passer

passer — noun

1. In team ball games, a player who sends the ball to a teammate — for example, by

1.nounB1
Definition

In team ball games, a player who sends the ball to a teammate — for example, by kicking, throwing, or hitting it — in order to help the team move toward a goal or keep control of the ball.

Example

Lien is a quick passer who set up Felipe for the winning goal.

noun + modifier: quick passer + set up [player] for [result]

The team's best passer, Hannah, could throw the ball across the whole field.

adjective + passer (the team's best passer)

Common collocations
  • accurate passer
  • best passer
  • trusted passer
  • passer rating
Synonyms
  • playmaker

    A player who creates scoring chances for teammates; stronger emphasis on creativity and game-reading than 'passer'.

  • ball distributor

    A more formal or analytical term, common in basketball scouting reports.

Antonyms
  • ball hog

    A player who keeps the ball instead of passing to teammates; informal and negative in tone.

Usage Note

Use is largely restricted to team ball sports such as soccer, basketball, American football, and rugby. The term appears most often in sports commentary, scouting reports, and player analysis rather than in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

A passer stopped to help the injured cyclist.
A passer-by stopped to help the injured cyclist.
'Passer' without '-by' refers to a sports player who passes the ball; for someone walking past, use 'passer-by' or 'bystander'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all three terms describe players who send the ball to teammates, they differ in scope and connotation. 'Passer' is the most general term — any player in any team ball sport who passes the ball. 'Playmaker' adds the idea of creativity and tactical vision; a playmaker not only passes but also reads the game and sets up scoring opportunities. 'Ball distributor' is a more technical and narrower term, used especially in basketball analysis to describe a player whose primary role is moving the ball around the court. 'Quarterback' is specific to American football and implies leadership and decision-making beyond just throwing passes. For example: 'Messi is a brilliant passer and playmaker, not just a goal scorer.' 'The team needs a ball distributor who can keep the offense organized.'

playmakerball distributorquarterback ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • passer rating

Prepositions

  • passer on [a team]
  • passer in [a sport]

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Formed from the verb 'pass' meaning 'to send or transfer' (from Old French 'passer' meaning 'to go past, to go through', ultimately from Latin 'passus' meaning 'step, pace') plus the agent suffix '-er' meaning 'a person who does something'. The sports sense of passing the ball to a teammate dates from the late 19th century, when modern team sports like soccer, rugby, and basketball developed formal rules for ball movement between players on the same side.