Alias · Guard Passing
Retreat pass
Also known as Back Step Pass — the canonical term used on this site.
Names the rearward re-angling of the pass
Retreat pass is an alternate name for the back step pass — framing the rearward step as a tactical retreat that resets the passing angle.
Etymology. “Retreat” reads the backward step as giving ground deliberately rather than defensively; “pass” attaches the objective. The name has no specific lineage — it is descriptive vocabulary emphasising that the passer moves away to set up the advance.
Mechanics. Withdrawing the trailing leg pulls the passer off the opponent’s hook and opens a new line; from the recovered angle the passer drives forward to capture the knee line on the far side.
Cross-reference. “Back step” is a sibling alias. Full mechanical coverage on Back Step Pass.