Square Leg in Cricket — Fielding Position, Role & How Captains Use It
Square leg is a fielding position on the on (leg) side, standing roughly perpendicular to the pitch. Learn where it is, what catches it takes, and the difference between square leg, backward square, and short square leg.
Square leg is a fielding position on the on (leg) side, stationed at roughly 90 degrees to the pitch — directly square of the batter's crease. It is one of the oldest and most commonly named positions in cricket and is placed to catch or stop shots hit squarely off the bat on the leg side.
Variations of square leg
- Square leg — standard position, perpendicular to the pitch at roughly boundary-saving depth.
- Short square leg (bat-pad) — brought in close to the batter, just behind the batting crease, to take bat-pad catches off spin bowlers. One of the most dangerous fielding positions in cricket.
- Backward square leg — a step behind the standard square position, to cut off more angled shots from the pull and cut.
- Deep square leg — positioned on or near the boundary, to stop slog shots hit squarely on the leg side.
Frequently asked questions
Where is square leg in cricket?
Square leg stands on the on (leg) side at roughly 90 degrees from the batter — perpendicular to the pitch. It is at boundary-saving depth to stop shots hit squarely on the leg side.
What is short square leg in cricket?
Short square leg is a close-catching position just behind the batting crease on the leg side, used mainly when a spin bowler is bowling. The fielder is very close to the batter and takes catches off inside edges, bat-pad deflections, and mishits.