All 30 Cricket Fielding Positions: A Complete Visual Guide
Cricket has over 30 named fielding positions divided between the off side and leg side. This guide explains every fielding position — slip, gully, cover, mid-off, fine leg, square leg — with their locations, tactical purposes, and when captains use each one.
Cricket is unique among bat-and-ball sports in having an enormous number of named fielding positions — over 30 in regular use, plus variants and combinations. Understanding these positions helps fans follow tactical commentary ('he's brought in an extra slip', 'two men out for the slog sweep'), appreciate captaincy, and understand why certain batsmen are dismissed in specific ways.
Off Side Positions
On the off side (to the right of a right-handed batsman): First slip, second slip, third slip, gully, point, cover point, extra cover, mid-off, mid-on (deep). Slips catch edges from fast bowling and away swing. Gully catches thicker edges and cut shots. Point stops the cut shot. Cover and extra cover stop drives. Mid-off and mid-on protect the straight area against drives and blocks.
Leg Side Positions
On the leg side: fine leg, square leg, mid-wicket, mid-on, long-on (deep), cow corner (deep mid-wicket). Fine leg stops the glance and fine-leg edges. Square leg catches pulls and hooks or takes sharp catches off bat-pad. Mid-wicket stops the flick and pull. Cow corner is the deep leg-side boundary position used in T20 cricket to stop slog shots.
Specialist Positions
Some positions exist only for specific tactical situations: silly mid-on and silly mid-off (close-catching positions for spin bowling), leg slip (behind the batsman on the leg side for edges going fine), silly point (extremely close on the off side for short-pitched spin). These positions carry the risk of being struck by the ball and are only occupied in specialist situations.
T20 and ODI Field Restrictions
In limited-overs cricket, fielding restrictions determine how many fielders can stand in certain positions. In the powerplay, only 2 fielders can stand outside the 30-yard circle — so the captain must choose which 2 boundary positions to protect. During the middle and death overs, up to 5 can be placed on the boundary. This forces tactical creativity in field placement that Test cricket doesn't require.
Frequently asked questions
How many fielding positions are there in cricket?
Over 30 named fielding positions, plus deep/short variants of many. The exact number is disputed as new terms evolve, but positions like deep midwicket, cow corner, silly mid-on, and leg gully are all in regular use.
What is cow corner in cricket?
The deep mid-wicket boundary area, typically to the left of a right-handed batsman's slog. Named after the grass in the rough outfield of rural grounds. In T20 cricket, a fielder is often posted here to stop slog shots over mid-wicket.
What is the difference between cover and extra cover?
Both are in the off-side covers region. Extra cover is slightly straighter (closer to mid-off) while cover point is squarer. A captain moving a fielder from cover to extra cover is protecting the straight drive more and the square cut less.