ENRUES
Glossary

Red zone

Terms

What it is

The red zone is the area between the defense’s 20-yard line and the goal line. When an offense is there, it is close enough to score.

In a game

The field is shorter here, so there is less room for deep routes, and the defense can pack the end zone. Offenses call short passes, runs and fades.

More detail

Teams track their red-zone efficiency, which is how often they score a touchdown when they get inside the 20. A team that settles for field goals instead of touchdowns often loses close games.

Animated play

101020203030404050504040303020201010END ZONEEND ZONERed zoneXXXXThe offense moves the ball down the field.It crosses the 20-yard line.Now it is in the red zone, close enough to score.

Blue circles are the team with the ball. X marks the other team. The yellow oval is the ball.

  1. The red zone is the part of the field between the defense’s 20-yard line and its goal line.
  2. Inside it, the offense is within easy reach of a touchdown or a short field goal.
  3. The defense has less room to cover, so it can pack the end zone with defenders, and deep routes disappear.
  4. Teams keep a statistic for how often they score a touchdown after they enter the red zone.