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

In an idea world, the Dolphins would be forceful in the trenches and own the line of scrimmage every Sunday. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2026

Maye has already showcased proficiency under center and through his use of play action, as his ability to operate with his back to the line of scrimmage has accelerated his progression. — Jeff Howe, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

The Huskies had a hand full of big passing plays wiped off the board in the first half because of some mistakes at the line of scrimmage. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026

On the ensuing drive, Underwood connected with receiver Channing Goodwin around midfield, and with no timeouts, the Wolverines scrambled to the line of scrimmage to spike the ball with just nine seconds on the clock. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1909, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for line of scrimmage

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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