Long On and Long Off in Cricket Explained
Long on and long off are the two deep fielding positions on the leg and off sides, behind mid-on and mid-off. They protect the straight boundaries and are among the most important positions in limited-overs cricket.
Long on and long off are deep boundary fielding positions on either side of straight: long on sits on the leg side, behind mid-on; long off sits on the off side, behind mid-off. Both positions guard the straight boundaries and are among the most frequently used in limited-overs cricket — every lofted drive, slog, or mishit over the bowler's head goes toward one of them.
Positions on the field
Long off is placed roughly 60–75 metres from the stumps, in the straight off-side region — covering drives hit over mid-off. Long on mirrors it on the leg side, covering shots hit over mid-on. Neither position is strictly at the boundary: the exact depth depends on the batter. Against a big hitter the fielder stands on the rope; against a batter who relies on placement they may come up a few metres to prevent the single.
Why are they so important in T20?
In the death overs, batters aim for the straight boundary because it is the shortest (the pitch runs down the ground) and there is less risk of a top edge going to fine leg or third man. Long on and long off are therefore the two fielders most likely to take catches off lofted drives in overs 15–20. Captains often place their safest catchers here — a dropped catch in the deep off a full toss is one of the most costly fielding errors in T20.
Long on vs mid-on
Mid-on is a close fielding position, roughly 20–25 metres from the batter, inside the circle. Long on is the deep equivalent — 60+ metres, at or near the boundary. When a captain has both mid-on and long on in play, they cover the full straight leg-side corridor: the close fielder saves the single, the deep fielder saves the four.