back foot

British  

noun

1. at a disadvantage; outmanoeuvred or outclassed by an opponent

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Example Sentences

On the back foot, Djokovic then saved six break points in an 11-minute opening service game in set four to stay alive and kept fighting hard.

From Barron's

"The railway here has always been on the back foot," he added.

From BBC

And this means Williams, who did not even attend the test because their car was not ready, are significantly on the back foot going to the final two tests in Bahrain because they will be effectively two weeks behind everyone else.

From BBC

Bitcoin remains stubbornly on the back foot, as surging precious metals prices continue to steal the limelight from cryptocurrencies.

From Barron's

"Joe seems to find a lot of ways, whether it be with these reverse or deflections or playing off the back foot really well against spin, to score pretty quickly."

From BBC