jump ball

noun

Definition of jump ball

: a method of putting a basketball into play by tossing it into the air between two opponents who jump up and attempt to tap the ball to a teammate also : a ball put into play in this manner

Examples of jump ball in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Game 4, Stephenson used similar moves to tie up LeBron for a jump ball and throw Jeff Green to the ground, resulting in a foul. — Ted Crow, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers' Lance Stephenson's grappling: Crowquill," 25 Apr. 2018 Magic players and coaches thought Mack had forced a jump ball. — Josh Robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Magic lose heartbreaker to Cavaliers 104-103," 19 Jan. 2018 Washington can adjust to the quarterback—slow down, win jump balls, back up on the defensive back to create space—all of which are high-level skills that should impress NFL teams. — SI.com, "NFL Draft 2018: Wide Receiver, Tight End Rankings and Analysis," 12 Apr. 2018 This jump ball, though, effectively eliminated the Magic's chances of getting a shot off to try and win the game. — Tania Ganguli, latimes.com, "NBA says Orlando Magic should have retained possession in final second against Lakers," 8 Mar. 2018 Among the mistakes was Riley Stapleton's fumble at the end of a 27-yard catch on a jump ball. — USA TODAY, "North Dakota State takes back FCS title, defeats James Madison 17-13," 6 Jan. 2018 When the first jump ball is tipped in his first official game as a Laker, LeBron James will cement his place in franchise history. — Nathan Fenno, latimes.com, "Want a replica LeBron James Lakers jersey? That'll be $75," 2 July 2018 The physical ability is one part of the equation, but the best defenders do their homework long before the first jump ball. — J. Michael, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Thaddeus Young's educated defense presents problems for Cavs' Kevin Love," 17 Apr. 2018 The Big East and the Big Ten earned $11,982,488 before the first jump ball. — Elton Alexander, cleveland.com, "NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday means big bucks for power conferences," 10 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jump ball.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of jump ball was in 1924

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