Abnormal Termination

[ab-nawr-muh l tur-muh-ney-shuh n]

Definition of Abnormal Termination

A stopping of the Sprint by the Scrum Master at the behest of the Team. This is a ‘self-organization thing’ and is often threatened but seldom invoked – it is usually used by the Team as a way of saying ‘you didn’t play nice, so we are going on strike.’

See:

Self-Organized A self-organized team is one that chooses how best to accomplish its work, rather than being directed (micro-managed) by others outside the team.

Examples

The Abnormal Termination is quite disruptive, but does give the Team the ability to start over with a clean slate.

In drastic cases, this may cause the Product Owner to Cancel the Sprint, or the Team to call for an Abnormal Termination.

External Sources

Calling it Quits: Abnormally Terminating a Sprint

Cite This Term

"Abnormal Termination" ScrumDictionary.com. Accessed Jul 13, 2025. https://scrumdictionary.com/term/abnormal-termination/.