Catch off balance, being illegal, by a distance (5-4)
I believe the answer is:
wrong-foot
'catch' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are verbs in their base form.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'off balance being illegal by a distance' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'off' could be 'wrong' (I've seen this in another clue) and 'wrong' is found within the answer.
'distance' could be 'foot' (I have seen 'Imperial distance' mean 'foot' so perhaps 'distance' could also mean 'foot') and 'foot' is present in the answer.
This accounts for all the letters.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for wrong-foot that I've seen before include "Confuse" , "Disconcert" , "Get off on the . . . . . . . . . - make bad start" , "Catch a person unprepared or off balance" , "Put at disadvantage" .)