scrum

UK/skɹʌm/US/skɹʌm/

nounB2+Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #14,017 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: scrums

A scrum is the tight formation packed together to restart play. Pack down for a scrum, win the scrum, a collapsed scrum.

Eight players a side bind together and push, and the ball is fed in between them. It is the most technical and most dangerous part of rugby, which is why front-row players must be specifically trained. The word is short for scrummage, a form of scrimmage.

Definitions of scrum

1nounscrumThe packed formation used to restart play in rugby.B2+
“The two teams packed down for a scrum near the try line.”

scrum is a formation.

Where it comes from

Short for scrummage, itself a variant of scrimmage, from skirmish.

Either a back-formation from or an scrummage, a variant of scrimmage.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Sports & Games Played

Practise this word

scrum in the wild

Starting play from the line of scrimmage in gridiron football is derived from the scrum.
Scrum (rugby)
In both forms of rugby, a scrum is formed by the players who are designated forwards binding together in three rows.
Scrum (rugby)
The players outside the scrum are called "the backs": scrum-half, fly-half, inside centre, outside centre, two wings, and a fullback.
Rugby union positions
Forwards compete for the ball in scrums and line-outs and are generally bigger and stronger than the backs.
Rugby union positions
The name "scrum" comes from a maneuver from the game of rugby, signifying toughness.
Autozam Scrum

1 / 2

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

scrumptious

← Vocabulary