long ball

Noun

long ball (plural long balls)

1. 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 September 2, “Wales 2-1 Montenegro”, in BBC
2. (attributive, usually) 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 October 24, Alex Ferguson, ALEX FERGUSON: My Autobiography: The Sensational Million Copy Number One Bestseller, Hachette UK, →ISBN
   • Sometimes, a team will use a long-ball strategy to move the ball. In this strategy, a defender will kick the ball in a long pass, far up the field, to the striker or other forward.2018 July 15, Cathleen Small, Soccer, Gareth Stevens Publishing LLLP, →ISBN

   Synonyms:

   route one football, route-one

3. A home run
   • In 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, Gary Gillette, Pete Palmer, The 2007 Espn Baseball Encyclopedia, 4th edition, Sterling Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 1038
4. 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, Chris Herren, Bill Reynolds, Basketball Junkie: A Memoir, Macmillan, →ISBN