Meaning & use
scrimmage
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablesportAmerican
A practice game in which a team plays against itself or a friendly opponent.
Grammar: Usually used in sport: a Friday scrimmage.
Patterns
- a scrimmage against someone
- a practice scrimmage
The team held a scrimmage on Saturday morning.
Players tried new plays in a friendly scrimmage.
The coach ended practice with a short scrimmage.
nouncountable
A rough, confused struggle, with people pushing and fighting for something.
Grammar: General sense outside sport: a scrimmage for seats.
Patterns
- a scrimmage for something
A scrimmage broke out as shoppers rushed for the sale items.
There was a brief scrimmage at the gate.
nouncountable or uncountablesporttechnical
In American football, the start of play when the ball is put down and the two teams face each other.
Grammar: Mainly in the phrase line of scrimmage.
Patterns
- line of scrimmage
The runner was stopped at the line of scrimmage.
The ball is placed at the line of scrimmage before each play.
verbintransitive
To take part in a practice game or a rough struggle.
Grammar: No object; used with a team: the squad scrimmaged for an hour.
Patterns
- scrimmage against someone
The two teams scrimmaged before the season opener.
The players scrimmaged in the rain.
Word forms
| plural | scrimmages |
|---|---|
| third person singular | scrimmages |
| past tense | scrimmaged |
| -ing form | scrimmaging |
Common combinations
- line of scrimmage
- The quarterback stood behind the line of scrimmage.
- practice scrimmage
- The coach scheduled a practice scrimmage.
- intrasquad scrimmage
- Fans watched the intrasquad scrimmage.
- play a scrimmage
- The girls play a scrimmage every week.
- preseason scrimmage
- The preseason scrimmage went well.
Synonyms and how they differ
- practice match
- Practice match is the neutral term, while scrimmage is more American and informal.
- skirmish
- Skirmish is a small fight, while scrimmage is a rough struggle or practice game.
- melee
- Melee is a confused, chaotic fight, while scrimmage is a rough but often playful struggle.
- friendly
- Friendly is a British word for a non-competitive match, while scrimmage is used for practice within a team.
Word family
- scrimmager noun
- a player in a scrimmage
- skirmish noun
- a small, short fight, related in origin
- scrummage noun
- an older spelling linked to the rugby scrum
Commonly confused: scrimmage or scrum?
scrimmage vs scrum
A scrum is the packed formation in rugby; scrimmage is mostly American football practice or rough struggle.
Practice
Before the season started, the coach arranged a ____ so the team could practice game plans.
Choose one answer.
A scrimmage is a practice game. A tournament is a formal competition, which does not fit a practice session.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “scrimmage”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.