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How many fielders are allowed on offside in cricket?

Sports Asked on July 11, 2021

I’m aware that there are few fielding restriction on leg side, for example that there should not be more than 5 fielders on leg side. But is there similar restriction to offside as well? Can I place all my 9 fielders in off side? I have checked the The fielder Law | MCC – Lord’s Cricket Ground but there was nothing mentioned about off side fielding restrictions.

One Answer

The only restriction in the Laws of Cricket is that in Law 28.4:

At the instant of the bowler’s delivery there shall not be more than two fielders, other than the wicket-keeper, behind the popping crease on the on side.

This means you could have 9 fielders on the on side if you wish, so long as 7 of them are in front of the popping crease, or if you wish, all 9 fielders on the off side, either in front of or behind the popping crease.

Individual formats and tournaments may introduce further restrictions; for example, the restriction to having no more than 5 fielders on the on side is part of the Playing Conditions for both One Day Internationals and T20 Internationals:

28.4.1 At the instant of delivery, there may not be more than 5 fielders on the leg side.

but that is not part of the Laws of Cricket. I don't believe that any ICC tournaments have a restriction on the number of off side fielders, but you would need to refer to the Playing Conditions for the specific tournament you are interested in if you want a definitive answer.

Correct answer by Philip Kendall on July 11, 2021

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