Editing Off side (section)

{{Short description|In cricket, part of the field of play}}
{{about|the term in cricket|the term in other sports|Offside (sport)||Offside (disambiguation)}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2021}}

The '''off side''' is a particular half of a [[cricket field]].

{{Multiple image
| align = right
| direction = horizontal
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| image1 = Charles Lucas Townsend, playing forward.jpg
| caption1 = A left-handed batsman. The off side is on the right side of this picture.
| image2 = Archie MacLaren.jpg
| caption2 = A right-handed batsman. The off side is on the left side of this picture.
}}
A cricket field may be notionally divided into two halves, by an imaginary line running down the middle of the [[cricket pitch|pitch]], through the middle [[Stump (cricket)|stumps]], and out to the [[Boundary (cricket)|boundary]] in both directions. The off side is the half of the field ''in front of'' the on-strike batsman, when the batsman is in normal batting [[Batting (cricket)#Stance|stance]]. Which half of the field is the off side therefore depends on whether the on-strike batsman is right-handed or left-handed. The other half of the field, behind the on-strike batsman, is called the [[leg side]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/sports/cricket-sport/Strategy-and-technique#ref703731 |title=Strategy and technique |work=Britannica |access-date=25 October 2024 |quote=The field is spoken of as being divided lengthwise into off and on, or leg, sides in relation to the batsmen's stance, depending upon whether he bats right- or left-handed; the off side is the side facing the batsman, and the on, or leg, side is the side behind him as he stands to receive the ball.}}</ref>

From the point of view of a right-handed [[batting (cricket)|batsman]] facing the [[bowling (cricket)|bowler]], it is the right-hand side of the field.<ref name=glossary>{{cite web |last = Williamson |first = Martin |url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/239756.html |title = A glossary of cricket terms |publisher = ESPNCricinfo |access-date = 2 January 2020 |date=17 April 2007 |quote='''Off-side''' The side of the pitch which is to batsman's right (if right-handed), or left (if left-handed)}}</ref> The off side consists of the entire half of the field stretching from behind the batsman-end [[wicket]], around third man, square of the wicket on the off side, the covers, and mid/long off, up to the opposite bowler-end wicket and, behind it, the straight field. To the opposing bowler facing a right-hand batsman, it is the left side of the field. The left-handed batsman's off side is to their left and to the opposing bowler's right.