blitz
What is the definition of blitz in football?
1. A blitz happens when the defense sends additional players to rush past the line of scrimmage in order to get a sack or pressure the quarterback into throwing a inaccurate pass. In addition to the defensive linemen, the defense typically sends one or more linebackers or defensive backs to rush the quarterback during a blitz.
The blitz strategy carries more risk for the defense because sending more linebackers and/or defensive backs to rush the quarterback means they are potentially leaving receivers open on the pass play.
What is blitzing in football?
In American football, blitzing is a defensive tactic used to disrupt a passing play or sack the quarterback. For most plays, the defense has three to four players attempt a pass rush to disrupt the pass or get a sack. If the defense decides to blitz, they send additional defensive players to rush the quarterback on a pass play. When there are a total of five or more players involved in the pass rush, it’s called a blitz.
Types of football blitzes
Some teams use a specific type of blitz to attempt to disrupt the pass or sack the quarterback, such as a zone blitz, safety blitz or corner blitz.
Zone blitz
During a zone blitz, the members of the defense who typically complete a pass rush, such as the defensive ends, drop back to provide pass coverage. At the same time, extra players from the defense rush the quarterback and attempt to disrupt the pass or get a sack. Teams use this type of blitz to confuse the offensive line and try to force an error from the quarterback.
Safety blitz
A safety blitz is a type of blitz in which the safety is sent to rush the passer as part of the blitz. The safety will move to the line of scrimmage before the snap and look for holes in the offensive line that they can penetrate to reach the quarterback. In most cases, the free safety participates in a safety blitz rather than the strong safety.
Corner blitz
A corner blitz is a blitzing strategy in football that involves a cornerback rushing the quarterback along with several other defensive players. The defensive safety from that player’s side of the field will typically move forward to take over the cornerback’s coverage.
What is the goal of a blitz in football?
The ultimate goal of a blitz in football is to sack the quarterback or another offensive player acting as the passer. A sack ensures that the offense is unable to gain any yards on the play. There’s also a chance that the blitz could lead to a strip sack, causing a fumble. If the defense is able to make a fumble recovery, they gain possession of the ball.
If the defense isn’t able to get a sack during a blitz, then their goal is to pressure the quarterback enough to force them to make an error. This may result in an incomplete pass or interception, either of which would benefit the defense.
In order for a blitz to be effective, a team must make sure that:
- They penetrate the offensive line and get pressure on the quarterback.
- The remaining defensive backs and linebackers must stay with their assignments and cover the receivers and running backs to the best of their ability.
What are the risks of a blitz in football?
If the defense fails to put pressure on or sack the quarterback during a blitz, a potentially disastrous play can occur. For every extra defender participating in the blitz, there is likely an open receiver on the field. If the defense gives the quarterback time to analyze the scheme, there’s a good chance that the QB will find an open receiver to pass to.
In addition, if a defense gets caught blitzing the offense when a rushing play is called, the defensive backs and linebackers have to be quick to plug any gaps in the line so that the running back doesn’t get through. Since the defense is rushing most of their defensive players during a blitz, the running back has a good chance of running for a big gain, or even a touchdown, if they’re able to get past the defensive line.
Who created the blitz in football?
The creation of the football blitz is widely credited to Don Ettinger, who first used the defensive tactic in the late 1940s. The play was originally known as “Red Dog,” which was Ettinger’s nickname at the time.
Bill Arnsparger is thought to have created the zone blitz in 1971 while serving as the defensive coach for the Miami Dolphins. It was later popularized by defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau in the 1990s during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, which led to the city’s nickname of “Blitzburgh.”
The safety blitz is thought to have been invented by Chuck Drulis in 1960. As the St. Louis Cardinals’ defensive coordinator, he called the play “Wildcat.” The play was so successful that “Wildcat” later became the nickname for Larry Wilson, the team’s free safety at the time.
What is the origin of the word blitz?
“Blitz” comes from the German blitzkrieg, which means “lightning war.” The shortening of blitzkrieg spread in popularity following the World War II German bombing campaign that came to be know as The Blitz. During this event, Nazi Germany conducted a blitzkrieg against the United Kingdom. The intensive aerial bombing lasted for eight months from September 1940 to May 1941 and affected a number of cities across Britain, including London.
What is the definition of blitz?
Outside of football, the term “blitz” has a few other meanings in the English dictionary, including:
- An intense campaign carried out as a military attack, esp. an intensive aerial bombardment or air raid
- A sudden and overwhelming attack on someone or something
- A type of chess game in which players complete their moves in a short amount of time (also known as blitz chess or speed chess)
Blitz is more commonly used as a noun, but there is also a blitz verb that can have the following meanings:
- To attack someone or something
- To make a strong, concentrated effort in a short amount of time
- To blend or puree ingredients when cooking
According to Wiktionary, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) pronunciation for “blitz” is /blɪts/ (blits).
What are some synonyms for blitz?
Some related words that you might find in a thesaurus under “blitz” include attack, barrage, onslaught, assault, raid or bombardment (or bombardieren in German).
What does blitz mean in slang?
The word “blitzed” is sometimes used as a slang term meaning intoxicated by alcohol or drugs. An example sentence would be: “My friends went to a party last night and got completely blitzed.” The implication with this term is that someone is drunk or high to the point where they are significantly impaired.
What does blitz mean in work?
In a work setting, “blitz” refers to a strong, rapid effort in a specific area. For example, a public relations firm might employ a media blitz or publicity blitz to improve a celebrity’s image after a scandal, or a marketing team could use an advertising blitz to promote a new product.
Examples of how blitz is used in commentary
1. The cornerback blitzes the quarterback from his blind side and sacks him for a five yard loss.
2. The defense sends an all-out blitz and the linebacker shoots through the A-Gap and is able to get to the quarterback for the sack.
Sport the term is used
1. Football
