A healthy scratch in NFL football refers to a player who is physically healthy but is not playing in the game for strategic reasons. Each NFL team has a roster size of 53 players, but on game day, only 46 players can be active in the game. This means that there are going to be upwards of seven players that will earn the healthy scratch designation on any given game. The reasons for a player being a healthy scratch can vary, but usually, it means that the coaching staff has decided not to play them for strategic reasons. Sometimes a player is a healthy scratch because they are injured but not yet ready to return to game action. In other cases, a player might be scratched due to disciplinary reasons, such as if they have been disruptive in the locker room or have been caught breaking team rules. When a player learns they are a healthy scratch, this does not mean they will not be attending the game. In most cases, the healthy scratched player is going to be on the sidelines.