full-court press

The term "full-court press" has two primary meanings. In sports, specifically basketball, it refers to a defensive strategy where a team applies pressure to the opposing team across the entire length of the court, from one basket to the other. This tactic aims to force the opponent into making mistakes, such as turnovers, by hounding them as soon as they gain possession of the ball. The full-court press can be implemented using either a man-to-man defense, where each player guards a specific opponent, or a zone defense, where players are responsible for guarding a particular area of the court. Beyond basketball, "full-court press" is also used metaphorically to describe an all-out effort or offensive push in any situation.123