Back step

Back step is the short name for the back step pass — naming the single defining action, stepping the trailing leg back to clear an outside hook and re-angle.

Etymology. The term is purely mechanical: “back” plus “step” describes the footwork with no further lineage. It is shared vocabulary across passing systems, where stepping back to escape a hook is a recurring motion rather than one coach’s invention.

Mechanics. Stepping the trapped leg backward strips the opponent’s outside hook off the line, clearing the foot before the passer commits forward into the resulting open angle.

Cross-reference. “Retreat pass” is a sibling alias. Full mechanical coverage on Back Step Pass.