Individuals who are new to cricket may find the terms ‘leg side‘ and ‘off side‘ puzzling. However, if you are interested in cricket, you should be aware of these terms. These are some of the most important features of a cricket field.
You will hear both terms stated during a cricket match if you watch it several times. Furthermore, if you are a cricket player, you will hear the terms off-side and leg-side during your practice sessions.
To understand the fundamental notions of these two phrases, you must first understand what they are.
Off Side and Leg Side in Cricket
When we look at a cricket ground, we see that it has two sides: the off side and the leg side. To score more runs, a cricket player or batter can strike the ball delivered to both ends.
On the off side, the batsman will be able to play strokes such as off drive, cover drive, and cut shots. On the other hand, a batter can play shots like these from the leg side: Pull, Hook, Leg glance, etc.
Also Read | All Types of Cricket Shots – The Ultimate Guide!
In cricket, on and off side refer to either half of the wicket. The positions of the batters are what determines them.
The leg side for a right-hander is the entire cricket field to their left when they stare at the bowler. Everything on their right is the off side.
For left-handers, the situation is inverted. The leg side of a left-handed batter is on the right, while the off side is on the left.
If you’re watching the cricket from the stands, the off side and leg side aren’t set in stone. They are not fixed positions; they change with the batter’s position.
Importance of Off and On Sides in Cricket
People who are interested in cricket may find these stages useful in studying other aspects of the game, such as different types of fielding situations and batting shots.
Some essential terms include:
- Long off and long on
- Mid off
- Leg gully
Understanding where these two features of a field are allows people to examine the location, and based on that information, the players may identify the general positioning of the fielders.
Some Laws Concerning Fielding Positions
There are various laws and regulations that govern where fielders can stand during a cricket match. A couple of these restrictions are notably related to the number of players or fielders that each captain is permitted to position on the batter’s side.
When it comes to the leg side, it is not permitted to place more than two fielders at the back of the square; this law is maintained in all forms of cricket. If a ball is played and that law is violated, the umpire must call it a “no ball.”
Also Read | 25+ Weird and Unknown Cricket Rules – Complete List
Final Thoughts
When you first start watching or playing cricket, these terms may be confusing, but once you learn that they are all relative to whoever is batting, they should make more sense.
Fielding positions, shot selection, and commentary all make extensive use of the phrases, so you should make an early effort to thoroughly learn what they represent.
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