long ball noun4 •A kick in which the ball is kicked over the heads of other players into an empty space, into which an attacker is moving.Welsh nerves continued to jangle as Blake let a long ball bounce over his head and only Wayne Hennessey's swift advance from his line prevented Mirko Vucinic sneaking in. — 2011 •A home runIn the 1970s Seaver knew that batters could connect for a long ball at almost any time, so he had to be able to reach back and strike a hitter out if necessary. — 2007 •A three-point shot.He could run a team, tough as nails, shoot the long ball; he had great instincts and feel for the game. — 2011 •[before a noun] A strategy focused on sending the ball upfield directly to the striker, especially one with few other tactical innovations.In the first group game, they played long ball against Sweden, who knew the English game, and so were hardly likely to be caught off-guard by direct play. — 2013 formslong balls
