# Football (American) question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-american-question/693725>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [July 22, 2014, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-american-question/693725 "2014-07-22T08:16:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-american-question/693725/1 "2014-07-22T08:16:02Z")

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How did “sack” come to mean tackling the quarterback?

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**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-american-question/693725/2 "2014-07-22T08:33:16Z")

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I’m not from the USA or a (USA) football fan, but “sack” has an archaic meaning relating to a [military assault](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sack_of_Rome_(1527)).

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**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-american-question/693725/3 "2014-07-22T08:35:52Z")

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^Yep.

> [@](#):
>
> The term “sack” was first coined by Hall of Fame defensive end Deacon Jones in the 1960s, who felt that a sack devastated the offense in the same way that a city was devastated when it was sacked.[3]
> 
> Prior to “sack”, the term “dump” was often used, and the NFL’s statistical office recorded all sacks under “dumping the passer”.[4]

> **[Quarterback sack](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarterback_sack)**
>
> In gridiron football, a sack occurs when the quarterback (or another offensive player acting as a passer) is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before throwing a forward pass, when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and without clear intent, or when a passer runs out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage due to defensive pressure. This often occurs if the opposing team's defensive line, linebackers or defensive backs are able to apply pass pressure (also

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-american-question/693725/4 "2014-07-22T10:57:24Z")

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I can appreciate the confusion with the use of “sack” to mean “sacrifice.” Two different ideas, same term. Confusing. You’ve gotten the good reasons already!