Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
scrummage

scrummage

9.5
A way to restart play in rugby where players crouch and push to win the ball
  • noun
  • /ˈskrəmɪdʒ/
  • Jargon
translation icon : melé
  • A well-executed scrummage can determine control early in a rugby match.

Examples

  • The referee called for a scrummage after the knock-on.

  • The teams prepared for the scrummage, locking arms and crouching low.

  • The referee called for a scrummage after the knock-on.

  • During a scrummage, players must bind tightly together.

  • In rugby, a scrummage occurs when the forwards from both teams lock arms to compete for possession of the ball.

  • During the game, the referee called for a scrummage to restart play after a minor infraction.

  • The players crouched low in a tense scrummage, eager to gain control of the ball for their team.

Synonyms

scrum
vsscrummage
  • Jargon
4 8.6

A way to restart play where players push together and the ball is thrown in to win it

has identical meaning but is the longer alternative form

Surface Forms

scrummage singular
scrummages plural

Morphology

scrummage = scrum (semi-transparent) = scrum + age

The word is built from the rugby term 'scrum' plus the noun-forming suffix '-age', but the resulting label is a specialized sports term rather than an everyday fully predictable meaning.

Etymology

The word scrummage comes from the older word scrimmage, meaning a 'fight', and from the same word we get rugby scrum. So a scrummage is like a close 'fight' where players pack together and push to win the ball.