Meaning & use
loose ball
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Meaning
nouncountablesport
In sports, a ball that is not being controlled by any player and is available to be picked up or played.
Grammar: Countable: a loose ball, two loose balls. Often used with verbs like chase, win, or pounce on.
Patterns
- chase a loose ball
- win a loose ball
- pounce on a loose ball
The defender sprinted to win the loose ball.
A loose ball rolled into the penalty area and the striker scored.
Both players dived for the loose ball at the same time.
Word forms
| plural | loose balls |
|---|
Common combinations
- chase a loose ball
- The midfielder chased a loose ball into the corner.
- win a loose ball
- They won a loose ball in midfield and started a counterattack.
- pounce on a loose ball
- The goalkeeper pounced on a loose ball before the striker could reach it.
- loose ball situation
- In a loose ball situation, the fastest player often wins.
Synonyms and how they differ
- free ball
- Free ball is a less common way to say the same thing in some sports, but it can also mean a ball that is not in play.
- uncontrolled ball
- Uncontrolled ball is a plain description used in coaching, not a fixed sports term like loose ball.
Commonly confused: loose ball or loose ball?
loose ball vs loose ball
Do not confuse loose (not tight or not controlled) with lose (to no longer have something). A loose ball is not controlled; to lose the ball means to give it away.
Practice
In soccer, what is a loose ball?
Choose one answer.
A loose ball is one that no player controls, so anyone can go for it. The other options describe a broken ball, a ball out of play, or a training ball, which are different ideas.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “loose ball”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.