In many team sports, the defence or defense is the action of those players responsible for preventing the other team from scoring. The term may also refer to the tactics involved in defense. It can also be a specialty team whose primary responsibility is defense. Similarly, a defense player or defender is a player who is tasked with stopping the other team from scoring. The defender also protects their own team's goalkeeper or goaltender. This is in association football, ice hockey, water polo and many other sports.