ball

Also known as balls

A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but sometimes ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for simpler activities, such as catch or juggling. Balls made from hard-wearing materials are used in engineering applications to provide very low friction bearings, known as ball bearings. Black-powder weapons use stone and metal balls as projectiles.

AI overview

A ball is a round object, typically sphere-shaped, that serves many purposes from sports and recreation to industrial applications. Balls are central to games like football and baseball where players hit or kick them, but they're also used in simpler activities like catch and juggling, as well as in engineering as low-friction ball bearings and historically as projectiles in weapons.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Image: Basketball.png

Show 3 more facts

Commons category: Balls
Commons gallery: Ball
exact match: ids.clld.org/parameters/12-830

Sources (5)

via Wikidata · CC0

~16 min read

Article

10 sections

Contents

Etymology
History
Ancient Greeks
Ancient Romans
Modern ball games
Physics
Specifications
See also
References
External links

Although many types of balls are today made from rubber, this form was unknown outside the Americas until after the voyages of Columbus. The Spanish were the first Europeans to see the bouncing rubber balls (although solid and not inflated) which were employed most notably in the Mesoamerican ballgame. Balls used in various sports in other parts of the world prior to Columbus were made from other materials such as animal bladders or skins, stuffed with various materials.