Football Rushing

What is Rushing in Football?

Rushing in football is the act of an offensive player running with the ball after it being handed or tossed to them laterally. The two ways to advance down the field are either by passing the ball or by running with it (rushing), and any play that does not involve a passing action is considered to be a rush. It is good for a team to have variation between passing and rushing plays, otherwise offense can become predictable and easily defended. A rush is often called just a run or a carry.

Players Who Rush

Running backs are the players that rush the most and typically lead the league in rushing yards, but quarterbacks and wide receivers also rush. Quarterbacks usually rush when all the passing options are well marked and a gap opens up. In that case, quarterbacks often choose to end the play with a dive or a slide, in order to escape a rough tackle that can follow a good rushing play.

Rushing Statistics

The statistic that measures rushing is called “rushing yards,” and it can be calculated for teams or players during seasons or individual games. Other rushing stats that are popularly used to measure rushers are Yards Per Carry (YPC) and Yards Per Game (YDS/G). Rushing yards are sometimes even further broken down into highly specific statistics, such as Rushing Touchdowns (TD), Rushing Fumbles (FUM), Rushing Fumbles Lost (LST), and Rushing First Downs (FD).