defers

third-person singular simple present indicative of defer

(transitive) To delay or postpone.
(common, especially, transitive) To delay or postpone.
After winning the opening coin toss, to postpone until the start of the second half a team's choice of whether to kick off or receive (and to allow the opposing team to make this choice at the start of the first half).
(intransitive) To delay, to wait.