Several cricket fielding positions exist, and learning everything in one go can be a total challenge. Grasping positions like “deep midwicket” and “silly point” resembles learning a new language to newcomers and outsiders. However, every cricket enthusiast must understand where each fielder stands and how each position translates to an engaging sporting experience in each game.
Look through this guide for a detailed, logical grouping of cricket fielding positions you should know as a beginner. You can take advantage of this information as an outright beginner, amateur coach, or avid supporter of the sport.
Why Do Cricket Fielding Positions Matter?
A fielder doesn’t stand at random areas on the pitch but works closely with bowlers and captains to create useful positioning patterns. These patterns can be an immense advantage to fielding teams when their opponents make mistakes or aim to benefit from run-scoring opportunities.
Correct fielding will help:
- Maximise chances for taking scalps as close catchers can bag hits on edge scrapes or deflections.
- Ease boundary hits as outfielders patrol ropes to stop fours or sixes from coming through.
- Control singles and doubles as infielders cut sharp shots while supporting chances for run-outs.
Types of Fielding Positions
| Category | Position | Description |
| Close‑In Catchers | Silly Point | A few paces from the batter on the off side and angled to catch paddle‑scoops and late cuts. |
| Short Leg (Bat Pad) | Close on the leg side and aiming for parries off pads and inside edges. | |
| Silly Mid‑Off / Silly Mid‑On | Positioned straight but extremely close to seize any miscued drives. | |
| Infielders (Within 30‑Yard) | Point | Squared up on the off side to intercept cut shots. |
| Cover & Extra Cover | Patrol the arc between point and mid‑off for cutting off drives and angled shots. | |
| Mid‑Off | Slightly wider than cover for stopping straighter drives. | |
| Mid‑On | Mirror of mid‑off on the leg side for handling on‑drives. | |
| Square Leg | Perpendicular to the batter for catching leg‑glances and top‑edges. | |
| Short Fine Leg | Deep in the circle on the leg side for guarding quick nudges and glances. | |
| Outfielders (Boundary Riders) | Long Off / Long On | Straight down the ground on off and leg sides respectively to prevent lofted drives. |
| Deep Cover / Sweeper Cover | Patrols the off‑side boundary for cutting off high drives over cover. | |
| Deep Square Leg / Deep Midwicket / Cow Corner | Leg‑side boundary positions for power hitters targeting mid‑wicket arcs. | |
| Third Man / Deep Third Man | Fine angle behind the wicket on the off side for plugging edges that fly over slips. | |
| Behind the Wicket | Wicketkeeper | The only fielder with gloves for collecting balls the batter misses and executing stumpings. |
| First / Second / Third Slip | Stationed beside the keeper on the off side to catch edges from fast bowlers. | |
| Gully | Wider than slips for intercepting flatter edges and soft nicks. | |
| Leg Slip / Fly Slip | Mirrored on the leg side or positioned deeper, catching backward‑flying edges. | |
| Specialty Positions | Long Stop | Directly behind the keeper and more common in amateur cricket when keeping standards are not rigid. |
| Short Third Man | A close‑in version of third man for seizing tiny edges from late‑cut specialists. | |
| Leg 45 (Deep Mid‑Wicket Shade) | Midway between square leg and fine leg to cut off glance shots. | |
| Ravine | Between gully and point as a rare spot to trap wide edges. | |
| Straight Hit | Deep but in line with the bat’s face for tackling straight lofts. |
What to Know About Fielding Restrictions
Some common fielding restrictions exist to retain the competitive nature of cricket. Some of these restrictions include:
- Number of fielders behind square on leg side at any given point can not exceed five (5) players.
- Only two fielders allowed outside the circle in T20 cricket during Powerplay (Overs 1 to 6).
- First ten overs allow 2 fielders, middle thirty overs allow 4 fielders, and final ten overs allow 5 fielders outside.
- Fielders must be in a stationary position once bowler begins run-up. Early movement from fielders can trigger a dead ball scenario.
- Replacement fielders not being able to keep wickets or bowl unless standing in for an injured keeper.
How Do Captains Craft Fielders?
An experienced captain will read at least four (4) vital elements while setting a field:
Bowler’s skills
Spin bowlers usually get more support from close-in catcher traps while pacers may require slip and gully fielders. How the bowler throws largely influences fielders set to benefit from batting errors.
Batter’s potential intent
Skippers usually guess where a batter’s hitting potential will focus on while picking their fielding lineup. For example, a power-hitting batter on the leg side may require boundary riders on the fielding side to reduce or eliminate chances of securing high individual totals
Pitch condition
Captains will likely pick seam or swing bowlers while playing on a damp pitch. Players on flat decks may also favour outfielders.
Format
T20 skippers usually seek boundary protection while Test captains may invite attacking close-in fielders to extract errors from teams.
