Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football. The first is an action taken by the offense that means to advance the ball by running with it, as opposed to passing. The other is an action taken by the defense that means to charge towards the quarterback, kicker or punter across the line of scrimmage. When players on the defense are collectively rushing the passer (usually a quarterback), it is called the pass rush. In both offense and defense, any rushing player is called a rusher.