"Peel Switch"

Deep dive into the popular defense strategy used at the highest levels

A peel switch is a help-side defensive tactic used when a primary defender gets beat off the dribble, where a second defender (usually off-ball) rotates to the ball to stop penetration, while the original on-ball defender “peels off” and switches to guard the second defender’s man.

• It’s a last-resort help coverage.

• Designed to protect the paint and avoid straight-line drives to the rim.

• It automatically triggers a switch based on help — not pre-called switching.

In short: Help defender rotates → On-ball defender peels off → Switch and recover.

Detailed Action Sequence of a Peel Switch