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On defense in American football, a pass rush is charging across the line of scrimmage towards the quarterback in an effort to stop or "sack" them.[1] The purpose is tackling, hurrying or flushing the quarterback out of his protective pocket or the play's design.
"Pressures" and "hurries" are terms used to describe pass rushes which successfully alter a quarterback's performance on a play — forcing them to throw before they find their best target or scramble out of the pocket to elude being tackled — that fall short of completed sacks.
A related form of defensive rush is to disrupt or sack a kicker attempting to kick a field goal, extra point, or punt the ball. On offense, "rushing" is to run forward with the ball to gain yardage.
In both college and professional football, getting a strong pass rush is an important skill, as even an average quarterback can be productive if he has enough time to find an open receiver, even against a good secondary. To increase pressure, teams will sometimes use a pass-rushing specialist, who is usually a quick, strong defensive end or outside linebacker tasked with aggressively rushing the quarterback in obvious passing situations.[2]
- ^ "4 key components to a pass rush plan". Youth Football. USA Football — Football's National Governing Body.
- ^ Long, Howie; Czarnecki, John (8 March 2011). Football For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118051610 – via Google Books.