1888, "a scrimmage in rugby," abbreviation of scrummage, a variant form of scrimmage (n.). The transferred sense of "continued noisy throng" is by 1950.

mid-14c., pelot, "any little ball," as of a medicine or food, but especially a little metallic ball used as a missile, from Old French pelote "small ball" (11c.) and directly from Medieval Latin pelotis, from Vulgar Latin *pilotta, diminutive of Latin pila "ball, playing ball, the game of ball," perhaps originally "ball of hair," from pilus "hair" (see pile (n.3)).

also moth-ball, moth ball, "naphthalene ball stored among fabrics to keep off moths," 1891, from moth + ball (n.1).

1889, socca, later socker (1891), soccer (1895), originally university slang (with jocular formation -er (3)), from a shortened form of Assoc., abbreviation of association in Football Association (as distinguished from Rugby football). An unusual formation, but those who did it perhaps shied away from making a name out of the first three letters of Assoc. Compare rugger (under rugby) also 1890s English schoolboy slang leccer, from lecture (n.).

also tether-ball, 1900, from tether (n.) + ball (n.1).

also ball-player, "one who plays a ball game," mid-15c., from ball (n.1) + player.

game played with racquets and a light ball in an enclosed court, 1972, from racquet + ball (n.1). Earlier, racket-ball was "ball used in a racquet game" (1650s).

also stick-ball, 1824, from stick (n.) + ball (n.1).

also fire-ball, 1550s, from fire (n.) + ball (n.1).

1610s, "to cut with scissors;" by 1961 with reference to leg motions (in the wrestling sense it is attested from 1968; in rugby by 1970); see scissors. Related: Scissored; scissoring.