Leg Side Fielding Positions: The Complete Guide to Cricket's On-Side Field
Every leg-side fielding position in cricket named and located — from fine leg to deep midwicket — how the names derive from their relative positions to the batsman, why fielding captains use specific leg-side positions, and the tactical combination of leg-side and off-side fields.
How Fielding Positions Are Named
Cricket's fielding position names follow a consistent naming logic based on direction relative to the batsman and distance from the wicket. The leg side is the side of the field behind the right-handed batsman's legs (to the left of a right-hander facing the bowler). Off side is the opposite — the side the bat face points toward during a normal defensive shot. Near the wicket (within 15 metres) = no prefix. Mid-range (15-30 metres) = 'mid-' prefix. Deep (30+ metres, near the boundary) = 'deep' or 'long' prefix. Square = at 90 degrees to the wicket. Fine = behind the batsman, close to the line extending from the stumps to the boundary.
The direction system creates position names: fine leg (behind the batsman, toward leg), square leg (at 90 degrees to the wicket on the leg side), midwicket (between square leg and the bowler's end, on the leg side), mid-on (on the leg side close to the bowler's run-up corridor), long-on (deep mid-on), deep midwicket (deep midwicket on the boundary), deep square leg (boundary at 90 degrees on the leg side), and deep fine leg (boundary behind the batsman on the leg side).
Key Leg-Side Positions
Fine leg: positioned on the boundary (or near it) at approximately 170-175 degrees from straight — almost directly behind the wicketkeeper. Fine leg catches mis-hit pulls, hook shots that go too fine, and thick outside edges that go down leg. A fine leg very close to the boundary (deep fine leg) is standard for limited-overs death overs. A fine leg positioned much closer to the bat (leg slip) sits inside the fielding ring, very close to the bat, catching deflections off the leg side from pace bowling.
Square leg: at 90 degrees, on the leg side. This fielder catches pull shots that go straight, catches cut shots played to the leg side by mistake, and backs up throws from the outfield on the leg side. The umpire stands at square leg when a right-arm over-the-wicket bowler is bowling (to have the clearest sightline for run-outs and boundary calls). The 'square leg umpire' is a common phrase in cricket — this umpire calls all wide deliveries on the leg side and run-outs at the striker's end.
Midwicket: between square leg and mid-on, covering the most common leg-side scoring zone for straight drives and leg-side flicks. Midwicket is the most common fielder when a right-arm bowler is bowling to a right-handed batsman over the wicket — it covers the primary gap between square leg and mid-on that an inswing delivery would target. Deep midwicket (on the boundary) is a standard death-overs position because the ramp and flick over midwicket are common T20 shots.
Tactical Use of Leg-Side Fields
Leg-side packed fields — where 5 or more fielders are on the leg side — were famously used by Douglas Jardine's England team during the 1932-33 Bodyline series. The Laws now explicitly limit the number of fielders on the leg side: a maximum of 2 fielders may be positioned behind square on the leg side (i.e., in the fine leg region). This prevents the 'leg trap' of 5 fielders behind square on the leg side that made Bodyline bowling so effective.
Specific Leg-Side Positions for Spin Bowling
Off-spin bowlers (bowling from right-arm over the wicket to right-handed batsmen) use forward short leg — a very close fielder on the leg side, positioned approximately 2-4 metres from the bat, often wearing a helmet. This position catches bat-pad chances — balls that hit the pad and deflect off the bat (or vice versa) as the batsman plays forward. Leg glance fielding: a fine leg positioned closer to the bat (sometimes called 'leg gully') catches the ball deflecting fine off the bat face when the batsman attempts a glance and gets a thick edge toward leg.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between long-on and deep midwicket?
Long-on is on the boundary approximately 5-20 degrees left of straight (behind the bowler's arm, on the leg side). Deep midwicket is on the boundary at approximately 60-75 degrees from straight on the leg side. They are separate positions — long-on is closer to straight down the pitch, deep midwicket is closer to square. A ball hit down the ground on the leg side goes to long-on; a ball flicked through midwicket goes to deep midwicket.
What does 'cow corner' mean?
Cow corner is informal slang for the deep square boundary on the leg side — approximately 120-135 degrees from straight on the leg side, in the gap between deep midwicket and deep square leg. The name originates from amateur village cricket where the boundary in that area was often near a cattle enclosure. Modern T20 batting has made cow corner one of the most targeted zones — the slog sweep, the reverse sweep, and the helicopter shot all target this region, and many grounds now place a specific fielder there.
Why do some fielders stand at slip even for leg-side fields?
Even with a leg-side dominant field, the fielding captain typically maintains one or two slips or a gully because pace bowlers always have a chance of generating an outside edge — and slip catches are the highest-value catching position in Test cricket. Removing all off-side catchers for a leg-side field is rarely done because it eliminates the possibility of capitalising on an edge, which is statistically the most common mode of dismissal. Slip is usually the last position removed when packing the leg side.