In football, a sack occurs when an offensive player, typically the quarterback, is tackled behind the line of scrimmage while he is in position to -- or is attempting to get into position to -- make a forward pass. Although most sacks in football are made on the quarterback, they can also be made on any offensive player that is in possession of the ball with the intent of making a forward pass.
Sack Results
A quarterback who is sacked and does not lose hold of the ball retains possession for his team at the spot of the sack. Occasionally, a sack results in a fumble, in which case the team making the sack gains possession of the ball at the spot the ball is recovered. Defensive players are allowed to pick the ball up and advance it toward the offensive unit’s end zone. Sacking a quarterback while he is in the act of making a forward pass is a more complicated matter to determine.
Forward Pass Situations
On occasion, a quarterback is hit while in the process of making a forward pass. In these instances, if the quarterback’s arm has started its forward motion to throw the ball as the hit occurs, the play is ruled an attempted forward pass and a sack is not recorded. If the ball falls to the ground in this situation, the pass is ruled incomplete. If a defensive player catches the ball before it hits the ground, the pass is ruled an interception, and the defender is then allowed to advance the ball toward the opposing team’s goal line. If the hit occurs before the quarterback’s armed is determined to be in a forward throwing motion, a sack is recorded, regardless of whether he fumbles the ball or not.
What Causes a Sack
In many situations, defensive players sack the quarterback as a result of inadequate protection from the offensive unit’s linemen, which include the center, guards and tackles. On occasion, the tight end is called on to provide pass protection and can share in the blame for causing a sack. In other situations, the linemen may provide adequate time for the quarterback to make a throw, but the defensive unit’s secondary players, which include the cornerbacks and safeties, provide exceptional pass coverage on the offensive unit’s wide receivers. This situation could cause the quarterback to hold on to the ball for longer than the play’s intended time.
Considerations
Ultimately, a football game’s official statistician determines whether a tackle made behind the line of scrimmage is a sack or not. Some situations may lead the statistician to rule that a tackle on the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage is not a sack. For example, a quarterback takes the snap and heads immediately to his right with the intent of advancing the ball on a running play but is tackled before he reaches the line of scrimmage. In this instance, a statistician might determine the play was not a sack and will credit the tackler with a tackle for loss, which is an entirely different statistical category. All sacks are ruled to be tackles for losses, but not all tackles for losses are determined to be sacks. When a defensive player makes a clear-cut sack, he is credited with both a tackle for loss and a sack.
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