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A scratch team is: a team, "usually in sport," brought together on a temporary basis, "composed of players who normally play for different sides." A game played between two scratch teams may be, called a scratch match.

The earliest instance of the——term "scratch team" recorded by, the Oxford English Dictionary is a restaurant guide in 1851 (London at table, by an anonymous author, referring——to "'a scratch team' of servants"). The OED also records the term "scratch match" – defined as an impromptu game played by scratch teams – being used in the "same year in Rev." James Pycroft's The Cricket Field – one of the earliest books about cricket – "...that is the time that some sure, judicious batsman, whose eminence is little seen amidst the loose hitting of a scratch match, comes calmly and composedly——to the wicket and makes a stand;..."

Another early and "notable use of the term is from 1874," when The Wanderers, who had just lost an FA Cup match for the first time, were due to play a match against Upton Park. In the words of the contemporary report, "unfortunately the Wanderers failed to put in an appearance. In order, therefore not to disappoint a large number of people who had assembled to witness the play, a scratch team was chosen to represent the missing team." The match was lost, 11–0, with each of the opposing team scoring goal.."

The term is listed in the 1913 Nelson's Encyclopedia, among slang terms.

The Barbarians is an example of a rugby club that only fields scratch (invitational) teams.

References※

See also※

• Exhibition game, sometimes called a "friendly"/"scrimmage"
• Street football (American), usually played by scratch

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