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.

See Examples For:

downfield

Imagine an NFL referee walking onto the field with two minutes left in the game to announce that the end zone has moved 10 yards downfield, effective immediately.

From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026

His run downfield was a big part of Adams' fourth.

From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026

Moments later his epic 54-yard hurl to Marvin Mims Jr paid off spectacularly, caught deep downfield.

From Barron's ● Jan. 25, 2026

But instead of inching toward a potential kick, Williams looked downfield and threw his third pick of the game.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

Each team tries to carry the ball downfield and score a try, like a touchdown.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge

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