A device and a method for lateral alignment of a sheet (5, 6) in a sheet processing machine, in which the sheet (5, 6) is movable essentially across its direction of transport (7) into an alignment position (4); a side pull lay device is used for moving the sheet (5, 6) into the alignment position (4). The side pull lay device has at least two side pull lays (1, 2) which are activatable independently of one another for transporting a sheet (5, 6) toward the alignment position (4). The method includes that at least two side pull lays (1, 2) of the side pull lay device are activated independently of one another for transporting a sheet (5, 6) toward the alignment position (4).