Long-On: Cricket's Straight Boundary Guardian
Long-on is positioned straight down the ground on the leg side, near the boundary, to cut off drives, lofted shots, and sixes over mid-on. This article explains long-on's specific responsibilities, when captains post or remove the position, and what makes a good long-on fielder.
The Long-On Position
Long-on is a boundary fielding position positioned approximately straight down the pitch on the leg side — at roughly 175-185 degrees from the off-side direction, 60-70 metres from the stumps: it is the leg-side equivalent of long-off (which is similarly deep on the off side); together, long-on and long-off form the 'deep' straight positions that cover the straight drive, the lofted drive, and the attempted six over the bowler's head; and long-on specifically covers the drives that go left of straight from the bowler's perspective (toward the leg side) while long-off covers drives that go right of straight (toward the off side). In T20 cricket, both long-on and long-off are mandatory boundary positions in the non-powerplay overs — they are the most frequently hit-to positions in T20 cricket's straight hitting-zone.
Long-On's Catching Responsibilities
Long-on fielders take the most common type of long-hop catch in T20 and ODI cricket: the mis-hit lofted drive that goes high but not far enough to carry the boundary; the top-edged pull shot that goes backward of square but lands in the long-on zone; and the ball that the batsman tries to hit over the bowler's head but mis-times, sending it high and straight toward long-on. Long-on catches require specific technique: the fielder must track the ball from the bat (reading off the bat face early to determine whether it's going to clear the boundary or not — commits early to run back vs stay for the catch); misjudging whether a ball will carry the boundary or drop short produces misfields (the fielder turns and runs back for a six that actually drops in front of them); and high straight catches at long-on are among the most difficult because the ball is hit directly toward the fielder (no lateral movement to read direction — only depth judgment).
When Captains Remove Long-On from the Field
Long-on is removed from the field (the fielder moved to another position) in specific situations: when the bowling team needs close-in catchers and accepts boundary risk (early Test overs with the slip cordon maximum — long-on is removed to post third and fourth slips); when the batsman is not hitting straight (a batsman who exclusively hits through cover or square leg positions doesn't threaten the long-on zone — the fielder is better positioned elsewhere); and in the powerplay overs of T20 cricket (when only 2 fielders can be outside the 30-yard circle — removing long-on leaves only long-off or square-leg as the two permitted boundary fielders). Captains constantly evaluate whether long-on is the best use of one of their boundary fielder slots compared to other positions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between long-on and mid-on?
Long-on and mid-on are both positioned on the leg side straight from the wickets but at very different depths: mid-on is positioned 20-35 metres from the stumps (inside the 30-yard circle or just outside) — it saves singles driven straight to the on side and occasionally takes low catches from defensive shots that pop up; long-on is positioned 60-70 metres from the stumps (on or near the boundary) — it saves boundaries from powerful straight drives and lofted shots. The two positions are not interchangeable: mid-on cannot save boundaries (too close to the pitch — a powerfully hit straight drive passes through mid-on's zone and reaches the boundary); long-on cannot save singles (too far from the pitch — a gentle push to straight on drops in front of long-on as a completed single). Teams typically use both simultaneously — mid-on for singles and long-on for boundaries — unless fielding restrictions limit boundary fielder numbers.
Can long-on field balls aimed at long-off?
Long-on and long-off must coordinate on balls hit directly between them: a ball hit straight (exactly at the bowler's end from the batsman's perspective) can go either side of the umpire — the long-on fielder sprints to their left and the long-off fielder sprints to their right when the ball is going straight; the fielder whose movement path gets them there first takes the ball; and the adjacent fielder backs up the catch or stop (positioning behind the primary fielder in case they miss the ball). The coordination between long-on and long-off on balls hit straight is specifically practiced in fielding drills — the two fielders develop a communication system (verbal call, hand signal) that establishes who is taking the ball and who is backing up before they commit to their running paths.
Is long-on a good position for fielding a weak-armed player?
No — long-on requires one of the team's stronger throwing arms, not weaker ones: the throw from long-on to the keeper's end is approximately 65-75 metres — one of cricket's longest throws; a weak-armed fielder placed at long-on will take multiple bounces to return the ball or will aim for the bowler's end (shorter throw of 55-65 metres) rather than the keeper's end; and the delay from a weak long-on throw allows batsmen to run 2 when the ball should only have produced 1 run. Captains specifically place their strongest-armed boundary fielders at long-on and long-off — the two positions that require the most frequent long-distance throwing. Weak-armed players are better suited to positions like mid-wicket or square leg where shorter throws are the norm.