ball game

or ballgame

noun

1. any game played with a ball, especially baseball or softball.
2. Informal. a situation and all its attendant circumstances: Compare new ball game.

   Having a new administration in power changes the entire ball game at city hall.

3. Archaeology. a ceremonial game of both ritual and sporting significance, played by teams on a ball court in Mesoamerican cultures from the Preclassic period to the Spanish conquest.

ball game

noun

1. any game played with a ball
2. a game of baseball
3. informal.
   a situation; state of affairs (esp in the phrase a whole new ball game )

Word History and Origins

Origin of ball game¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50