1 C1 neutral
(Cricket) A fielding position near the boundary behind the bowler on the off side of the pitch.
"The captain placed his best fielder at long off to cut off the big hits down that side."
long off
C1 neutral
A fielding position in cricket located near the boundary on the off side, behind and to the left of the bowler from the batsman's perspective.
In plain English
A spot on a cricket field near the boundary where a fielder stands to catch or stop balls hit in that direction.
What does "long off" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
A position that is long (far from the batsman) and off (on the off side of the pitch).
Actually means
A spot on a cricket field near the boundary where a fielder stands to catch or stop balls hit in that direction.
Usage tip
Exclusively a cricket term. Used in British English and cricket-playing nations (India, Australia, Pakistan, West Indies, etc.). Not a phrasal verb in the traditional sense — it functions as a noun phrase naming a fielding position. Learners interested in cricket should learn it as vocabulary, not grammar.
Words that pair with "long off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
fielder boundary catch stand at position cricket
How to conjugate "long off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
long off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
longs off
he/she/it
Past simple
longed off
yesterday
Past participle
longed off
have + pp
-ing form
longing off
continuous
Hear "long off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "long off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.