Definition of "backfield" []

• Football The players stationed behind the line of scrimmage. (noun)
• Football The positions filled by these players. (noun)
• Football The area in which these players line up. (noun)
• Sports The primarily defensive players on a soccer, field hockey, or Rugby team. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The backfield is big enough for Portis and Torain, Portis said."
• "The backfield is one of the best in the conference, with Eugene Jarvis, Dri Archer, Andre Flowers and Jacquise Terry."
• "Notes: If patchwork line can block, offense (with Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall in backfield) could be really scary."