loose ball
Up for grabs
A loose ball is one not in any player's possession during a game—after a fumble, deflection, or missed shot, when anyone might gain control.
The term appears across sports but is especially common in basketball and football.
Three players dove for the loose ball.
Hustling for loose balls often determines close games.
- fumbleHandle with clumsy fingers
- turnoverSales volume or attrition
- scrambleMix into disorder
- reboundReturn after deflection
- fifty fiftyEqually divided between two
steal · recovery · scrum · pile up · hustle · dive · grab · puck · basketball · football · chaotic · scrappy · tip · deflection · bobble · mishandle · chaos · court
- Lacrosselacrosse stick, goal, goalie, attack, defender
- sports mistakesown goal, fumble, bad pass, dropped pass, wild throw
- bottom bracketsBSA, threaded, press fit, press-fit, spindle
- reboundsoffensive rebound, defensive rebound, putback, second chance, board
possession/control
loose ballpossession
State of owning
ball control · held ball · ball in hand · dribble · carry
ball security
loose balltight grip
loose, ball, loosen, loosely, looseness, looser, loosest, balls, balled