Editing Quarterback sack

{{short description|Action in gridiron football}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| width             = 279
| image1            = Washington Football Team vs. Detroit Lions at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan, November 15, 2020.jpg
| alt1              = 
| caption1          = 
| image2            = Jon Bostic Jonathan Allen Matt Stafford Kevin Pierre-Louis (50611231312).jpg
| alt2              = 
| caption2          = 
| image3            = Jon Bostic Jonathan Allen Matt Stafford Kevin Pierre-Louis (50610372493).jpg
| alt3              = 
| caption3          = 
| footer            = 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 [[tackle (football move)|tackled]] behind the [[line of scrimmage]] before throwing a [[forward pass]], when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "[[passing pocket|pocket]]" and without clear intent, or when a passer runs out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage due to defensive pressure.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/Stats_Manuals/Football/2011ez.pdf |title= 2011 Football Statisticians Manual, p. 17 |publisher=NCAA |access-date=October 15, 2017}}</ref> This often occurs if the opposing team's [[defensive team|defensive line]], [[linebacker]]s or [[defensive backs]] are able to apply '''pass pressure''' (also called a '''[[pass rush]]''') to quickly get past [[blocking (American football)|blocking]] players of the [[offensive team]] (the quarterback's protection), or if the quarterback is unable to find an available [[eligible receiver]] (including [[wide receiver]]s, [[running back]]s and [[tight end]]s) 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 (gridiron football)|down]], and the line of scrimmage retreats several yards.<ref name=":0" /> 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 (gridiron football)|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 (gridiron football score)|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==
[[File:Patrick Kerney sacks Aaron Rodgers.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Green Bay Packers|Green Bay]] quarterback [[Aaron Rodgers]] being sacked by [[Seattle Seahawks|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 "[[Quarterback kneel|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 [[National Football League|NFL]] subtracts yards lost due to sacks from teams' passing totals (though the quarterback's individual passing total stats remain unchanged),<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nflgsis.com/gsis/documentation/stadiumguides/guide_for_statisticians.pdf | title=Guide for Statisticians | publisher=[[National Football League]] | accessdate=August 10, 2020}}</ref> while the [[college football|NCAA]] subtracts sack yardage from individual rushing totals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/Stats_Manuals/Football/2018ez.pdf|title=2018 Football Statisticians' Manual|publisher=[[National Collegiate Athletic Association]]}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Cougars on offense at BYU at Air Force 2010-09-11.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright|left|[[BYU Cougars football|BYU]] quarterback Riley Nelson being sacked by [[Air Force Falcons football|Air Force]].]]

The term ''sack'' was first popularized in the 1960s by [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] defensive end [[Deacon Jones]], who felt that a quarterback being sacked devastated the offense in the same way that [[Looting#In armed conflict|a city was devastated when it was sacked]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Jones, NFL coiner of 'sack the quarterback,' dies at 74|url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/06/04/us/sport-deacon-jones-death/index.html|work=CNN|accessdate=June 5, 2013|date=June 4, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite av media | title=#15: David 'Deacon' Jones - The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players (2010) - #FlashbackFridays | date=May 13, 2016 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqcmuCcwCiU | time=1:53 | via=YouTube }}</ref> 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."<ref name=TimesObit>{{cite news|last=Goldstein |first=Richard|title=Deacon Jones Dies at 74; Made Quarterback Sack Brutal and Enthralling|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/05/sports/football/deacon-jones-fearsome-nfl-defensive-end-dies-at-74.html?hpw|access-date=June 6, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 6, 2013}}</ref>

According to former NFL coach [[Marv Levy]], [[Washington Redskins]] coach [[George Allen (American football coach)|George Allen]] may have coined the term when referring to [[Dallas Cowboys]] quarterback [[Craig Morton]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/16/levy-explains-how-deacon-jones-came-up-with-sack/ | title=Levy explains how Deacon Jones came up with 'sack' | first=Mike | last=Florio | author-link=Mike Florio | date=June 16, 2013 | website=Profootballtalk.com | accessdate=August 10, 2020}}</ref> 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".<ref name=":0">{{cite news|title=Sack or Dump: To Quarterback It's All Downhill|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19751107&id=72kaAAAAIBAJ&pg=5990,3948674|accessdate=June 5, 2013|newspaper=The Milwaukee Journal|date=November 7, 1975}}</ref>

The NFL only began to keep track of times passers lost yardage in 1961<ref>[http://www.nfl.com/history/randf/records/indiv/passing NFL Records]</ref> and no credit was given to the defensive player responsible until 1982.<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.nfl.com/history/randf/records/indiv/sacks NFL Records]</ref> Researcher John Turney of the [[Pro Football Researchers Association]] estimated that Jones recorded 173½ sacks in his career.<ref name=branch>{{cite news |last=Branch |first=John |title=Unofficially, Sack Record Doesn't Add Up |date=November 4, 2006 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/04/sports/football/04giants.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150901134522/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/04/sports/football/04giants.html?_r=0 |archivedate=September 1, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Controversial NFL rule changes made for the [[2018 NFL season|2018 season]] prohibit tacklers from landing on the quarterback after making a sack, with the punishment being a [[roughing the passer]] penalty.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2018/9/27/17911444/nfl-roughing-the-passer-penalty-explanation-clay-matthews | title=The NFL's controversial new roughing the passer rule, explained in a 3-minute read | first=Adam | last=Stiles | date=September 27, 2018 | work=SBNation.com | access-date=2018-09-28}}</ref>

==Pass pressure==
[[File:Nate Longshore under pressure AFB 071231-F-7061J-010.JPEG|thumb|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.<ref name=schatz>{{cite news|last=Schatz|first=Aaron|title=Examining the art of the hurry|date=June 1, 2010|work=ESPN.com|url=https://insider.espn.com/nfl/insider/news/story?id=5238886|access-date=February 2, 2014}}{{subscription required}}</ref> However, quarterbacks sometimes avoid a sack by throwing an [[incomplete pass]] or risking an [[interception]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Long|first1=Howie|last2=Czarnecki|first2=John|title=Football For Dummies|year=2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|page=166|isbn=9781118051610|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pbduM8Jyc34C&q=quarterback%20hurry%20dummies&pg=PA166|accessdate=February 2, 2014}}</ref> 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.<ref name=schatz/>

== NFL records ==
These records are from 1982 onwards, the year the NFL started officially recording sacks.<ref name=autogenerated1 />
* NFL single-season sacks: 22.5, [[T. J. Watt]], 2021 and [[Michael Strahan]], 2001
* NFL career sacks: 200, [[Bruce Smith]], 1985–2003
* NFL single-game sacks: 7, [[Derrick Thomas]], November 11, 1990 vs. Seattle Seahawks{{NoteTag|[[Norm Willey]] made 17 sacks during one game according to 1952 newspaper accounts. However, sacks weren't an official statistic at the time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/19-04-707.pdf|website=[[Pro Football Researchers Association]]|title=The Legend Of "Wild Man" Willey|author=Pollack, Ron}}</ref>}}
* NFL sacks, rookie season: 14.5, [[Jevon Kearse]], 1999
* NFL seasons leading league in sacks: 3, T. J. Watt, 2020, 2021, 2023<ref>{{cite web |last1=DeArdo |first1=Bryan |title=Steelers' T.J. Watt makes NFL history as first player to lead league in sacks three different times |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/steelers-t-j-watt-makes-nfl-history-as-first-player-to-lead-league-in-sacks-three-different-times/ |website=[[CBS Sports]] |access-date=27 March 2024 |language=en |date=28 December 2023}}</ref>
* NFL seasons with 20.0 or more sacks: 2, [[J. J. Watt]], 2012 & 2014<ref>{{cite news |url = https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/j-j--watt-becomes-only-two-time-20-sack-player--does-so-on-safety-210051599.html |title = J.J. Watt becomes only two-time 20-sack player, does so on safety |access-date = February 1, 2015 |date = December 28, 2015 |website = Yahoo! Sports |last = Edholm |first = Eric }}</ref>
* NFL most consecutive games recording a sack: 11, [[Chris Jones (defensive tackle, born 1994)|Chris Jones]], 2018 
* NFL most consecutive games recording a sack (team): 75, [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], 2016–2021<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/32807/steelers-nfl-record-of-75-games-with-a-sack-ends-vs-bengals | title=Steelers' NFL record of 75 games with a sack ends vs. Bengals | date=September 27, 2021 }}</ref>
* NFL career sacks taken: 557, [[Tom Brady]], 2000–2022<ref>[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_sacked_career.htm NFL Career Sacked Leaders – Pro-Football-Reference.com]</ref>
* NFL single-season sacks taken: 76, [[David Carr (American football)|David Carr]], 2002<ref>[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_sacked_single_season.htm NFL Single-Season Sacked Leaders – Pro-Football-Reference.com]</ref>
* NFL game sacks taken: 12, [[Warren Moon]], September 29, 1985 and [[Donovan McNabb]], September 30, 2007<ref>[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_sacked_single_game.htm NFL Single Game Sacked Leaders – Pro-Football-Reference.com]</ref>
* NFL [[Super Bowl]] most sacks in a single game: 12, [[Super Bowl 50|Carolina vs. Denver, 50]] (7 by Denver, 5 by Carolina)
* NFL Super Bowl most sacks by a player in a single game: 3{{NoteTag|[[L. C. Greenwood]] had 4 sacks in [[Super Bowl X]].<ref>{{cite news |url = http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/nfl/super/superbowl-x-plays.htm |title = Super Bowl X play-by-play |work = [[USA Today]] |access-date = April 5, 2013 |date = January 11, 2002 }}</ref> However, sacks were not officially recorded by the NFL at that point.}}
:* [[Reggie White]] – [[Super Bowl XXXI|Green Bay vs. New England, XXXI]]
:* [[Darnell Dockett]] – [[Super Bowl XLIII|Arizona vs. Pittsburgh, XLIII]]
:* [[Kony Ealy]] – [[Super Bowl 50|Carolina vs. Denver, 50]]
:* [[Grady Jarrett]] – [[Super Bowl LI|Atlanta vs. New England, LI]]

* NFL Super Bowl most sacks, career ''(sacks compiled since XVII)''
:* 4.5, [[Charles Haley]] – 5 games [[San Francisco 49ers|San Francisco]] [[Super Bowl XXIII|XXIII]], [[Super Bowl XXIV|XXIV]], [[Dallas Cowboys|Dallas]] [[Super Bowl XXVII|XXVII]], [[Super Bowl XXVIII|XXVIII]], [[Super Bowl XXX|XXX]]
:* 4.5, [[Von Miller]] – 2 games [[Denver Broncos|Denver]] [[Super Bowl 50|50]] and [[Los Angeles Rams]] [[Super Bowl LVI|LVI]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://broncoswire.usatoday.com/2022/02/14/super-bowl-history-von-miller-most-super-bowl-sacks/|title=Von Miller made NFL history in Super Bowl LVI|first=Jon|last=Heath|website=Broncos Wire|date=February 14, 2022|access-date=February 14, 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of National Football League annual sacks leaders]]
* [[List of National Football League career sacks leaders]]
* ''[[The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game]]'' – non-fiction book by [[Michael Lewis]]

== Notes ==
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Sack (American football)}}
* {{cite web | url=http://archive.profootballweekly.com/content/archives/features_1999/turney_062600.asp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081105075549/http://archive.profootballweekly.com/content/archives/features_1999/turney_062600.asp | archive-date=November 5, 2008 | title=Sack story: Setting the record straight on all of those QB takedowns | first=John | last=Turney | date=June 26, 2000 | work=Pro Football Weekly}}
* [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/sacks_career.htm Pro-football-reference.com enumeration of career sack leaders]

{{American football concepts}}

[[Category:American football terminology]]
[[Category:Canadian football terminology]]

[[sv:Amerikansk fotboll#Sammanfattning av termer i amerikansk fotboll]]