Cricket Fielding Positions Explained: Slips to Long-On

Start with off side and leg side

Everything depends on which way the batter stands. A right-handed batter stands side-on with the left shoulder pointing at the bowler. The half of the ground in front of their chest is the off side, also called the offside. The half behind their legs is the leg side, often called the on side.

Imagine a line running straight down the middle of the pitch and out to both sightscreens. That line splits the field in two. For a right-hander, the slips and cover are on the off side; mid-wicket and square leg are on the leg side.

When a left-hander comes in, everything flips. First slip moves to the other side of the keeper, cover becomes the leg side, and the whole field swaps over. This is why fielders in a mixed-handed partnership seem to be constantly walking across the ground between overs, and sometimes after a single.

The building-block words

Once you know about eight words, you can work out almost any position name you hear. They describe how far from the batter the fielder is, and at what angle to the pitch.

Angles are measured against an imaginary line through the batter's stumps at right angles to the pitch. That line is "square". Anything behind it, towards the keeper, is "backward" or "fine". Anything in front of it, towards the bowler, is "forward".

Behind the bat: keeper, slips, gully and third man

The wicketkeeper stands behind the striker's stumps, either right up to them for spinners or several metres back for faster bowlers. Next to the keeper, on the off side, stand the slips, numbered outward: first slip, second slip, third slip. Their job is catching outside edges.

Gully stands wider and a little further back than the slips, catching edges that fly squarer or harder. Further out still, near the boundary behind the slips, is third man, who saves runs from edges and late cuts that beat the cordon.

On the leg side, the equivalent close catcher is leg slip, which is mostly used for spinners or bowlers attacking the body. Fine leg sits on the leg-side boundary behind the batter, mirroring third man. Short fine leg is the same angle but inside the circle.

The off side: point, cover and mid-off

Moving round in front of square on the off side, point stands roughly level with the batter, a short distance away. Backward point is a little behind square and is a favourite spot for your sharpest fielder. Silly point is right under the batter's nose for spin.

Cover point, cover and extra cover sit in an arc between point and mid-off, saving the runs from drives. Cover is often the busiest position in club cricket because so many batters drive through the off side.

Mid-off stands on the off side of the bowler, about level with the bowler's run-up and inside the circle. Push them back to the boundary and they become long-off. A fielder on the off-side boundary square of the wicket is deep point or, in limited-overs language, the sweeper.

The leg side: square leg, mid-wicket and mid-on

Square leg is the leg-side mirror of point, level with the batter's crease. It is also where the second umpire stands, so the fielder normally stands a little in front or behind. Short leg, or forward short leg, crouches very close for bat-pad catches, always in a helmet.

Mid-wicket sits between square leg and mid-on, protecting the area where batters whip balls off their pads. Mid-on is the mirror of mid-off. Send them back and you have long-on. Deep mid-wicket and deep square leg patrol the leg-side boundary for the pull and the slog.

"Cow corner" is the informal name for the deep area between deep mid-wicket and long-on, where agricultural slogs tend to land. It is not an official term but every gully team uses it.

Rules the umpire and captain must watch

Under Law 28, no more than two fielders, not counting the keeper, may be behind square on the leg side at the instant the bowler delivers. Breaking this is a no-ball. The rule dates from the Bodyline series and stops captains packing the leg side behind the batter.

No fielder may have any part of their body on or over the pitch until the ball has touched the bat or passed the batter. Fielders may move a little as the bowler runs in, but significant movement before the ball reaches the batter will see the umpire call and signal dead ball.

Limited-overs competitions add fielding restrictions through playing conditions rather than the Laws, usually based on a 30-yard circle. Local leagues set their own versions. Make sure both captains know how many fielders may be outside the circle in each phase before the toss.