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• open field
  open field

  noun

  any area of the playing field away from the heavily trafficked line of scrimmage, in which the defense is widely scattered.
• open-field
  open-field

  adjective

  (prenominal) medieval history of or denoting the system in which an arable area was divided into unenclosed strips, esp cultivated by different tenants

open field

American  

noun

Football.

1. any area of the playing field away from the heavily trafficked line of scrimmage, in which the defense is widely scattered.

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open-field British  

adjective

1. (prenominal) medieval history of or denoting the system in which an arable area was divided into unenclosed strips, esp cultivated by different tenants

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Example Sentences

They include Malawian nationals, about 7,000 of whom have been sheltering in an open field in the eastern port city of Durban, according to an inter-ministerial migration committee set up after the president's address.

From Barron's • Jun. 14, 2026

“When he makes a mistake, how quickly can he recover? What’s his range in the open field? What’s the speed differential? All those things are things we’re looking through on just about everybody out there.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

The star announced his fourth album on social media by posting a picture of the cover, which shows him standing under a disco ball in an open field, while wearing a pair of swimming goggles.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

Cousin Jake is a bit faster in the open field and a bit less interested in the mac ‘n’ cheese in the kitchen.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

I have seen a hunted deer run from the open field and take cover in a shadowed bower, panting among the tangled bushes and brambles that she prays will keep her unseen.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein