# What's the origin of the red zone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 4, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963 "2003-12-04T16:04:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/1 "2003-12-04T16:04:07Z")
Ok, so–for those of you that don’t know–in football (by which I mean American football) the area inside the opponent’s 20 yard line is called the red zone. Anyway, I can’t for the life of me find any info on who coined the term, and when. Actually, I’m mostly just interested in when it came into common usage, but any info on where it came from would get Bonus Point[sup]_[/sup] from me. [sup]_[/sup][sub]Bonus Points redeemable for jack.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![That\_Insufferable\_Jerk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/13edae/32.png) [@That\_Insufferable\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Insufferable_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/2 "2003-12-04T19:06:59Z")
Where can i get this “jack”? Does it taste good? ---
**Author:** ![That\_Insufferable\_Jerk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/13edae/32.png) [@That\_Insufferable\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Insufferable_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/3 "2003-12-04T19:22:25Z")
But seriously… “Why are we talking football terms in an engineering magazine? Like the Red Zone in football, military construction (MILCON) projects reach a point near the last 20 percent of construction when work slows and becomes more difficult.” [http://www.afcesa.af.mil/Publications/CEMag/AFCE/CSS/AFCE\_12.htm](http://www.afcesa.af.mil/Publications/CEMag/AFCE/CSS/AFCE_12.htm) "The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and the First Marine Expeditionary Force launched a two-pronged attack toward Baghdad, and both reported breakthroughs as units entered the so-called “red zone” within range of the guns and missiles defending the capital. U.S. officials say Iraqi resistance will be the most tenacious in this zone. " [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/02/iraq/main547407.shtml](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/02/iraq/main547407.shtml) Thats just what I found. Military- inside the range of fire. Football- Last few yards before a touch down. I could be wrong, though, so don’t take it as complete truth. ---
**Author:** ![SeekingTruth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@SeekingTruth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeekingTruth)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/4 "2003-12-04T19:47:17Z")
TIJ, prolly as good as this, and a good chance it’s tied to it. Red zone is obviously a reference to the defense stopping a score, some coaches are now trying to use psychology to tell thier offense that it’s the “green” zone. Who coined the phrase, I know not. But the previous post is as good as any I’ve heard ---
**Author:** ![That\_Insufferable\_Jerk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/13edae/32.png) [@That\_Insufferable\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Insufferable_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/5 "2003-12-04T19:57:12Z")
I’ve found it in everything from cricket to basketball to medical terms. That would make me guess that its origin is from something outside of sports but that’s as close as i can get. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/6 "2003-12-05T03:01:22Z")
_Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate_ cites it in print from 1983 in the football sense. I don’t have more than that. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/7 "2003-12-05T04:34:22Z")
The _red zone_ is for the loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no parking in the _red zone._ ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/8 "2003-12-05T04:57:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by moriah \* > \*\*The _red zone_ is for the loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no parking in the _red zone._ \*\* That’s generally the white zone. The red zone is the fire/emergency lane. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/9 "2003-12-05T05:33:31Z")
[Listen](http://www.moviequotequiz.com/reviews/airplane.html), Betty, don’t start up with your white zone shit again. ---
**Author:** ![Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satisfying_Andy_Licious)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/10 "2003-12-05T06:16:40Z")
Surely that’s a line from a movie? ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/11 "2003-12-05T06:30:19Z")
[It is](http://www.cs.tufts.edu/~rkogan/humor/airplane.html), and don’t call me Shirley. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/12 "2003-12-05T07:39:34Z")
This thread seems to have been hijacked, altogether. ---
**Author:** ![SeekingTruth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@SeekingTruth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeekingTruth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/13 "2003-12-05T07:42:12Z")
sometimes a question has no answer, just really good banter. Over. ---
**Author:** ![Bob55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Bob55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob55)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/14 "2003-12-05T07:43:23Z")
I always thought it was called the Red Zone because the of the colors on the 20 yard line (red/white/blue). Isn’t the red line on the same side as the end zone? ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/15 "2003-12-05T07:56:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by moriah \* > \*\*This thread seems to have been hijacked, altogether. \*\* Well, the OP did offer bonus points for a hi-jack, didn’t he? I slay me. FWIW, I thought this was going to be about the origins of the red light district. No, I don’t know the answer, I was just curious. ---
**Author:** ![SeekingTruth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@SeekingTruth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeekingTruth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/16 "2003-12-05T08:16:57Z")
BOB55, I think the red-zone phrase came before the colored lines. If you’re seen old footage of games the lines are all simple white chalk lines. The coloring came in just to make it look good on tv. And of course, being a US sport, they went red/white/blue ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/17 "2003-12-05T08:23:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by That Insufferable Jerk… \* > \*\*I’ve found it in everything from cricket to basketball to medical terms. That would make me guess that its origin is from something outside of sports but that’s as close as i can get. \*\* Never heard it in cricket. Though that said I’m not a huge fan, just hard to avoid cricket in the summer. ---
**Author:** ![E.T.Bass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@E.T.Bass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.T.Bass)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/18 "2003-12-05T08:34:14Z")
In my opinion, RED means alarm or emergency. If your opponent is in the Red Zone, they are going to come away with some points. It is not especially difficult for your opponent to score at least a field goal from this range. A good high schooler can. I did screwing around as a 10th grader kicking field goals using an old glass gatorade bottle as a tee, not receiving any instruction on how to kick the ball correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/19 "2003-12-05T15:37:30Z")
"The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and the First Marine Expeditionary Force launched a two-pronged attack toward Baghdad, and both reported breakthroughs as units entered the so-called “red zone” within range of the guns and missiles defending the capital. U.S. officials say Iraqi resistance will be the most tenacious in this zone. " [ Sorry this ain’t it. The writer or his source is simply applying sports terms to warfare. The football term came first ---
**Author:** ![Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satisfying_Andy_Licious)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-red-zone/216963/20 "2003-12-06T06:43:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by moriah \* > \*\*This thread seems to have been hijacked, altogether. \*\* (All together) “This thread seems to have been hijacked.” But to get back on topic, don’t forget [Red Zone Cuba,](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0060753/) a film made in 1966.