Back Foot Defence in Cricket — When to Play It & How It Differs from Forward
The back foot defensive is a controlled stroke played against short-pitched or rising deliveries. Learn when to go back rather than forward, how the technique differs from a forward defensive, and why back-foot play is essential on bouncy pitches.
The back foot defence is a batting stroke played by stepping back and across toward the stumps to deal with deliveries that are shorter than a good length — typically pitching 4 metres or less from the stumps, likely to arrive at chest or waist height after bouncing. By moving back, the batsman uses the available crease space to gain more time to read the ball, absorbing the delivery with a controlled bat presentation rather than being cramped trying to play it off the front foot.
The movement pattern
When a delivery pitches short, the batsman's trigger movement is to step back with the back foot toward the stumps (creating space) and simultaneously move slightly across toward off stump to get into line. The bat comes down in a straight or slightly angled path, meeting the ball at a height between knee and chest. The elbows are kept high to allow the bat face to present full and straight, and the soft-hands principle applies: reducing grip tension at contact keeps the ball from flying to a catcher.
When back foot defence is preferable
The choice between forward and back foot is primarily determined by where the ball pitches. Full deliveries demand a forward response — going back to a yorker or full-pitched ball typically means being bowled or trapped LBW. Short-of-a-length deliveries demand a back foot response — going forward to a ball at chest height means being hit in the body or edging to slip from an awkward position. Experienced batsmen develop an automatic trigger that reads length within the first step of a delivery and commits to forward or back accordingly.
Back foot play on bouncy pitches
On fast, bouncy pitches — Perth (WACA), Centurion, Bridgetown — the ball skids through at chest and shoulder height even from a good length. Batsmen who cannot play back foot convincingly are exposed on these surfaces. The ability to move back, get into line, and present a straight bat at ball height is a primary technical requirement for a Test batsman facing 150 km/h bowling. Even a single failure to commit fully — pushing forward when the ball rears — can produce a caught behind or a blow to the body.
Frequently asked questions
Should a batsman ever go back to a full delivery?
Very rarely, and usually only to a yorker that is going very wide outside off stump — in that case going back creates room to cut. Conventionally, going back to a full delivery is considered a technical error because it leaves the batsman cramped and with less bat swing room. Most coaches teach that when in doubt, go forward.
What is the difference between a back defensive and a pull shot?
Both are played off the back foot against short-pitched deliveries, but the intentions are different. A back defensive keeps the ball on the ground with a controlled, soft-hands stroke. A pull shot is an attacking stroke where the batsman swings their arms through the ball horizontally, targeting the mid-wicket boundary. The decision between the two is dictated by where the ball pitches (very short for pull, good-length short for defence) and the match situation.
Do T20 batsmen play back foot defensives?
Less often, but yes. A T20 batsman facing a 145 km/h delivery on a bouncy pitch that rears sharply has no attacking option except a hook shot that risks a top edge. The back defensive is the safe alternative. Elite T20 batsmen still have reliable back foot technique; they simply use it as a platform from which to attack the next ball rather than as an end in itself.