gameball

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablesport

   The ball used in a particular game, often kept as a prize for the best player.

   Grammar: Countable: 'the game ball', 'two game balls'; in US sports writing it is often spelled 'game ball'.

   Patterns

   • award someone the game ball
   • present the game ball
   • get the game ball

   After the final whistle, the coach handed the game ball to the young goalkeeper.

   The winning captain kept the game ball as a souvenir.

   He was given the game ball for scoring three goals.

2. 2nounsingularsportinformal

   An award or honor given to the player judged best in a match.

   Grammar: Often used with 'the': 'he got the game ball'. In this sense it is a fixed sporting phrase.

   Patterns

   • give someone the game ball
   • win the game ball
   • the game ball goes to someone

   The game ball goes to the defender who stopped every attack.

   She won the game ball in only her second professional match.

Word forms

Common combinations

award the game ball

The referee awarded the game ball to the visiting captain.

get the game ball

He got the game ball after a career-best performance.

present the game ball

A former player came out to present the game ball.

keep the game ball

The team decided to keep the game ball in its trophy case.

Synonyms and how they differ

match ball

In British English, 'match ball' more often means the ball that decides a match, not a prize.

MVP award

MVP is a broader season or tournament honor; a game ball is for one game only.

Word family

game noun

The match or contest in which the ball is used.

ball game noun

A game played with a ball, or an informal phrase for a situation.

Commonly confused: gameball or match ball?

Practice

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