zone defence | zone defense, n.

zone-defence
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zone-defence_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1986; not fully revised

# zone defence | zone defensenoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zone defence mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zone defence. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

#### Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

### How common is the noun zone defence?

About 0.04occurrences per million words in modern written English

1920 | 0.025
1930 | 0.029
1940 | 0.033
1950 | 0.034
1960 | 0.037
1970 | 0.039
1980 | 0.04
1990 | 0.04
2000 | 0.04
2010 | 0.035

### Where does the noun zone defence come from?

Earliest known use

1920s

The earliest known use of the noun zone defence is in the 1920s.

### Nearby entries

1. zona reticularis, n. 1874–
2. zonarious, adj. 1656–
3. zonary, adj. 1881–
4. zonate, adj. 1866–
5. zonated, adj. 1803–
6. zonation, n. 1898–
7. zone, n. a1500–
8. zone, v. 1792–
9. zone centre | zone center, n. 1934–
10. zoned, adj. 1662–
11. zone defence | zone defense, n.1927–
12. zone electrophoresis, n. 1952–
13. zone fossil, n. 1904–
14. zoneless, adj. 1748–
15. zonelet, n. 1855–
16. zone level, v. 1974–
17. zone leveller, n. 1956–
18. zone levelling, n. 1953–
19. zone-melt, v. 1982–
20. zone melting, n. 1952–
21. zone plate, n. 1890–

## Meaning & use

American Football and Basketball.

1. 1927–
   A system of defensive play whereby each player guards an allotted portion of the field of play.
   1. 1927

      > Zone defense

      [see zone n. 2d].
   2. 1929

      > Zone defense, in which each individual is responsible for a certain zone.

      H. C. Carlson, You & Basket Ball vi. 128
   3. 1937

      > It is to be noticed in charting these penetrating offensive plays against a zone defense that the setup of the offense is identical with that used in penetrating the man-for-man defense.

      F. C. Allen, Better Basketball xviii. 291
   4. 1970

      > Zone defense, a type of pass defense in which each of the three linebackers and four deep backs is assigned to cover a specific area of the field. Zone defense contrasts with man-to-man defense.

      G. Sullivan, Pro Football A to Z 341
   basketball American football
   1. zone 1927–
      American Football and Basketball. A specific area of the court to be defended by a particular player; also, a mode of defensive play employing this…
   2. zone defence 1927–
      A system of defensive play whereby each player guards an allotted portion of the field of play.
   3. press 1945–
      Basketball. Intense pressure applied by the defending team to the attacking team, typically in order to force the attacking team into losing…
   4. full-court press 1947–
      A defensive strategy in which intense pressure is applied to the opposing team over the entire length of the court (cf. press, n.¹ IV.11f); (also…
   5. box-and-one 1958–
      A defensive strategy in which four players are positioned at each corner of the free-throw lane, each playing zone defence, while the remaining…
   6. ankle-breaker 2001–
      Basketball. A dribbling technique in which a player suddenly changes direction by switching the ball rapidly from one hand to the other, causing…
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. rush 1857–
      American Football and (occasionally) Rugby. An act by a defensive player of rushing the quarterback or a kicker. Cf. pass rush, n.
   2. fair catch 1861–
      a. (In Rugby Union and Australian Rules football) a catch of a ball kicked by an opposing player leading to a mark (mark, n.¹ VII.32); b. American F…
   3. punt-out 1861–
      A long kick upfield.
   4. goal-kicking 1871–
      spec. Rugby and (occasionally) American Football. The action of taking a goal kick (goal kick, n. 1a); the art of being a goalkicker.
   5. safety 1879–
      Sport. An action intended to make one's position safer. American Football. An act of carrying the ball into one's own end zone; a score of two…
   6. safety touchdown 1879–
      = safety touch, n.
   7. scrimmage 1880–
      American Football and Canadian Football. A sequence of play in which opposing players take up position on either side of an imaginary line…
   8. rushing 1882–
      American Football and Rugby. In defensive play: the action of running towards and attempting to tackle or hinder the opposing team's quarterback or…
   9. blocking 1883–
      American Football. The action of obstructing an opponent, esp. a defensive player, by interposing one's body, as a legal move. Cf. block, v.¹ I.4.
   10. forward pass 1884–
       A pass or throw in the direction of an opposing team's goal; spec. (a) American Football a pass in the direction of the opposing goal line…
   11. safety touch 1884–
       = safety, n. II.6b.
   12. touchback 1884–
       The action or fact of a team being awarded possession of the ball at a specific point on the field (now usually its own 20-yard line) resulting…
   13. passback 1887–
       American Football. A backward pass from the centre to put the ball in play; = snap-back, n. 1b.
   14. run 1890–
       Sport. American Football. = running play, n.
   15. signal 1891–
       American Football. A coded verbal instruction given by a player, typically the quarterback, to other team members which specifies the next play or…
   16. fake 1893–
       Sport (originally and chiefly U.S.). An act of faking or feinting to deceive one's opponent; a feint. Cf. fake, v.² 8.
   17. running play 1894–
       A play in which an offensive player attempts to advance the ball by running with it after a handoff or a lateral; cf. pass play, n.
   18. straight-arm 1894–
       American Football. A push or blow delivered by the ball carrier to fend off a potential tackler, using the arm held out straight from the body; the…
   19. onside kick 1895–
       A short kick-off in which the ball is sent only slightly further than the legally required distance of 10 yards.
   20. straight-arming 1895–
       American Football. The action of fending off a potential tackler using one's arm held out straight from one's body. Also figurative and in…
   21. tandem-play 1895–
       See quot.
   22. pass play 1896–
       A play in which the ball is passed between members of the same team; cf. running play, n.
   23. spiral 1896–
       American Football. A kick or pass in which the ball in flight spins round its long axis.
   24. shift 1901–
       American Football and Canadian Football. A sudden change from one offensive formation to another, achieved by one or more players changing their…
   25. end run 1902–
       a. In American football, an attempt by the ball-carrier to run round his or her own end (end, n. I.3g) and towards the goal; b. figurative an…
   26. quarterback sneak 1904–
       A play in which a quarterback carries the ball instead of handing or passing it to another player, esp. a short fast run through the offensive line.
   27. runback 1905–
       American Football. A run made to advance a ball received after a change of possession, esp. a ball caught after a kick-off or punt.
   28. roughing 1906–
       Sport. American Football, Ice Hockey, and Lacrosse. Any of various instances of violent behaviour, resulting in a penalty; foul tackling, punching…
   29. Minnesota shift 1910–
       An attacking manoeuvre used in college football, originally developed by the University of Minnesota team (see quot. 1971).
   30. quarterbacking 1910–
       American Football. The action of playing or directing as quarterback. Frequently attributive.
   31. snap-back 1910–
       American Football and Canadian Football. A backward pass from the centre which puts the ball in play to begin a scrimmage.
   32. pickoff 1912–
       American Football. An interception.
   33. block 1914–
       American Football and Canadian Football. An act of obstructing an opponent from reaching or tackling the ball carrier by interposing one's body…
   34. punt return 1914–
       An act of fielding and running a football punted by the opposite team.
   35. screen forward pass 1915–
       A short forward pass to a receiver at or behind the line of scrimmage who is shielded by a screen of blockers; now superseded by screen pass, n.
   36. lateral pass 1916–
       A side or backward pass to a teammate (cf. forward pass, n.).
   37. screen pass 1920–
       A short pass to a receiver at or behind the line of scrimmage who is shielded by a screen of blockers; cf. screen forward pass, n.
   38. bootleg 1921–
       American Football and Canadian Football. A play in which the quarterback feigns a hand-off to a teammate, then runs towards one sideline while…
   39. pass defence 1921–
       Defensive play aimed at preventing a pass being successfully completed by the offence.
   40. power play 1921–
       Sport. A concentration of players at a particular point; (American Football) a play in which the ball carrier is preceded by other players acting…
   41. sneak 1921–
       American Football. = quarterback sneak, n.
   42. snap 1922–
       American Football and Canadian Football. A backward pass from the centre which puts the ball in play to begin a scrimmage; = snap-back, n. 1b.
   43. bootlegger 1923–
       American Football and Canadian Football. A trick play in which a quarterback feigns a hand-off to a teammate so as to misdirect the opposition…
   44. defence 1923–
       Sport. The action or an act of seeking to prevent the opposition from scoring points, goals, etc., or otherwise gaining an advantage; a strategy or…
   45. reverse 1924–
       American Football. A trick play in which a running player receives a handoff from the quarterback, runs behind the line of scrimmage, and hands the…
   46. carry 1927–
       American Football. An act of running or rushing with the ball. Later also Rugby: an act of running hard with the ball into the opposition…
   47. lateral 1927–
       American Football. = lateral pass, n. Cf. lateral, v.
   48. stiff-arm 1927–
       (transitive) (occasionallyabsol.) to fend off or push with a stiff arm; hence figurative, to rebuff or reject; also as n. usually attributive) in…
   49. zone 1927–
       American Football and Basketball. A specific area of the court to be defended by a particular player; also, a mode of defensive play employing this…
   50. zone defence 1927–
       A system of defensive play whereby each player guards an allotted portion of the field of play.
   51. bomb 1928–
       Sport. American Football. A long forward pass thrown to a receiver far downfield in order to gain substantial yardage with a single play…
   52. submarine charge 1928–
       A charge in which a defensive lineman ducks below the block of an offensive lineman; cf. submarine, v. 4, submarine tackle, n.
   53. squib 1929–
       North American Sport (esp. American Football and Baseball). A hit, kick, or throw which travels only a short distance, esp. as a result of being…
   54. gang tackle 1932–
       An instance of gang tackling.
   55. pass rushing 1933–
       Defensive play aimed at preventing the opposing quarterback from passing by engaging in a pass rush. Cf. pass rush, n.
   56. safetying 1933–
       American Football. The action of playing in the position of safety. Cf. safety, n. II.11. rare.
   57. trap play 1933–
       A tactical manoeuvre in which a defensive player is allowed by the attacking team to cross the line of scrimmage and then blocked, thus creating a…
   58. end-around 1934–
       a. American Football an offensive running play in which an end (end, n. I.3g) carries the ball behind his or her own team's line and round the…
   59. trap 1935–
       American Football. = trap play, n.
   60. mousetrap 1936–
       Extended uses. American Football. A play in which a defensive lineman is allowed to cross the line of scrimmage before being blocked, thus creating…
   61. buttonhook 1938–
       American Football. A passing play in which a receiver runs straight downfield and then doubles back sharply towards the line of scrimmage to…
   62. blitzing 1940–
   63. hand-off 1940–
       American Football. An offensive manoeuvre in which a player, esp. the quarterback, hands the ball to a teammate; a play on which this occurs; a…
   64. submarine tackle 1942–
       A low tackle; a tackle aimed at the legs or knees; cf. submarine, v. 4, submarine charge, n.
   65. pitchout 1946–
       American Football. A (usually short) lateral pass behind the line of scrimmage, esp. from a quarterback to a running back.
   66. slant 1947–
       American Football. (a) An attacking play in which the ball-carrier moves into the line of scrimmage at an oblique angle. (b) In full, slant-in…
   67. strike 1947–
       In certain games. American Football. A forward pass, straight into the hands of the receiver.
   68. draw play 1948–
       A running play in which the quarterback initially drops back as if to throw a pass, so as to draw the defensive linemen forward and out of position…
   69. shovel pass 1948–
       An underarm, forward pass made with a shovelling movement of the arms; so as v. transitive and intransitive.
   70. option 1950–
       American Football. A play in which the halfback, fullback, or receiver, having received the ball from the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage…
   71. red dog 1950–
       American Football. A play in which the linebackers or defensive backs rush the quarterback; = blitz, n. c.
   72. red-dogging 1951–
       The action of rushing the quarterback.
   73. rollout 1951–
       American Football. A manoeuvre in which a quarterback moves quickly toward the sideline before attempting to pass or run the football; rollout pass…
   74. submarine 1952–
       U.S. colloquial. American Football. A submarine charge or tackle (see compounds C.2c); (also) a player attempting this. rare.
   75. turnover 1953–
       Sport (originally U.S.). A loss of possession of the ball to the opposing team.
   76. clothesline 1954–
       Chiefly U.S. Sport. A blow across the neck (or sometimes head) with an outstretched arm; a move in which a person is knocked down with such a blow…
   77. sleeper pass 1954–
       A pass unexpectedly involving a player hitherto ignored.
   78. draw 1956–
       American Football and Canadian Football. A running play in which the quarterback initially drops back as if to throw a pass, then hands the ball off…
   79. sprint-out 1958–
       A play in which the quarterback sprints towards the sideline before attempting to pass or run the ball; cf. rollout, n. B.2.
   80. gadget play 1959–
       An unusual and often elaborate offensive play, in which misdirection and unorthodox tactics are used to deceive the opposing team; a trick play.
   81. swing pass 1960–
       A short pass to a back running to the outside.
   82. pass rush 1962–
       An attempt by the defensive team to prevent the opposing quarterback from passing by harrying or tackling; play featuring such attempts.
   83. blitz 1963–
       American Football. A charge by one or more defensive backs into the offensive backfield, esp. to prevent or disrupt a passing play.
   84. spearing 1964–
       North American. American Football. The illegal action of ramming or butting a member of an opposing team with the helmet.
   85. onsides kick 1965–
       = onside kick n. at onside, adj.¹
   86. takeaway 1967–
       American Football and Ice Hockey. An instance of regaining possession of the ball or puck from the opposing team during play.
   87. quarterback sack 1968–
       = sack, n.¹ I.1j.
   88. smash-mouth 1968–
       American Football. A forcefully aggressive or confrontational style of play, spec. a style of attack that relies on running the ball rather than on…
   89. veer 1968–
       American Football. An offensive play which makes use of a modified T-formation with a split backfield, allowing the quarterback the ‘triple…
   90. bump-and-run 1970–
       American Football. A defensive technique in which a defender attempts to hit a receiver near the line of scrimmage, then runs with the receiver to…
   91. scramble 1971–
       American Football. An impromptu movement by a quarterback to evade tacklers. Cf. sense 1d of the verb.
   92. sack 1972–
       In American football, an act or occasion of tackling a quarter-back behind the scrimmage line before he or she can make a pass.
   93. nose tackle 1975–
       = middle guard, n. (b); cf. nose guard, n. (b).
   94. nickel 1979–
       American Football. = nickel defence, n.
   95. touch pass 1980–
       a. American Football a pass that is not thrown at full speed or strength; b. Basketball a pass made by using one’s hands to redirect a ball in…
   96. pressure 1981–
       American Football. Esp. as a statistical measure: an instance of a defensive player forcing the quarterback to make a play when not ready to do so.
   97. pick 1984–
       American Football. An interception. Cf. to pick off 4 at pick, v.¹ phrasal verbs 4.
   98. West Coast offence 1993–
       A style of offensive strategy relying on short, horizontal passes to open up gaps in the opposing defence.
   99. pick-six 2001–
       An interception that leads to a touchdown scored by the intercepting team on the same play.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Forms

### Variant forms

U.S. zone defense.

## Frequency

zone defence typically occurs about 0.04 times per million words in modern written English.

zone defence is in frequency band 3, which contains words occurring between 0.01 and 0.1 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zone defence | zone defense, n., 1920–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1920 | 0.025
1930 | 0.029
1940 | 0.033
1950 | 0.034
1960 | 0.037
1970 | 0.039
1980 | 0.04
1990 | 0.04
2000 | 0.04
2010 | 0.035

### Frequency of zone defence | zone defense, n., 2017–2024

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the corpus.

Period | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
2017 | 0.31
2018 | 0.28
2019 | 0.27
2020 | 0.26
2021 | 0.26
2022 | 0.25
2023 | 0.26
2024 | 0.28

Originally published as part of the entry for zone, n.

zone, n. was first published in 1921; not fully revised.