scrimmage

noun

1. A rough fight.

   “get caught up in a scrimmage”

   “There was an instant of complete silence, but when Tough Bill threw himself on Strickland the lust of battle seized them all, and in a moment there was a confused scrimmage. Tables were overturned, glasses crashed to the ground.”

2. (US)In some team sports, especially soccer, a practice game which does not count on a team's record.

   “Merchandise sales surged. The spring scrimmage, usually a yawn of an afterthought at Colorado, was packed.”

3. In American football or Canadian football, a play that begins with a snap from the center while opposing teams are on either side of a line of scrimmage.

verb

1. To have, or be involved in, a scrimmage.

   “We scrimmaged a few times and then settled into boring drills.”

   “Elwood caught sight of a football field where some boys scrimmaged and yelped.”