Zone Blitz

Defense

also: zone pressure

A blitz with zone coverage behind it, often with a defensive lineman dropping into the space a linebacker or defensive back left.

The defense brings pressure from one area and drops another player, often a defensive lineman, into the space the rushers left. The coverage behind the blitz is zone. The quarterback has to identify who is rushing and who is dropping, not simply count the rushers.

Also calledzone pressure
Not to be confused withman blitz, bluff

A note on how the term is used

Fire zone usually means a five-man zone blitz with three defenders underneath and three deep. Zone blitz is the broader name and also covers other pressures with zone behind them. The dropping defender may end up in the window where the quarterback expects to throw hot.

Where you will hear it

  • fire-zone families
  • the Arnsparger and LeBeau lineage

Related terms