Positions and Tactics

Fine Legs and Cow Corners – Fielding Tactics

If you don’t know your silly point from your short leg then read on – our guide to the main fielding positions you need to know:

Learn the names of fielding positions and get used to using them

There are lots of different fielding positions and some of them have fairly unusual names. Use our simplified diagram above to find the more common ones you will use.

Fielding – top tips

  • In cricket you have nine players in the field (eight if you are playing pairs) – not counting the bowler and wicket keeper.
  • A usual format is to place five fielders on the off side and four on the leg or on side.
  • Remember to change the field positions for left handed batsmen.
  • Don’t have more than two fielders (excluding the wicket keeper) behind the batsman on the legside. *
  • Make sure fielders are evenly spread and that there are not too many gaps.
  • Except for the wicket keeper – don’t allow juniors to field too close to the batsmen in front of the bat (11 metres minimum distance).
  • Remember to walk in with the bowler.
  • Mid-off and mid-on are good places for the captain to field.
  • The captain must remember to place himself as well as everyone else.
  • Use good throwers on the boundary and good fielders closer in.
  • Third man or fine leg can double as a long stop for the wicket keeper.
  • When fielding the ball and the batsmen are running – look for the best end to throw the ball to get the chance of a run out.
  • Don’t throw the ball harder than you need to – it may go for overthrows and give away extra runs.
  • When the ball is thrown into the stumps – remember to back up the incoming throw.
  • Learn as many fielding positions by name as you can and get used to using them.
  • You should only field in specialist positions (like slip) with permission from the coach and you must wear appropriate safety equipment as directed.
  • Think about positions between overs (for example a boundary fielder can swap between long on and third man without moving between overs or point can swap with square leg). This cuts down the time between overs to set the field and saves your fielders from running the entire length of the cricket field.
  • Always communicate with your team mates in the field – give lots of encouragement to keep everyone alert.
  • Involve your bowlers in field placement and make sure they learn to bowl to a field setting.  Avoid bowling wide on leg stump.

* This rule bans the placement of more than two fielders in the quadrant of the field behind square leg. It is designed to reduce the effectiveness of short pitched fast bowling on leg stump as it allows for fewer catching positions on the leg side.