Alias · Guard Passing
Over-the-top pass
Also known as High Step Pass — the canonical term used on this site.
Training background: Descriptive alternative — refers to the foot going over the top of the guard leg
Descriptive — stepping the leg high over the opponent
Over-the-top pass is a descriptive name for the high step pass — naming the high step the passer takes up and over the opponent’s near leg.
Etymology. “Over the top” describes the trajectory of the stepping foot, lifted high and carried across; “pass” names the objective. The label is plainly descriptive, with no lineage beyond the shape of the movement.
Mechanics. The high step lifts and clears the opponent’s leg while briefly raising the passer’s own base; this destabilises the bottom player’s leg structure before the passer settles weight on the far side, so control is established only after the supporting connection is broken.
Cross-reference. Full mechanical coverage on High Step Pass.