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.
Gilman’s presence as a deep safety alongside rookie Malaki Starks has settled things down and allowed Kyle Hamilton, the team’s best defensive player, to play closer to the line of scrimmage and blitz, cover and stop the run. Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025 When quarterback Jayden Denegal didn’t have time to locate his primary receiver because of a blitz, Denegal dumped the ball to Cardwell over the middle behind the line of scrimmage. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2025 Lined up in the right slot, Rice had an option route that asked him to post up a couple of yards past the line of scrimmage. Kansas City Star, 28 Oct. 2025 Wide Receivers could not get off the line of scrimmage against them. Jon Becker, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025 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 8 Nov. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!