downfield

American

[doun-feeld] / ˈdaʊnˈfild /

adverb

Football.

past the line of scrimmage and at or toward the goal line of the defensive team.

He sent his receivers downfield. Downfield blocking is important on passes.

Etymology

Origin of downfield

First recorded in 1940–45; down ¹ + field

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Norwegian striker Alexander Sorloth was the star of the show with a hat-trick, including the opener midway through the first half which came from a long kick downfield by goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

From Barron's

He speaks about the team battling their way downfield and getting good field position.

From BBC

They worked it downfield, through the puddles, through and around the demonic Italian players, over halfway and into the enemy 22.

From BBC

Guirassy added another goal just 84 seconds later, breaking downfield and slicing the ball inside the near post to put Dortmund in front.

From Barron's

That was plenty of time to kick the field goal, take the points, then lean on the defense to stop mistake-prone Darnold long enough to drive back downfield for the winning field goal.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023