'backfield' originates from English, specifically a compound of the words 'back' and 'field', where the Old English word 'bæc' meant 'back' and 'feld' (Old English) meant 'open land' or 'field'.

'backfield' was formed as a compound in English; the modern sports-specific sense (area behind the line of scrimmage) developed in the late 19th to early 20th century with the codification of American football.

Initially, the components referred literally to the 'rear part of a field'; over time the compound acquired a specialized meaning referring to the area and the players behind the line of scrimmage in football.