line of scrimmage: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Technical/Sports
Quick answer
What does “line of scrimmage” mean?
In American football, the imaginary line where the ball is placed at the start of each play, separating the offensive and defensive teams.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
In American football, the imaginary line where the ball is placed at the start of each play, separating the offensive and defensive teams.
A metaphorical boundary or starting point in competitive situations, often used in business or politics to describe a position from which action begins.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is almost exclusively American. In British English, rugby has similar concepts (gain line, offside line) but no direct equivalent term.
Connotations
In American English: technical, competitive, strategic. In British English: recognized only through exposure to American sports media.
Frequency
High frequency in American sports contexts; very low frequency in British English except in discussions of American football.
Grammar
How to Use “line of scrimmage” in a Sentence
The ball is placed on the line of scrimmage.Players line up at the line of scrimmage.The quarterback retreated from the line of scrimmage.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “line of scrimmage” in a Sentence
verb
American English
- The defense lined up at the line of scrimmage.
- They'll scrimmage at the practice field.
adjective
American English
- The line-of-scrimmage battle determined the game.
- He's a line-of-scrimmage specialist.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphorically used to describe a competitive starting position: 'After the merger, we need to establish a new line of scrimmage in the market.'
Academic
Rare except in sports science or cultural studies of American football.
Everyday
Uncommon in general conversation outside sports fans.
Technical
Precise term in American football rulebooks and commentary.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “line of scrimmage”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “line of scrimmage”
- Using 'line of scrimmage' for rugby (incorrect), saying 'scrimmage line' (less common but acceptable), confusing with 'line of gain'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it's specific to American football. Rugby has similar concepts but different terminology.
No, it's fixed at the spot where the ball is snapped, though the action moves away from it.
Line of scrimmage is where the play starts; line of gain (or first-down marker) is where the offense needs to reach.
Derived from 'skirmish', reflecting the contested nature of play at that boundary.
In American football, the imaginary line where the ball is placed at the start of each play, separating the offensive and defensive teams.
Line of scrimmage is usually technical/sports in register.
Line of scrimmage: in British English it is pronounced /ˌlaɪn əv ˈskrɪmɪdʒ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌlaɪn əv ˈskrɪmɪdʒ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “win the battle at the line of scrimmage”
- “control the line of scrimmage”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine SCRIMMAGE as SCRAMBLE + IMAGE - players scramble at the line where the ball's image is placed.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMPETITION IS WAR (teams 'battle' at the line), PROGRESS IS FORWARD MOTION (must advance from the line).
Practice
Quiz
In which sport is 'line of scrimmage' a technical term?