1.
offense and defense (in sports); both attacking and defensive aspects of play
A short Sino-Japanese compound covering both halves of competitive play. Frequently used in baseball, soccer, basketball, and other sports to talk about a team or player who must handle both roles.
攻守交代。
Switch sides (offense/defense).
あの選手は攻守に優れている。
That player is excellent at both offense and defense.
今シーズンの彼は攻守両面でチームを支える中心選手に成長した。
This season he has grown into a key player who supports the team on both offense and defense.
2.
attack and defense (figurative); both sides of a contest or argument
Used metaphorically for any situation involving alternating attack and defense — a debate, a court case, a business negotiation, or a strategic struggle.
選挙戦では攻守が逆転した。
The roles of attack and defense reversed in the election campaign.
裁判では弁護側と検察側の攻守が激しく入れ替わった。
In the trial, the attacking and defending positions of the defense and the prosecution shifted intensely.
企業間の価格競争は攻守所を変えながら長期化している。
The price war between the companies has dragged on, with attacker and defender repeatedly switching positions.
Composed of 攻 ('attack') + 守 ('defense'). The two-character compound is a tightly bound noun, almost always used as a unit rather than split into its parts.
USAGE:
- Sense 1 dominates in sports commentary, where 攻守交代 ('switching offense and defense') and 攻守に優れる ('to excel at both attack and defense') are stock phrases.
- Sense 2 is common in journalism, politics, and law, especially in the idiom 攻守所を変える ('the attacker and defender swap positions').
- Belongs to a slightly formal register; in casual sports talk, speakers often use the loanwords オフェンス and ディフェンス instead.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 攻守交代: switching offense and defense (e.g., between innings)
- 攻守に優れる: to excel at both offense and defense
- 攻守両面: both offense and defense; both aspects
- 攻守所を変える: roles of attack and defense reverse
- 攻守が逆転する: the offense and defense reverse
- 攻守兼備: combining offense and defense (set phrase)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 攻撃: attack; offense — focuses only on the attacking side; not a paired concept.
- 防御: defense; protection — the defensive side alone; commonly paired with 攻撃.
- 守備: defense; fielding (in baseball) — narrower than 攻守; emphasizes the act of guarding.
- オフェンスとディフェンス: offense and defense — modern loanword pair, often used in basketball, soccer, and American football commentary.