ARMAGH CRICKET CLUB ACADEMY - The Complete Guide To Fielding Positions
From Slip to Fine Leg: Understanding the Geography of Cricket
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Armagh CC Digital Academy: The Complete Guide to Fielding Positions
From Slip to Fine Leg: Understanding the Geography of Cricket
Every cricketer remembers a time when fielding positions sounded like a completely foreign language. Slip, Gully, Point, Mid-Off, Cow Corner, Fine Leg… To experienced senior squad members, these names are second nature, but to newcomers, youth players, and parents, they can seem confusing, unusual, and sometimes even amusing.
The good news is that understanding fielding positions is much easier than it first appears. Every position out in the middle has a distinct purpose, requires different athletic skills, and directly contributes to the success of the bowling plan.
Whether you are a junior player learning the ropes, a parent supporting from the boundary, or a senior player sharpening your tactical awareness, this guide will help you understand exactly where players stand, what they do, and why these positions matter on match days on The Mall.
QUICK NAVIGATION INDEX
Click on a zone below to jump straight to your tactical field position:
Module 1: The Code of Field Geography
(Essential Foundation – All Ages & Skill Levels)Module 2: Behind the Wicket Cordon
(Advanced & Elite Tracks – The Catching Specialists)Module 3: Close Catching & Bat-Pad Positions
(Advanced & Elite Tracks – The Bravehearts)Module 4: The Off-Side Infield Ring
(All Skill Levels Track – The Infield Walls)Module 5: The Leg-Side Infield Ring
(All Skill Levels Track – The Interceptors)Module 6: Deep Off-Side Outfield Positions
(Intermediate & Advanced Track – The Boundary Patrol)Module 7: Deep Leg-Side Outfield Positions
(Intermediate & Advanced Track – The Shields)Module 8: Match-Day FAQs & Personality Profiling
(Fun & Educational Reference)
MODULE 1: THE CODE OF FIELD GEOGRAPHY
Focus: Deconstructing how positions are named based on distance, angles, and lines.
Target Track: Essential Foundation – All Ages & Skill Levels
The names of cricket fielding positions can be confusing at first, but once you understand the basic linguistic formula, it all makes perfect sense. Every position name corresponds to a specific area on the field in relation to the batter’s stance.
1. The Core Areas
The field is split down the line of the wickets into two distinct halves based on how the batter stands at guard:
The Off Side: The half of the field in front of the batter’s bat face when taking guard (the right-hand side of the ground for a right-handed batter). Core base names include Point and Cover.
The Leg Side (On Side): The half of the field behind the batter’s back when taking guard (the left-hand side of the ground for a right-handed batter). Core base names include Mid-Wicket and Square Leg.
2. The Distance Adjectives
The base position name is usually preceded by an adjective that describes the exact distance from the batter:
Silly: Located dangerously close to the batter (typically within 2 to 3 metres).
Short: Stationed quite close to the batter on the inner ring.
Mid: Stationed midway between the boundary rope and the batter.
Long / Deep: Stationed out on the boundary edge.
3. The Angle Modifiers
Their precise angular placement is further defined by directional terms:
Square: Positioned in a direct horizontal line with the batter’s popping crease.
Backward: Positioned behind the square line, towards the wicketkeeper’s end.
Forward: Positioned in front of the square line, towards the bowler’s end.
Wide: Stationed far away from an imaginary straight line bisecting the stumps.
Fine: Stationed close to an imaginary straight line bisecting the stumps behind the batter.
MODULE 2: BEHIND THE WICKET CORDON
Focus: The primary catching arc for fast bowling attacks.
Target Track: Advanced & Elite Specialism – Senior Catching Track
🧤 THE CATCHING ARC
🏏 [Off-Side Extreme] ➔ 5th Slip (O)
🏏 [Deep Off-Side] ➔ 4th Slip (O)
🏏 [Standard Off-Side] ➔ 3rd Slip (O)
🏏 [Close Off-Side] ➔ 2nd Slip (O)
🏏 [Orthodox First] ➔ 1st Slip (O)
🧤 [THE ANCHOR] ➔ WICKETKEEPER (🧤)
🏏 [Leg-Side Blind] ➔ Leg Slip (O)
Positioning Tip: The arc curves gently backward from the wicketkeeper. First slip stands slightly behind the keeper’s shoulder line, with each subsequent slip pacing outward and slightly deeper to cover the wider deflection angles.
🏏 Wicketkeeper
Where Is It? Directly behind the stumps at the batter’s end.
What Does It Do? Collects deliveries, takes catches, completes stumpings, and supports bowlers.
Skills Required: ✓ Concentration, ✓ Agility, ✓ Safe hands, ✓ Intense communication.
Academy Character: The Guardian – The only player with a perfect view of every single ball.
🏏 First Slip
Where Is It? Directly beside the wicketkeeper on the off side.
What Does It Do? Catches thin deflections and edges off fast bowlers before they reach the boundary.
Skills Required: ✓ Lightning reflexes, ✓ Intense concentration, ✓ Elite soft-hands catching.
Academy Character: The Hunter – Patient, alert, and always ready to strike.
🏏 Second Slip
Where Is It? Stationed directly beside First Slip.
What Does It Do? Catches thicker edges travelling wider than the First Slip’s reach.
Skills Required: ✓ Safe hands, ✓ Proactive anticipation, ✓ Cordon teamwork.
Academy Character: The Partner – Working in absolute unison with the slip cordon.
🏏 Third, Fourth, & Fifth Slips
Where Is It? Staggered outward from Second Slip to expand the off-side catching net.
What Does It Do? Covers wide, flashing edges from aggressive batting drives.
Skills Required: ✓ Disciplined focus, ✓ Reliable catching, ✓ Total spatial awareness.
Academy Characters: The Watchful One & The Specialist – Not always busy, but vital when the plan works.
🏏 Leg Slip
Where Is It? Positioned close in behind the batter on the leg side.
What Does It Do? Catches delicate glances, sweeps, and leg-side deflections off spin or targeted bowling.
Skills Required: ✓ Blinding reflexes, ✓ High game awareness, ✓ Low-trapping catching.
Academy Character: The Specialist – Deployed for a highly specific, tactical bowling trap.
MODULE 3: CLOSE CATCHING & BAT-PAD POSITIONS
Focus: Operating inside the danger zone to pressure defensive play.
Target Track: Advanced & Elite Specialism – Senior Resilience Track
🏏 Gully & Leg Gully
Where Is It? Located square of the slips between the slip cordon and Point (or Square Leg on the leg side).
What Does It Do? Catches hard-hit, flying edges that squirt off the bat face from forcing shots.
Skills Required: ✓ Sharp reflex tracking, ✓ Athleticism, ✓ Exceptionally strong hands.
Academy Character: The Opportunist & The Ambusher – Things happen at lightning speed here.
🏏 Silly Point
Where Is It? Stationed incredibly close to the batter on the off side, in front of the crease line.
What Does It Do? Creates immediate catches from defensive pad-glove loops against spin bowlers.
Skills Required: ✓ Extreme courage, ✓ Absolute concentration, ✓ Short-range reflexes.
Academy Character: The Fearless One – Requiring full protective gear; not for the faint-hearted.
🏏 Silly Mid-Off & Silly Mid-On
Where Is It? Positioned exceptionally close to the batter on either side of the pitch, straight down the ground.
What Does It Do? Builds immense psychological pressure and intercepts tentative defensive pushes.
Skills Required: ✓ Bravery, ✓ Rapid reactions, ✓ Constant vocal encouragement.
Academy Character: The Challenger & The Intimidator – Constantly sitting in the batter’s eyeline.
🏏 Short Leg & Backward Short Leg
Where Is It? Positioned close in on the leg side, either square or slightly behind the batter’s body.
What Does It Do? Specialised bat-pad catching position to intercept inside edges and gloved deflections off spin.
Skills Required: ✓ Supreme courage, ✓ Fast glove-hand reactions, ✓ Body protection tracking.
Academy Character: The Braveheart & The Shadow – One of cricket’s toughest, most respected positions.
MODULE 4: THE OFF-SIDE INFIELD RING
Focus: Restricting runs, stopping drives, and securing the inner ring.
Target Track: All Skill Levels Track – Infield Agility
🛡️ THE INNER OFF-SIDE WALL
📐 [Straighter Off-Side] ➔ Mid-Off (O) — Positioned straight to cut off driven shots down the ground.
📐 [Straighter Cover Arc] ➔ Extra Cover (O) — Guards the channel between mid-off and standard cover.
📐 [The Orthodox Cover] ➔ Cover (O) — The standard driving target zone; highly active position.
📐 [Wider Cover Arc] ➔ Cover Point (O) — Positioned slightly deeper and wider toward the square line.
📐 [Square Off-Side] ➔ Point (O) — 90 degrees square from the batter to stop cut shots and flashes.
Tactical Rule: This 5-man “wall” forms the backbone of your infield ring on the off-side. Each fielder must stand close enough to their partner to prevent easy quick singles, forcing the batter to loft over the top or switch targets.
🏏 Point & Backward Point
Where Is It? Square on the off side, directly in line with (or slightly behind) the crease.
What Does It Do? Formidably stops square cuts, late cuts, and lightning single-rotation attempts.
Skills Required: ✓ High speed, ✓ Dynamic lateral agility, ✓ Bullet arm throwing accuracy.
Academy Character: The Wall & The Interceptor – Saving definitive runs through raw athleticism.
🏏 Cover & Cover Point
Where Is It? Positioned on the off side, midway between Point and Mid-Off.
What Does It Do? Intercepts hard front-foot drives and cuts off quick, diving singles.
Skills Required: ✓ Elite athleticism, ✓ Core balance, ✓ Rapid pick-up and release speed.
Academy Character: The Artist & The Link – Home to some of the most dynamic ground fielding in the game.
🏏 Extra Cover & Short Cover
Where Is It? Positioned between Cover and Mid-Off (Short Cover moves inside the ring closer to the batter).
What Does It Do? Protects the main drive path and applies immense scoreboard pressure to restrict singles.
Skills Required: ✓ Tracking speed, ✓ Position-blocking, ✓ Clear communication.
Academy Character: The Gatekeeper & The Pressure Builder – Never allowing the batter to settle.
🏏 Mid-Off
Where Is It? Positioned in front of the batter on the off side, relatively straight down the ground.
What Does It Do? Stops straight drives, controls off-side infield templates, and supports bowling plans.
Skills Required: ✓ Natural leadership, ✓ Field organisation, ✓ Highly reliable ground collection.
Academy Character: The Lieutenant – Typically the captain’s most trusted strategic ally on the field.
MODULE 5: THE LEG-SIDE INFIELD RING
Focus: Interception, strike restriction, and mid-wicket defence.
Target Track: All Skill Levels Track – Infield Agility
🏏 Mid-On
Where Is It? In front of the batter on the leg side, mirroring mid-off.
What Does It Do? Protects straight leg-side shots and controls incoming straight drives.
Skills Required: ✓ Leadership, ✓ Communication, ✓ Reliable ground fielding.
Academy Character: The Deputy – Quietly supporting both captain and bowler.
🏏 Mid-Wicket
Where Is It? Positioned at an angle midway between Mid-On and Square Leg.
What Does It Do? Intercepts forcing leg-side drives, short-arm pulls, and chips over the infield ring.
Skills Required: ✓ High speed, ✓ Aerial catch judgement, ✓ Aggressive boundary-tracking.
Academy Character: The Enforcer – Ready to punish lazy or mistimed leg-side clipping.
🏏 Square Leg & Forward Square Leg
Where Is It? Positioned perfectly square with the batter’s crease line on the leg side.
What Does It Do? Catches hard-hit pull shots, monitors sweeping spinners, and patrols quick single lanes.
Skills Required: ✓ Reflex tracking, ✓ Core flexibility, ✓ Flat, fast underarm throwing.
Academy Character: The Sentinel – Watching the leg-side crease line with absolute vigilance.
MODULE 6: DEEP OFF-SIDE OUTFIELD POSITIONS
Focus: Patrolling the boundary, boundary-riding, and elite outfield cut-offs.
Target Track: Intermediate & Advanced Track – Boundary Guarding
🏏 Deep Point
Where Is It? Near the boundary rope directly behind Point on the off side.
What Does It Do? Stops powerful square cut shots from reaching the boundary boards.
Skills Required: ✓ Pure sprint speed, ✓ Boundary catching, ✓ Strong overarm throwing.
Academy Character: The Guardian – Protecting the rope under maximum pressure.
🏏 Deep Cover & Deep Extra Cover
Where Is It? Near the boundary line in front of the square off-side line.
What Does It Do? Stops aggressive attacking drives and protects against high, lofted boundary clearings.
Skills Required: ✓ Outfield athleticism, ✓ High-pressure catch judgement, ✓ Long-range throwing.
Academy Characters: The Patrol Officer & The Protector – Standing firmly between the batter and four runs.
🏏 Sweeper Cover
Where Is It? Deep on the off-side boundary, covering a massive lateral arc between point and extra cover.
What Does It Do? Cuts off widespread boundary drives and prevents easy, turning twos into the outfield.
Skills Required: ✓ Peak physical fitness, ✓ Enormous ground coverage, ✓ Deep throwing strength.
Academy Character: The Patrol Leader – Operating across a vast expanse of open territory.
🏏 Third Man & Long-Off
Where Is It? Third man sits deep behind the slips; Long-off sits directly behind the bowler on the off side boundary.
What Does It Do? Intercepts flashing edges (Third Man) or runs down straight aerial drives (Long-Off) to secure the rope.
Skills Required: ✓ Anticipation, ✓ Safe boundary tracking, ✓ Immediate defensive positioning.
Academy Characters: The Insurance Policy & The Boundary Guard – Ready when batters look to launch aerial attacks.
MODULE 7: DEEP LEG-SIDE OUTFIELD POSITIONS
Focus: Defending cross-bat attacks, protecting short fine areas, and handling high catches.
Target Track: Intermediate & Advanced Track – Boundary Guarding
🏏 Long-On
Where Is It? Directly behind the bowler on the leg-side boundary line.
What Does It Do? Protects against big, straight down-the-ground lofted hits.
Skills Required: ✓ Long-range catching, ✓ Tactical match awareness, ✓ Powerful, accurate throwing arm.
Academy Character: The Sentinel – Standing watch over the bowler’s favourite leg-side safety zone.
🏏 Deep Mid-Wicket & Cow Corner
Where Is It? Deep on the leg-side boundary between Long-On and Deep Square Leg.
What Does It Do? Protects against powerful cross-batted shots, sweeps, slog sweeps, and targeted boundary clearing.
Skills Required: ✓ High athleticism, ✓ Boundless courage, ✓ High-ball catch tracking.
Academy Characters: The Enforcer & The Maverick – Patrolling a dangerous target zone for big hitters.
🏏 Deep Square Leg
Where Is It? Near the boundary edge directly behind the inner Square Leg position.
What Does It Do? Intercepts aggressive short-pitched pull shots and sweeping variations.
Skills Required: ✓ Fast sprint speed, ✓ Boundary line catch control, ✓ Elite return throws.
Academy Character: The Shield – Defending one of the busiest, high-traffic boundary regions in club cricket.
🏏 Fine Leg, Long Leg, & Deep Fine Leg
Where Is It? Staggered along the deep leg-side boundary behind the wicketkeeper’s line.
What Does It Do? Stops fine leg glances, deflections, and top-edged hook shots from flying away.
Skills Required: ✓ High spatial awareness, ✓ Baseline agility, ✓ Immediate long-range tracking.
Academy Characters: The Safety Net, The Rear Guard & The Last Line – The final defensive barriers before the rope.
MODULE 8: MATCH-DAY FAQS & PERSONALITY PROFILING
Use this fun, educational reference guide to discover exactly where your specific mental and athletic strengths belong on the field at Armagh CC.
Which Academy Profile Suits You Best?
The Hunters: If you possess lightning reaction speeds and thrive on securing sharp catches under tension, you belong in the close cordon: First Slip, Second Slip, Gully, or Leg Slip.
The Athletes: If you love diving across the turf, saving quick singles, and sliding to stop boundaries, your home is the inner ring: Point, Cover, or Backward Point.
The Boundary Riders: If you have massive ground-covering endurance and a bullet overarm throw, patrol the perimeter: Long-On, Long-Off, Deep Mid-Wicket, or Deep Square Leg.
The Bravehearts: If you possess unshakeable concentration and are willing to look a batter dead in the eye at close range, anchor the traps: Silly Point, Short Leg, or Silly Mid-Off.
The Organisers: If you love talking, organising field templates, and supporting your bowler’s confidence, take leadership roles: Mid-Off or Mid-On.
Classic Field Geography FAQs
Why is it called ‘Silly’ Point? Because standing so exceptionally close to a batter facing a hard, fast cricket ball was historically considered slightly “silly”—and highly dangerous without modern helmets!
Why is it called ‘Cow Corner’? One popular village cricket theory suggests that mishit, un-textbook slogs often travelled towards the vacant, unkempt area where local livestock grazed on open common grounds.
Why is it called ‘Third Man’? Despite centuries of deep cricket history, nobody is entirely certain of its true semantic origins. It remains one of the game’s great running mysteries.
Is Fine Leg actually polite? Only cricket could make an aggressive, deep leg-side boundary position sound quite so polite. “Fine” simply means positioned incredibly close to an imaginary straight line running down the centre of the pitch behind the stumps.
Final Thoughts
Every individual fielding position tells a unique match-day story. Some demand extreme bravery, some require endless tactical patience, some reward explosive athleticism, and others rely purely on silent, unyielding concentration. Together, they form the magnificent, shifting geography of modern cricket.
Whether you operate as a Hunter in the slips, a Wall at point, a Sentinel on the boundary rope, or a Braveheart at short leg, every single spot plays a vital role in securing victory for the side.
The primary challenge is not trying to decide which position on the field is best; the true challenge is discovering which position brings out the absolute best in you.
Wherever your captain sends you out in the middle, lock in, focus, and make it your position.
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