Closeout
What is a close-out?
What characterizes a close-out in basketball?
A close-out in basketball is when a defender closes the distance between themselves and the ball handler, meeting the player at the perimeter in order to contest a shot or prevent a drive to the basket. The purpose of closing out is to prevent a shooter from getting a wide-open shot attempt. The defender must also be prepared and adjust in-case the shooter does a pump fake, which would allow the shooter to either drive to the basket or step to the side for a better shot attempt. To help prevent this, the defender rushes the shooter, but then gets down in their defensive stance to keep low to the ground which would allow them to adjust to a drive attempt.