In
American football or
Canadian football, a
blitz is when additional players are sent to "rush the
quarterback"—that is, try to
tackle the quarterback or disrupt his
pass attempt. The term is borrowed from the
Blitzkrieg, the
German strategy of "Lightning War" employed during
World War II. Like the Blitzkrieg, the blitz is a concentration of force at high speed to force a breakthrough and proceed without regard to the flanks.