THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT

If the ball is in your court, you should make the next move. This idiom originates from tennis, in which each player plays in their own half of a court.

 Examples of use:

 “The ball is currently in United’s court, with the England striker waiting for the club to return with an offer following several rounds of positive talks.”

 “All they have done so far is indicate various things but not to change the political declaration [the non-legally binding document setting out the UK’s future relationship with the EU] so the ball is in the government’s court”

 “The ball is back in FirstEnergy’s court after a judge rejected a bankruptcy plan last week from the utility’s generation subsidiary.”


 Photo credit: Thomas Dwyer