Cricket Fielding Positions — Every Position Explained with Roles
A detailed guide to all cricket fielding positions: slips, gully, covers, mid-on, mid-off, fine leg, square leg, point and more — where they stand and what each position is designed to catch or stop.
The Fielding Zone Basics
Cricket divides the field into two halves relative to the batter: the off side (to the batter's right for a right-hander, where they play most attacking shots) and the leg side (to their left). Fielding positions can be placed anywhere on either side. There are no fixed zones — every field is the captain's decision based on the batter's tendencies, the bowling type, and match situation. Positions closer to the bat are described as 'short' or 'silly'; positions far from the bat are 'deep' or 'long'.
The Slip Cordon
Slips are positioned slightly behind the level of the batter on the off side, angled to catch edges. First slip stands roughly where a regulation edge flies without diving; second slip is slightly wider; third slip (and sometimes fourth) is wider still. Gully stands at a wider angle than the slips, catching thicker edges that fly squarer. A slip cordon is the primary attack formation in Test cricket — three or four slips plus gully are common with a new ball.
Cover and Point
Cover point is positioned on the off side, between extra cover and point, roughly 30–40 metres from the batter. It is one of the busiest fielding positions, stopping cuts and drives. Extra cover is slightly squarer (closer to 45°), and point is squarer still (roughly 90° off the bat). Short cover or silly point positions a fielder very close to the batter to apply pressure and catch mishits off the turning ball — a high-risk position only used by teams with specialist close-catchers.
Mid-On and Mid-Off
Mid-off stands on the off side, roughly 15–20 metres from the bowler, blocking straight drives played to the left of the bowler from the batter's perspective. Mid-on mirrors this on the leg side, covering straight drives pulled to the right. Both can be pushed to 'long-off' and 'long-on' (near the boundary) when a batter is hitting straight powerfully, or positioned close-in for catching.
Leg Side Positions
Square leg stands at 90° on the leg side, level with the crease. Fine leg is positioned behind square on the leg side, near the boundary, to catch or stop glances, flicks, and mis-hits off the pad. Mid-wicket is the in-field leg-side position covering leg-side drives and pulls that don't go square. Deep mid-wicket (at the boundary) and deep square leg protect the boundary in T20 cricket. Backward square leg and leg-slip are rarer positions used specifically against certain bowling angles.
Third Man and Fine Leg
Third man is a deep off-side position behind square, covering edges and late cuts that go down toward the boundary behind point and the wicketkeeper. Fine leg mirrors this on the leg side. In T20 cricket, third man and fine leg are almost always occupied on the boundary during non-powerplay overs because the angles they cover are frequently targeted by batters playing behind square.
Frequently asked questions
How many fielders are allowed in the circle during non-powerplay overs?
In T20Is, from overs 7–20, up to 5 fielders can be outside the 30-yard circle. In ODI overs 11–40, up to 4 fielders can be outside; in overs 41–50 (death), up to 5. During T20/ODI powerplays, a maximum of 2 fielders are permitted outside the circle.
What is the silly mid-on/off position for?
Silly mid-on and silly mid-off place fielders extremely close to the batter (3–5 metres) on the leg and off sides respectively. They are used to catch defensive prods off turning or seaming deliveries when the captain believes the batter will play a prod shot rather than attack. These positions require exceptional courage and reflexes, and are almost exclusively used in Test cricket.
Can all 11 players field anywhere on the ground?
Yes — within the ICC fielding restriction rules for the specific format (number of fielders inside/outside the circle per phase), any player can be placed anywhere on the field. There are no mandatory positions except the wicketkeeper (who must be behind the stumps).