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.
Henning struggles to fight through physical contact at the line of scrimmage and in his route stem. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2025 Moving James closer to the line of scrimmage played a huge part in his resurgent 2024 season in coordinator Jesse Minter’s defense. Daniel Popper, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025 Pairing Starks with Swiss Army knife Kyle Hamilton could lock in the gains Baltimore’s defense achieved during the second half of last season by having Hamilton defend the slot, and play closer to the line of scrimmage. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Apr. 2025 That package could be a natural fit in Kansas City, given the Chiefs so frequently throw the ball behind the line of scrimmage or within 10 yards of it. Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 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 10 May. 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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