On and off side in cricket
- In cricket, the "on side" (also called the "leg side") and the "off side" refer to two halves of the field, divided by an imaginary line running down the middle of the batting track.
- The off side is the side of the field the batter is facing when they are looking at the bowler, or the side they are looking at when they take their batting stance. If this is hard to visualise, please see the accompanying image for an illustration.
- The on side or leg side is the opposite side, the other half of the field.
- Because they are dependent on where the batter is facing, the on and off side switch depending on whether the batter is right or left handed.
Think of it as dividing the field into "where the batter faces" (off side) and "behind the batter" (on/leg side). These terms help describe where the ball is hit or where fielders are placed.
