What Is a Sack In Football?

In American football, a sack occurs when a quarterback (or another player acting in a passer capacity) is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before throwing a forward pass, when the quarterback is running out of bounds under defensive pressure, or when the quarterback gets tackled in a “pocket.”

For it to be considered a sack, the passer must have the intent of throwing the forward pass.

Sacks can be game-changers, shifting the momentum in favor of the defense. When the opposing team’s defenders successfully apply “pass pressure” to get past the quarterback’s blockers, a sack can occur. This can lead to the quarterback fumbling the football behind the line of scrimmage, potentially resulting in a turnover if the defense obtains the ball or the offense loses a down and the line of scrimmage is retreated several yards.

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