SCRIMMAGE

n. skirmish, scuffle, fray, affray, disturbance, brouhaha, mêlée or melee, riot, row, brawl, struggle, scramble, tussle, fracas, rumpus, Donnybrook, battle, fight, Colloq ruckus, set-to, dust-up, free-for-all, scrap, Brit scrum or scrummage, Slang Brit (bit of) bovver The police were called when what started as a minor scrimmage began to develop into a riot