Blitz (American football)

In American football, a blitz, or quarterback rush, is a defensive maneuver in which one or more linebackers or defensive backs, who normally remain behind the line of scrimmage during a play, are instead sent across the line to the opponent's side in order to try to tackle the quarterback. The name of the play is taken from the Blitzkrieg, a German strategy of the "lightning war" during World War II.

Related Topics:
American football - Linebacker - Defensive back - Line of scrimmage - Quarterback - Blitzkrieg - German - World War II

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The most common blitzes are linebacker blitzes. Safety blitzes, when a safety (usually the free safety) is sent, and corner blitzes, where a cornerback is sent, are less common. Sending a defensive back on a blitz is even more risky than a linebacker blitz, as it removes a primary pass defender from the coverage scheme.

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