line of scrimmage

noun phrase

: an imaginary line in football that is parallel to the goal lines and tangent to the nose of the ball laid on the ground and marks the position of the ball at the start of each down

Examples of line of scrimmage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ingold is a versatile blocker and can execute from various alignments, including inline on the line of scrimmage. Daniel Popper, New York Times, 11 May 2026 The only sounds, other than the planes, were the sounds of the coaches’ voices teaching and the players making checks at the line of scrimmage. Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026 On one third-and-goal at the start of that second quarter, Carr checked a call at the line of scrimmage; York looked and pointed to his left at Notre Dame receiver Malachi Fields, isolated against A&M cornerback Will Lee III. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 8 May 2026 Often lines up at the line of scrimmage in Jones’ man-to-man scheme and his bump-and-run skill throws receivers off their routes. Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for line of scrimmage

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of line of scrimmage was circa 1909

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Line of scrimmage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/line%20of%20scrimmage. Accessed 18 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

line of scrimmage

: an imaginary line in football parallel to the goal lines and running through the place the ball is laid before each play begins
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