broken field

¹

noun

1. open field.

broken-field

²

[ broh-kuhn-feeld ]

adjective

, Football.

1. performed, as by a ball-carrier, in a wide-open area covered by few defensive players, as opposed to the heavily trafficked area near the line of scrimmage.

Word History and Origins

Origin of broken field¹

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Origin of broken field²

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Example Sentences

Caught cold in the opening stages, they wrestled their way back into the contest before revelling in broken field.

From BBC

The superb Sititi surged through broken field and almost laid on a third try just before half-time, with Vaa'i just unable to reel in his pass with the line beckoning.

From BBC

Peter O'Mahony reacted quickly to keep a loose ball alive on the right-hand touchline, with Gibson-Park recognising the broken field quickly to snipe through a hole and move the ball wide where Hansen was found for an easy run-in.

From BBC

His teammate Perry called him the best broken field runner he had ever seen.

From Washington Post

De Laura fired a pass at midfield to Joey Hobert, who made a great broken field run to complete a 55-yard touchdown and lift Washington State to a 17-10 lead late in the third.

From Seattle Times