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.
Green Bay owned the line of scrimmage, converted on third downs and constantly pressured Smith, who left the game with a knee injury midway through the third quarter. Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024 His command at the line of scrimmage audibling is unbelievable. Sean Treppedi, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024 The Navy Midshipmen and the Army Black Knights line up for the snap at the line of scrimmage during the first quarter of an NCAA football game at Gillette Stadium, Dec. 9, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass. CBS News, 14 Dec. 2024 The 6-foot-5, 265-pound rookie from UCLA burst off the line of scrimmage and barreled around Bears tight end Cole Kmet. Chicago Tribune, 10 Dec. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near line of scrimmage

Cite this Entry

“Line of scrimmage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/line%20of%20scrimmage. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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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