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.
Then Young dazzled, dancing in the backfield, doing so 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage at one point, before breaking a tackle, maneuvering forward and floating what ended up being a simple pass to tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders for a touchdown. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Dec. 2025 The act of tackling a quarterback behind the line of scrimmage was not, however, one such previously unmeasurable piece of data. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 21 Dec. 2025 The Vikings tried to put linebacker Blake Cashman on the line of scrimmage for a blitz look on that play, and Booker completely manhandled him. Derrik Klassen, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025 Win the line of scrimmage This is always the top priority for the Hurricanes. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 14 Dec. 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 28 Dec. 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
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