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Quarterback sack
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Quarterback sack
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Quarterback Matthew Stafford being sacked by multiple Washington Football Team players.

In gridiron football, a sack occurs when the quarterback (or another offensive player acting as a passer) is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before throwing a forward pass, when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and without clear intent, or when a passer runs out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage due to defensive pressure.[1] This often occurs if the opposing team's defensive line, linebackers or defensive backs are able to apply pass pressure (also called a pass rush) to quickly get past blocking players of the offensive team (the quarterback's protection), or if the quarterback is unable to find an available eligible receiver (including wide receivers, running backs and tight ends) to catch the ball, allowing the defense a longer opportunity to tackle the quarterback.

A sack is advantageous for the defending team as the offense loses a down, and the line of scrimmage retreats several yards.[2] Even better for the defense is a sack causing the quarterback to fumble the ball at or behind the line of scrimmage; this is also known as a strip sack and can result in a turnover if the defense manages to obtain the ball. A quarterback who is pressured but avoids a sack can still be adversely affected by being forced to hurry.

The quarterback must pass the statistical line of scrimmage to avoid the sack. If a passer is sacked in his own end zone, the result is a safety and the defending team is awarded two points. If the football is fumbled and recovered either inside the end zone by the defense, or outside the end zone and is returned to the end zone this results in a touchdown for the defense.

Statistical record rules

[edit]
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers being sacked by Seattle defensive end Patrick Kerney in 2009.

To be considered a sack, the quarterback must intend to throw a forward pass. If the play is designed for the quarterback to rush (run) the ball, any loss is subtracted from the quarterback's rushing total (and the play is ruled a tackle for loss as opposed to a sack). If the quarterback's intent is not obvious, statisticians use certain criteria, such as the offensive line blocking scheme, to decide. Unique situations where a loss reduces a quarterback's rushing total (not a sack) are "kneel downs" (used to run time off the game clock).

A player will receive credit for half of a sack when multiple players contribute to the sacking of a quarterback, even if more than two players contributed.

In the National Football League (NFL), it is possible to record a sack for zero yards. The NFL subtracts yards lost due to sacks from teams' passing totals (though the quarterback's individual passing total stats remain unchanged),[3] while the NCAA subtracts sack yardage from individual rushing totals.[4]

History

[edit]
BYU quarterback Riley Nelson being sacked by Air Force.

The term sack was first popularized in the 1960s by Hall of Fame defensive end Deacon Jones, who felt that a quarterback being sacked devastated the offense in the same way that a city was devastated when it was sacked.[5][6] In 1999, Jones provided a Los Angeles Times reporter with some other detailed imagery about his forte: "You take all the offensive linemen and put them in a burlap bag, and then you take a baseball bat and beat on the bag. You're sacking them, you're bagging them. And that’s what you're doing with a quarterback."[7]

According to former NFL coach Marv Levy, Washington Redskins coach George Allen may have coined the term when referring to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Craig Morton[8] when he purportedly stated before a game, "Before we play those Dallas Cowboys, we’re going to take that Morton salt and pour him into a sack."

Prior to sack, the term dump was often used, as the NFL's statistical office recorded all sacks under "dumping the passer".[2]

The NFL only began to keep track of times passers lost yardage in 1961[9] and no credit was given to the defensive player responsible until 1982.[10] Researcher John Turney of the Pro Football Researchers Association estimated that Jones recorded 173½ sacks in his career.[11]

Controversial NFL rule changes made for the 2018 season prohibit tacklers from landing on the quarterback after making a sack, with the punishment being a roughing the passer penalty.[12]

Pass pressure

[edit]
A quarterback under pressure.

Of all forms of defensive pressure against the opposition's passer, sacks provide the most immediate impact by ending the offensive play.[13] However, quarterbacks sometimes avoid a sack by throwing an incomplete pass or risking an interception.[14] According to Football Outsiders, a quarterback hurry is the most common form of pass pressure. In the 2009 NFL season, there were 1,106 sacks and 3,268 hurries, and a hurried quarterback generally averaged fewer yards per pass play compared to the average pass play.[13]

NFL records

[edit]

These records are from 1982 onwards, the year the NFL started officially recording sacks.[10]

  • NFL Super Bowl most sacks, career (sacks compiled since XVII)

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Quarterback sack

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
In , a quarterback sack (often simply called a "sack") is a defensive awarded when a defensive player tackles the (or another player attempting a ) behind the before the ball can be thrown, resulting in a loss of yardage for the offense and typically forcing a loss of down. This play disrupts the offensive passing game, as the quarterback is unable to complete a pass, and the yardage lost—often several yards—is charged against the offense's total. Sacks can also lead to fumbles, further benefiting the defense by creating turnover opportunities. The term "sack" originated in the 1960s, coined by Hall of Fame defensive end of the , who compared tackling a to sacking a city in historical warfare, emphasizing the devastating impact on the offense. Although sacks were recognized informally for decades, they did not become an official statistic until the 1982 season, when the league began tracking them league-wide to better quantify defensive pressure on quarterbacks. Prior to this, individual teams and media outlets recorded sacks inconsistently, but the formal adoption highlighted their role in evaluating effectiveness. Sacks hold significant strategic value in the , with each one worth approximately 1.7 expected points for the defense due to the combined effects of yardage loss, down consumption, and risk—far more disruptive than a standard tackle for loss on a run play. Defenses prioritize generating sacks to pressure , limit passing efficiency, and control game tempo, while offenses focus on protecting the through blocking schemes and quick releases to minimize them. Career records underscore their prominence: holds the all-time lead with 200.0 sacks, achieved over 19 seasons primarily with the , while is the most-sacked in history with 590 sacks taken across his career. The single-season record for sacks allowed belongs to , who was sacked 76 times as a in 2002 with the Texans.

Definition and Fundamentals

Definition

In , a quarterback sack is a defensive credited when a player making an apparent attempt to pass is tackled, downed, or forced at or behind the before releasing the ball. This play typically occurs during a passing situation, where the quarterback drops back into the pocket or scrambles while clearly intending to throw a , such as by retreating to pass or scanning for receivers. Key prerequisites for a sack include the 's passing posture; the play must stem from an intent to pass rather than a designed run or handoff, excluding scenarios like , where the quarterback deliberately throws the ball away to avoid a sack without a realistic passing opportunity. If the quarterback advances beyond the before being tackled, it is not scored as a sack, even if from defenders influences the movement. Pass often serves as a precursor, disrupting the quarterback's protection and leading to the tackle. When multiple defenders contribute equally to bringing down the , the sack is split, with each receiving partial credit—commonly 0.5 sacks if two players are deemed equally responsible, or adjusted based on their roles in the tackle. Common scenarios include a pocket collapse, where the offensive line breaks down and rushers converge on the stationary from multiple angles, or a blitz, in which additional defenders, such as linebackers or safeties, rush unblocked to overwhelm the protection and tackle the behind the line.

Impact on the Game

A quarterback sack imposes an immediate yardage penalty on the offense, with the loss measured from the to the spot of the tackle, typically averaging around 6.5 yards since the . This setback, combined with the play counting as a down, worsens field position and heightens the risk of stalled drives, potentially leading to punts, turnovers on downs, or attempts from longer distances. Sacks also increase the likelihood of fumbles due to the forceful nature of the tackle, which can result in immediate defensive recoveries and shifts in possession. Beyond direct penalties, sacks carry significant strategic implications by disrupting the offense's rhythm and tempo, compelling the to accelerate decision-making on future plays to evade additional pressure. This disruption often forces conservative play-calling, such as shorter passes or runs, limiting explosive opportunities. In extreme cases, a sack in the offensive team's own triggers a , awarding the defense two points and the ball, which can dramatically alter momentum early in a drive or half. On a broader scale, sacks influence key game statistics by shortening offensive possessions, thereby decreasing the team's time of possession and curtailing scoring chances through negative expected points added—averaging about 1.5 per sack, often exceeding the aggregate harm of interceptions due to their frequency. Defensively, they bolster metrics like points allowed per game, as each sack swings approximately 2.0 expected points toward the defense (or 1.7 excluding fumbles) and slashes first-down conversion rates by roughly 30 percentage points, directly correlating with higher win probabilities.

Rules and Measurement

Official Criteria

A quarterback sack is officially recognized when a defensive player tackles the (or another player attempting a pass) behind the while the player is in a passing posture, such as after dropping back to pass, resulting in a loss of yardage for the offense. This requires clear intent to pass, demonstrated by the quarterback's hand moving forward with the or adopting a dropback position prior to contact; scrambles or plays without such intent are classified as rushes rather than sacks. The tackle must occur behind the , defined as the vertical plane extending through the forward point of the ball at the snap, with yardage loss measured from that line to the point of the tackle or recovery. If the sack contact causes a and the defense recovers it, the play still qualifies as a sack, credited to the defender who made the initial contact, while the is recorded separately. Exceptions apply when the quarterback avoids the sack legally: no sack is awarded if the player throws the ball away under rules (provided no is in the area), as this ends the play as an with a penalty instead. Similarly, if officials rule the play as a designed run or scramble without passing intent, it is treated as a tackle for loss rather than a sack. League-specific nuances exist between the and NCAA. In the , post-2018 rule changes expanded quarterback protection under roughing the penalties, prohibiting defenders from landing full body weight on the quarterback after the pass or initiating low hits below the knees during sack attempts, which influences legal execution but does not alter sack qualification criteria. The NCAA aligns closely but specifies no sack if the potential fumbles before defensive contact or if the play ends at or beyond the , emphasizing an "apparent attempt to pass" via dropback.

Statistical Recording

In professional and collegiate football, the attribution of quarterback sacks follows standardized procedures to ensure accurate statistical credit. A solo sack is awarded to a single defensive player who primarily tackles or downs the at or behind the , while an assisted sack splits credit equally between two players (typically 0.5 sacks each) when both contribute substantially to the tackle. Quarterback hits or hurries, which apply pressure without resulting in a tackle behind the line, do not qualify for sack credit and are tracked separately. Official league scorers, operating from the press box, compile sack statistics in real-time during games, often utilizing instant replay for verification to confirm the point of contact and yardage lost. In the , individual player sack credits became an official statistic in , though team-level sack data had been incorporated into passing yardage calculations since the early . Pre-1982 sack totals are considered unofficial because the NFL did not officially track sacks as an individual statistic for defensive players until 1982; for example, Al Baker recorded 23.0 sacks in 1978 as a rookie with the Detroit Lions. The NCAA employs a similar press-box , with statistics finalized without reliance on post-game reviews by . Sacks significantly influence team statistics but not individual passing totals. In the , the yardage lost on a sack is subtracted from the team's gross passing yardage, reducing net passing efficiency without charging a pass attempt to the . In contrast, the NCAA treats sacks as negative rushing yardage for the and team, also avoiding a pass attempt charge, which can affect rushing statistics distinctly from passing ones. Defensive teams receive equivalent sack credits to match the offensive losses recorded. Sack yardage is measured from the to the spot where the is tackled or downed, with a minimum of zero yards if the tackle occurs at or beyond that line; the league-wide average loss per sack hovers around 7 yards, providing a benchmark for defensive impact. This calculation ensures consistent integration into broader performance metrics like time of possession and third-down conversions.

Historical Development

Origins and Terminology

The act of tackling a behind the while attempting a pass has roots in the early development of , which evolved from rugby in the late . In rugby, defenders routinely tackled the ball carrier to halt advances, a fundamental mechanic that carried over into football's formative years after the forward pass was legalized in 1906. Prior to the , these plays occurred frequently as passing offenses emerged but lacked a specific designation or formal statistical categorization, often simply described as tackles for loss. The term "sack" originated in the 1960s, coined by defensive end , a Hall of Famer renowned for his pass-rushing prowess. Jones, who played from 1961 to 1974, described the play as "sacking the ," likening the devastating impact to sacking a city—overwhelming and ruining it in a single blow. He introduced the phrase to replace longer descriptions like "knocking the to the ground," and it quickly caught on among teammates and coaches during the Rams' dominant defensive era. Although individual sack statistics remained unofficial until the NFL began formally recording them in 1982, team sack totals were tracked starting in 1961, providing early quantitative insights into defensive performance. These individual pre-1982 totals are considered unofficial because sacks became an official NFL statistic only starting in 1982. For example, Al "Bubba" Baker recorded 23 sacks in 1978 as a rookie with the Detroit Lions, an unofficial single-season high. For instance, the 1960 led the league with 53 sacks, highlighting the play's growing tactical importance even before standardized metrics. The term entered the broader football lexicon through media coverage in the and .

Rule Changes Over Time

During the and , the introduced and refined roughing the penalties to enhance safety amid growing concerns over violent contact. In 1980, the league imposed greater restrictions on hits targeting the head, neck, and face areas, aiming to curb excessive force during pass rushes that could lead to sacks. By 1995, rules were updated to prohibit defenders from unnecessarily and violently throwing a to the ground or landing on them with all or most of their body weight immediately after the throw, effectively nullifying potential sacks through penalties if late hits occurred post-release. These changes emphasized that hits after the ball was thrown would not count as sacks and instead result in 15-yard penalties and automatic first downs, prioritizing player protection over defensive statistics. In 2018, the further advanced quarterback safeguards with a rule prohibiting defenders from landing their full body weight on a grounded during a sack attempt, a measure designed to reduce lower-body and spinal injuries from pass rushes. This adjustment built on prior roughing guidelines by holding tacklers responsible for controlling their fall, with violations resulting in roughing penalties that could alter game outcomes by preventing legitimate sacks from being recorded if deemed unsafe. Post-2020 updates have integrated advanced officiating and health protocols more tightly with sack rulings. The league made permanent the expansion of automatic replay reviews in 2020 to include turnovers and scoring plays negated by penalties, allowing closer scrutiny of whether a sack occurred or if the play should be ruled an based on whether the released the ball in time. In 2024, the NFL expanded replay assistance to include roughing the passer penalties, allowing officials to correct calls if clear and obvious visual evidence demonstrates an error. Additionally, protocols were modified in 2022 to mandate immediate evaluation for any showing instability or neurological symptoms following a sack, such as those from hard impacts, ensuring players enter a stepwise return-to-play before resuming action. Comparatively, the NCAA has evolved its rules in parallel, implementing a ban on horse-collar tackles in —grabbing the inside collar of an opponent's jersey to pull them down—which followed the NFL's 2005 prohibition and indirectly influenced sack executions and post-sack celebrations by penalizing jersey grabs that could mimic celebratory actions but risk injury. This stricter enforcement has promoted safer tackling techniques in college games, aligning with broader efforts to minimize high-impact contacts during pass defenses.

Strategic Elements

Generating Pass Pressure

Generating pass pressure is a core defensive strategy in American football, aimed at disrupting the quarterback's ability to execute passes by collapsing the protective pocket formed by the offensive line. Defensive linemen, positioned directly on the line of scrimmage, initiate pressure by penetrating the interior gaps, using techniques such as bull rushes or swims to push offensive linemen backward and compress the quarterback's space. Linebackers contribute by exploiting the edges or middle, often aligning in a 4-3 or 3-4 front to create numerical advantages against blockers. Blitz packages escalate this pressure by sending additional rushers, including safeties, who drop from deeper coverage to attack unexpected gaps, overwhelming protections and forcing hurried decisions. Offenses counter pass pressure through structured schemes, where the offensive line assigns specific blockers to rushers—such as man-to-man assignments or slide that shift the entire unit laterally to mirror defensive alignments. Quarterbacks employ quick releases, often within a three-step drop, to deliver the ball before rushers close in, minimizing exposure in schemes like the that emphasize short, timed passes. Rollouts, where the quarterback moves out of the to one side, further evade pressure by extending the play and opening throwing angles, though this requires precise footwork to avoid turnovers. Key metrics distinguish between types of pressure: hurries, where the quarterback is forced to alter his without direct contact, significantly outnumber sacks, often at a approaching 3:1 across defensive efforts, as evidenced by players like recording 83 total pressures including just 6 sacks in the 2016 season. Total pressures—encompassing hurries, hits, and sacks—average about 10.3% of pass-rush snaps league-wide in the 2023 season, translating to roughly 6 per game on typical pass volumes. These disruptions degrade quarterback , dropping passer ratings from 99.3 in clean pockets to 64.6 under , with interception rates rising from 1.8% to 3.1%, as of the 2016 season. Analytics have evolved to quantify pressure generation, with metrics like measuring how often rushers beat blocks within 2.5 seconds—the average time to throw—highlighting efficient attacks that collapse pockets before passes develop. Data shows that throws under 2.5 seconds substantially reduce sack risk by allowing protections to hold longer, influencing defensive coordinators to prioritize quick pressures occurring in 2.9 seconds on average. This data-driven approach, powered by player tracking, has refined blitz timing and rusher assignments, emphasizing interior penetration over edge speed alone.

Defensive Techniques

Defensive linemen employ a variety of tackling approaches to execute a quarterback sack, focusing on disrupting the offensive line's protection while maintaining leverage. The bull rush involves a direct power thrust, where the defender explodes forward with low pad level to drive the offensive lineman backward into the , often converting initial speed into overwhelming force against larger blockers. The rip move requires the defender to dip the inside and rip the arm underneath the blocker, using speed along to create separation and close on the . Similarly, the swim technique combines elements of power and agility, as the defender places one hand on the blocker's to pull them forward before swimming the opposite arm over to disengage and pursue. A consistently low pad level is essential across these techniques, providing leverage against taller offensive linemen by allowing defenders to control the and avoid being pushed upright. Positional roles dictate specialized applications of these techniques, with edge rushers—such as outside linebackers or defensive ends—prioritizing speed-based moves like or swim to bend around tackles and attack from the perimeter, where they generate higher sack rates compared to interior players. Interior linemen, including defensive tackles, focus on shorter, more direct paths using bull rushes or rips to collapse the from the middle, though their sack efficiency is lower due to tighter blocking schemes. Edge rushers often emphasize strip-sacks, a variant where the defender not only tackles the but targets the ball with a controlled punch or swipe to force a , turning the play into a turnover opportunity through precise hand placement and awareness of the ball's position. Training for these techniques incorporates drills that build speed-to-power conversion, enabling rushers to transition from explosive initial bursts to sustained force against resisting blockers. Common exercises include the three-step approach, where defenders practice reaching the blocker in two quick steps before angling the third toward the quarterback, and upper body rotation drills to enhance torque and hand fighting. Since the 2018 rule changes emphasizing quarterback protection, and the 2024 expansion allowing replay assistance for reviewing certain roughing the passer calls, training has heightened focus on legal hand usage, teaching rushers to employ forearm swipes and inside hand placement to control blockers without grasping jerseys or facemasks, reducing the risk of illegal contact penalties. These techniques carry inherent risk factors, particularly penalties for roughing the , as the 2018 NFL rules prohibit defenders from landing with full body weight on a grounded , using unnecessary force, or initiating contact with the in a way that endangers the player. Violations, such as stuffing the into the turf or wrestling them down after the pass, result in 15-yard penalties and potential replay reviews, compelling defenders to wrap up tackles cleanly while prioritizing ball security over aggressive finishes.

Records and Milestones

NFL Achievements

In the NFL, holds the all-time career sack record with 200.0, achieved over 19 seasons primarily with the from 1985 to 1999 and later with the Washington Redskins. ranks second with 198.0 sacks across 15 seasons, including standout performances with the and from 1985 to 2000. The single-season sack record stands at 22.5, first set by of the in 2001 and tied by of the in 2021. However, pre-1982 sack totals are considered unofficial, as the NFL did not officially track individual player sacks until 1982. For example, Al Baker recorded 23.0 sacks in 1978 as a rookie with the , a total that would surpass the official record if recognized. On the team level, the recorded the most sacks in a single season with 72.0 in 1984, a mark that underscored their dominant defense en route to a victory. For rookies, set the record with 14.5 sacks in 1999 while playing for the [Tennessee Titans](/page/Tennessee Titans), a performance that highlighted his explosive pass-rushing ability. Recent milestones include leading the league in sacks three times since 2020—with 15.0 in 2020, 22.5 in 2021, and 19.0 in 2023—making him the first player to achieve this feat in the official sack era. In the 2024 season, of the topped the with 17.5 sacks. Sacks have often been a pivotal statistic in Defensive Player of the Year awards, as seen with earning the honor in 2021 after his record-tying 22.5-sack season, and winning twice (1987 and 1998) bolstered by his league-leading sack totals those years.

College and Other Leagues

In , governed by the NCAA, quarterback sacks are recorded differently from the , with the lost yardage charged directly to the quarterback's or team's rushing statistics rather than as a separate category subtracted from passing totals. This distinction can skew individual rushing yardage metrics, particularly for mobile quarterbacks, as sacks contribute to negative rushing plays without being isolated as pass-protection failures. Additionally, historical inconsistencies exist, such as the absence of official split sack credits in earlier eras before standardized tracking in the , which affects comparability of older records. NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) records highlight standout defensive performances, with Louisiana Tech's holding the career sacks lead at 45.0 from 2015 to 2018, surpassing Arizona State's , who previously set the mark with 44.0 sacks from 2000 to 2002. The single-season record is 24.0 sacks by in 2002; other notable performances include Von Miller's 17.0 sacks in 2009 for Texas A&M and Ameer Ismail's 17.0 in 2006 for Western Michigan. These marks underscore the emphasis on edge-rushing talent in college schemes. Such records often reflect shorter careers limited to three or four seasons, contrasting with professional longevity. In other professional leagues, sack tracking aligns more closely with NFL standards but adapts to unique rulesets. The Canadian Football League (CFL), with its wider field and three-down format, promotes aggressive passing, leading to high sack totals; Elfrid Payton ranks second all-time with 154 career sacks from 1991 to 2007, primarily with the Alouettes and , exemplifying the league's emphasis on disruption. Emerging U.S.-based leagues like the United Football League (UFL), which merged XFL and USFL operations in 2024, incorporate faster-paced innovations such as unlimited coach-to-player communication and modified overtime to heighten action, indirectly boosting pass-rush opportunities through increased dropbacks. Analytics for sacks in college football trail NFL sophistication, with NCAA data often limited to basic totals without advanced metrics like pressure rates or adjusted sack yards, hindering predictive modeling for player evaluation. This gap persists due to decentralized tracking across conferences and less investment in tracking technology compared to the NFL's Pro Football Focus or Next Gen Stats. In international American football circuits, such as Europe's European League of Football, sack trends show rising emphasis on hybrid defenses to counter global passing schemes, though comprehensive data remains sparse.

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  60. https://www.espn.com/united-football-league/story/_/id/44404014/ufl-2025-rules-innovations
  61. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/04/14/closing-the-college-football-analytics-gap-why-its-time-for-the-ncaa-to-catch-up/
  62. https://blogarchive.statsbomb.com/articles/football/closing-footballs-data-gap/
  63. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX9KikptWjE
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