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
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Tolbert, 27, measures in at 6 feet 1, has the speed to stretch the field on vertical routes and is known to effectively release off the line of scrimmage to beat press coverage at the start of his routes.
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David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
After the motion, the defender who was on the slot moved up to the line of scrimmage to show blitz.
—Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
The Giants‘ re-signing of 6-7, 340-pound right tackle Evan Neal, on the heels of adding 6-3, 300-pound Ravens All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard, points to John Harbaugh’s affinity for size on the football field to dictate terms on the line of scrimmage.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2026
That downhill mentality, McClellan added, often showed up behind the line of scrimmage, where Trotter consistently put himself in position to make plays.
—Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for line of scrimmage
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David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
After the motion, the defender who was on the slot moved up to the line of scrimmage to show blitz.
—Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
The Giants‘ re-signing of 6-7, 340-pound right tackle Evan Neal, on the heels of adding 6-3, 300-pound Ravens All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard, points to John Harbaugh’s affinity for size on the football field to dictate terms on the line of scrimmage.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2026
That downhill mentality, McClellan added, often showed up behind the line of scrimmage, where Trotter consistently put himself in position to make plays.
—Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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 20 Mar. 2026.
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