red zone
Near the goalline
Red zone refers to an area of heightened danger, restriction, or critical importance.
In American football, it's the area between the 20-yard line and the goal line, where offenses have the best scoring opportunities: They're in the red zone with two minutes left.
More broadly, red zone marks any high-risk or restricted area—combat zones, contamination areas, or regions where certain activities are prohibited.
The term draws on red's universal association with warning and urgency.
Source of potential harm
- threatIndication of potential harm
- perilSerious threat of harm
- riskPossibility of harm
- hotspotArea of notable activity
warzone · quarantine · exclusion · contamination · radiation · biohazard · emergency · crisis
Six-point gridiron play
- endzoneFootball field's scoring rectangle
- goal lineScoring boundary stripe
- scoringEarning points in competition
- offenseViolation or umbrage
drive · possession · quarterback · snap · first down · rushing · play-action · tight end
hazard
Source of potential harm
hotspot · warzone · quarantine · exclusion · contamination · radiation · biohazard · emergency · crisis · high-risk
touchdown
Six-point gridiron play
- endzoneFootball field's scoring rectangle
- goal lineScoring boundary stripe
- scoringEarning points in competition
offense · drive · possession · quarterback · snap · first down · rushing · play-action · tight end · receiver
- color + place nameswhite room, blue room, green room, White House, white sand beach
- restricted zonesrestricted area, secure area, DMZ
- footballfootball, touchdown, field goal, quarterback, goal
- battery statuscharged, charging, dead, depleted, drained
- danger zonesdanger zones, war zones, combat zones, hostile territory, minefield
- Football Fieldendzone, goal line, goal post, goalpost, goalposts
red zonesafe zone
Protected area from threats
safety zone · secure area · all clear · comfort zone · optimal range
red, zone, reddish, redness, redden, redder, reddest, reddening, red-eye