What is "on the ball"

Ball \Ball\ (b[add]l), n. [OE. bal, balle; akin to OHG. balla, palla, G. ball, Icel. b["o]llr, ball; cf. F. balle. Cf. 1st Bale, n., Pallmall.]

1. Any round or roundish body or mass; a sphere or globe; as, a ball of twine; a ball of snow.

2. A spherical body of any substance or size used to play with, as by throwing, knocking, kicking, etc.

3. A general name for games in which a ball is thrown, kicked, or knocked. See Baseball, and Football.

4. Any solid spherical, cylindrical, or conical projectile of lead or iron, to be discharged from a firearm; as, a cannon ball; a rifle ball; -- often used collectively; as, powder and ball. Spherical balls for the smaller firearms are commonly called bullets.

5. (Pyrotechnics & Mil.) A flaming, roundish body shot into the air; a case filled with combustibles intended to burst and give light or set fire, or to produce smoke or stench; as, a fire ball; a stink ball.

6. (Print.) A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; -- formerly used by printers for inking the form, but now superseded by the roller.

7. A roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body; as, the ball of the thumb; the ball of the foot.

8. (Far.) A large pill, a form in which medicine is commonly given to horses; a bolus.
   --White.

9. The globe or earth.
   --Pope.

   Move round the dark terrestrial ball.
   --Addison.

10. (Baseball) A pitched ball, not struck at by the batter, which fails to pass over the home plate at a height not greater than the batter's shoulder nor less than his knee (i.e. it is outside the strike zone). If the pitcher pitches four balls before three strikes are called, the batter advances to first base, and the action of pitching four balls is called a walk.

    10. a testicle; usually used in the plural. [vulgar]

11. pl. courage; nerve. [vulgar]

    Ball and socket joint, a joint in which a ball moves within a socket, so as to admit of motion in every direction within certain limits.

    Ball bearings, a mechanical device for lessening the friction of axle bearings by means of small loose metal balls.

    Ball cartridge, a cartridge containing a ball, as distinguished from a blank cartridge, containing only powder.

    Ball cock, a faucet or valve which is opened or closed by the fall or rise of a ball floating in water at the end of a lever.

    Ball gudgeon, a pivot of a spherical form, which permits lateral deflection of the arbor or shaft, while retaining the pivot in its socket.
    --Knight.

    Ball lever, the lever used in a ball cock.

    Ball of the eye, the eye itself, as distinguished from its lids and socket; -- formerly, the pupil of the eye.

    Ball valve (Mach.), a contrivance by which a ball, placed in a circular cup with a hole in its bottom, operates as a valve.

    Ball vein (Mining), a sort of iron ore, found in loose masses of a globular form, containing sparkling particles.

    Three balls, or Three golden balls, a pawnbroker's sign or shop.

    on the ball alert; competent and knowledgeable.

    to carry the ball to carry on the task; to assume the responsibility.

    to drop the ball to fail to perform as expected; to fail to live up to a responsibility.

    Syn: See Globe.

a. 1 (context idiomatic English) alert, active, or attentive; on top of things. 2 (context sports English) Being in control of the ball.

On the Ball may refer to:

• On the Ball (ITV television show), a 1998 to 2004 British Saturday lunchtime football show
• On the Ball (SBS television show), a 1984 to 2002 Australian television football show
• On the Ball (Trojan Vision show), a 2009 University of Southern California internet television show about women's football (soccer)
• On the Ball (1952 film), a 1952 British 3D film
• " On the Ball, City", a Norwich City FC football chant
• Cameltry, the SNES title for the 1989 arcade game
• "On the Ball", a 2002 episode of the British television soap opera Footballers' Wives; see List of Footballers' Wives episodes

On the Ball 1 is a television show for the University of Southern California's Trojan Vision network. The show focuses on the new Women's Professional Soccer league in the United States, which finished its inaugural season in late August 2009. The show mixes game highlight footage with player interviews to provide a comprehensive on the field and off the field look at the new league. The show is broadcast on Television on LA 36 and LA local channel 8, but is also available for download on iTunes as a free video podcast under the title On the Ball

On the Ball is a football management game from the German developers Ascaron, former name Ascon. The original titel is Anstoss. The player is managing a football club in the English League and in the original version, the Bundesliga to get the Bundestrainer.

On the Ball is a British ITV Saturday lunchtime television show about football, which ran as part of World of Sport in the 1970s and 1980s, and as a stand-alone show from 1998 to 2004. There was another ITV television show called On the Ball which was a game show hosted by Nick Weir in 1997, shown only in the Granada region.

The original On the Ball was a half hour football round-up segment shown as part of the World of Sport Saturday afternoon sports programming on ITV, preceding the traditional Saturday afternoon 3 pm kick off time. Initially presented by Brian Moore, it was later hosted by Ian St John and Jimmy Greaves. When World of Sport was discontinued in 1985, On the Ball was replaced by Saint and Greavsie, a stand-alone lunchtime football show hosted by the same presenters. Saint and Greavsie ended in 1992 when Sky Sports gained the rights to broadcast Premier League football, although ITV lunchtime coverage of football continued with occasional Champions League shows.

On the Ball was revived on ITV from the beginning of the 1998/99 season, presented by Gabby Logan, initially co-presented by Barry Venison. The show was extended to an hour in 2001, coinciding with ITV's capture of the Premier League highlights package from the BBC which also saw the launch of The Goal Rush Saturday afternoon results show and The Premiership Saturday evening show. On the Ball was discontinued again in 2004 after the BBC regained the rights to the Premier League.

On The Ball was an Australian Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) television talk show about soccer, which began around 1984 and ended in 2002.

The show was mainly hosted by Les Murray and Johnny Warren, but were often joined by other hosts & analysts, including Stephanie Brantz and Francis Awaritefe amongst others. It was well known for promoting the game of football in Australia and endorsing candidates for the Socceroos coaching job and for the board of Soccer Australia (since replaced by the Football Federation Australia).

The show was replaced with The World Game.

Category:Association football television series Category:Special Broadcasting Service shows Category:1980s Australian television series Category:1990s Australian television series Category:2000s Australian television series Category:1984 Australian television series debuts Category:2002 Australian television series endings