Source: MCC Law 33
Official source
The Laws of Cricket, 2017 Code 4th Edition (2026). Summary in Inswing's own words — follow the link for the official text.
Related: Boundaries · Dismissals (ways to get out)