The target must not be in combat, and any damage caused will revive the target.
Only 1 target may be sapped at a time.
Despite the description, sap is not considered an incapacitate effect, but a sap effect.
Tips[]
Sapping in a neutral town does aggro the guards.
Sap is an effective crowd control technique. Don't forget to tell the party which mob you are sapping, as any damage breaks the effect.
Sap does not cause threat, meaning that if you Sap a mob and then move out of normal aggro range, the mob will not attack you after the Sap effect is broken.
Mobs that are Sapped won't be tagged as your kill until you deal damage to them. Be wary of other players stealing your kill.
Sap can be useful in a PvP environment, to even out a 2-on-1, to take out a Shaman's totems before you fight them, to capture a flag quickly in battlegrounds, or even after a [Vanish]. Remember, like all crowd-control effects, Sap is limited to a reduced duration in PvP.
Sapping a player of the opposite faction will turn on your PvP Flag. Be wary.
Comparison to Paralysis[]
Upon release, monks were given a crowd control ability called [Paralysis]. Like Sap, this causes an incapacitate effect up to 60 seconds long, but was considered a magical effect that could be reflected, grounded, or dispelled. In patch 5.2.0 it was made physical, increasing the similarity to Sap. This section compares the two.
Patch 10.1.0 (2023-05-02): Duration decreased to 6 seconds in PvP combat (was 8 seconds).
Patch 10.0.0 (2022-10-25): Now a row 1 class talent (was a level 11 ability).
Patch 9.0.1 (2020-10-13): Now learned at level 11 (was 14).
Patch 7.1.0 (2016-10-25): Now learned at level 14 (was 12).
Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Now learned at level 12 (was 10).
Hotfix (2011-07-01):Sap is no longer placing the rogue in combat when he/she is visible and the target is sapped.
Patch 4.0.6 (2011-02-08): Now has a PvP duration of 8 seconds.
Patch 2.4.0 (2008-03-25): Sap is no longer considered an incapacitate effect; changed to allow more creatures to be crowd controlled in dungeons who were previously immune.
Patch 2.3.0 (2007-11-13): Multiple Saps placed by multiple Rogues will now be handled correctly in all cases.
Patch 2.0.3 (2007-01-09): There is no longer a random chance the effect of Sap will end (i.e. removed the heartbeat resist check). The effect will still end early when the target is damaged.
Patch 1.12.0 (2006-08-22): Enemy rogues will now always lose stealth when you Sap them.
Patch 1.2.0 (2004-12-18): Players now have an increasing chance to break free of the effect, such that it is unlikely the effect will last more than 15 seconds.
Patch 1.1.0 (2004-11-07): Increased the chance of breaking early.
Patch 0.11 (2004-09-29): Targets now have a chance of waking up before the duration ends.
[Blackjack], 
[Dirty Tricks], 
[Rushed Setup]
[Shadow Dance].
[Paralysis]. Like Sap, this causes an incapacitate effect up to 60 seconds long, but was considered a magical effect that could be reflected, grounded, or dispelled. In patch 5.2.0 it was made physical, increasing the similarity to Sap. This section compares the two.
