Defense (sports)

Each play starts with the ball in the hands of the pitcher, whose job as a member of the defense is to use his skills to somehow prevent the batter from reaching base.

while the offense is busy attempting to move runners around the baseball diamond toward home plate, the defense uses the ball in various ways to achieve outs.

The exception is if it is the ninth or an extra inning and they are ahead, in which case, the game ends and the defensive team wins.

The forward then has a free throw but must pass the ball off to another offensive player, rather than making a shot at the goal.

Defensive perimeter players may also intentionally cause a foul and then move toward the goal, away from their attacker, who must take a free throw.

This technique, called 'sloughing', allows the defense an opportunity to double-team the center forward and possibly steal the inbound pass.

The water polo referee may refrain from declaring a foul caused by a defensive player, if in his judgment this would give the advantage to the defending team.

A defenseman can be an offensive player better known for their ability to glean goals or assists rather than for their strong defensive play.

This role, however, is becoming increasingly relegated to the past, as ice hockey teams demand more active play from their defenders.

However, due to ringette's first-three-in rule these situations can vary; those playing in the defensive zone are not always designated defenders.

In atya patya, the defenders aim to tag players on the offensive team in order to eliminate them and prevent them from scoring.