Swap back/lay

Reverse swaps the layout — the back and lay columns trade places on screen. The side that gets placed when you tap doesn’t change. Tapping the back column always places a back; tapping the lay column always places a lay. The order in your bet history is always the side of the column you tapped.

What changes is the prices that sit naturally under your thumb, and that’s the whole point of the toggle.

Take-an-offer vs queue-an-order

Whether your tap matches instantly or sits in the queue depends on the price you tap relative to the current spread, not on which mode you’re in:

• Take an offer (taker) — tap a price that already has matching liquidity on the other side. Your bet matches instantly. This is what you want when you just need a bet on at the current market.
• Queue an order (maker) — tap a price further away from market, where there’s no existing counterparty waiting. Your bet sits in the queue at that price until someone arrives to match it (or until you cancel).

Either side can be a take or a queue depending on the price you choose. A back at the current best back price is a take. A back two ticks above best back is a queue. Same for lay.

Why reverse exists

Standard layout matches Betfair: best-take prices are right at your thumb, so a natural tap usually catches existing offers and matches instantly. Good for “I just want a bet on at the current price”.

Reversed layout repositions the columns so the prices nearest your thumb are typically the queue-side prices — the levels you’d want to leave an order at, waiting for the market to come to you. Good for trader workflows: scalping, leaving a back overnight at a better price hoping the market drifts, sizing a position in over time.

The fundamental rule is unchanged: back column places a back; lay column places a lay. Reverse is about which prices fall under your finger.

When to leave it off

If you’re using B&L casually and want bets matched at the current price, leave it off. Betfair’s default layout is the right one for “match me now” workflows.

When to flip it on

• Pre-off scalping (entering and exiting at specific prices)
• Leaving an order at a price the market hasn’t reached yet
• In-play trading where you want to be passive — letting the market trade to your price rather than chasing it

Where to find the toggle

Two places, both control the same orientation:

1. The market page toolbar, just above the runner cards
2. Inside the trading ladder, top-right of the ladder header

When reversed, the toolbar pill swaps the side names visually so you can see at a glance which mode you’re in.