Full-court press
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A full-court press is a basketball term that refers to a defensive style in which the defense applies man-to-man pressure to the offensive team the entire length of the court immediately after the inbound pass. Defenses not employing a full-court press allow the offensive team to get halfway down the court (a half-court press) or near the basket before applying strong defensive pressure. A full-court press takes a great deal of effort, but can be an effective tactic. Often when teams are behind late in a game, they will apply full-court pressure as a means of attempting to produce turnovers as well as to speed up the pace of the game. Certain teams, such as those coached by Rick Pitino, are known for applying full-court pressure at times other than the end of the game.
The figurative sense is 'a vigorous attack or offensive; strong pressure', and is often found in political contexts: "a full-court press for health reform."
The basketball sense of full-court press is first found around 1950; the figurative sense dates from the late 1970s.
 This basketball-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
