The mechanism of wear known as scuffing has been a research topic of great interest for many years. However, the question of how scuffing is initiated and the factors that contribute to its occurrence are still poorly understood. In general, it can be said that scuffing manifests itself as the sudden failure of lubricating films in mechanical equipment operating under extreme conditions of load and/or speed. Components such as cams, tappets, gears and piston rings are all prone to scuffing failure. Understanding the mechanisms that initiate failure would enable the development of criteria for scuffing prediction. This paper reviews the numerous scuffing models and theories that exist today and, in doing so, defines the important factors involved in scuffing initiation. Emphasis is given to existing theoretical scuffing models which have been correlated by a wealth of research data obtained from experimental test rigs.