The ball is in your court comes from tennis. The other player has hit the ball, and now it is on your side of the court. You have to return it. In everyday life, the idiom means the next move is yours.
It is common in business and negotiation: an offer has been made, an email has been sent, and now the other person must respond. It makes the responsibility clear without sounding aggressive.
This page explains the meaning, the grammar, the register and the related phrases. The 10-question drill at the end explains every answer.
What it means
In one sentence: If the ball is in your court, it is your turn to act, answer or decide what happens next.
What the idiom means in everyday English
- It means the next move belongs to someone: "The ball is in his court now."
- It often follows an offer, a question or a negotiation round.
- The phrase is polite: it asks for a response without demanding one immediately.
- It can change owner in a conversation: "Now the ball is in her court."
How the idiom behaves in a sentence
- The fixed pattern is the ball is in someone’s court: your, my, his, her, our or their.
- The verb be changes with tense: was, is, will be. The image stays the same.
- Common patterns are the ball is in your court now and leave the ball in their court.
- The articles stay fixed: the ball and someone’s court. Never a ball or your courts.
When the idiom does not fit
- Do not use it when there is no clear next step; it needs a turn-taking situation.
- It is not a command. If a deadline is urgent, say clearly when the answer is needed.
- Avoid it in a formal contract; write "the response is required from you".
- The phrase is not about sport when used at work; do not mix it with tennis details.
Where it comes from
The image comes from tennis and other court games. Once the ball lands in your half of the court, you must play it back. The figurative use at work and in negotiation grew from that simple rule of the game.
Use it or not
Register: Neutral to informal. The ball is in your court is common in conversation, business emails and negotiation. It is polite but clear about responsibility. In a very formal contract, write "the next response is required from you". The phrase is never rude.
Examples
- We have made our offer, so the ball is in their court now.The next move belongs to the other side.
- I have answered all her questions; the ball is in her court.The speaker has finished and waits for the reply.
- The ball was in our court, and we decided to wait.The past form describes an earlier turn.
- We sent the contract yesterday, so the ball is in your court.The idiom appears in a polite work email.
- You cannot blame them now; the ball is in your court.The idiom points at responsibility.
- Once the ball is in their court, we can only wait.Once introduces the moment the turn changes.
- The talks ended with the ball in the minister’s court.The idiom works in political and diplomatic writing.
Similar idioms
your move
it is your turn to act, from board games.
your call
the decision is yours to make.
over to you
the next action or question belongs to you.
it is up to you
you are the one who must decide.
the ball is in their court
the same idiom with the other person’s turn.
Practice drill
Answer all 10 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the meaning is explained under the question.
We sent the quote last week, so now ___.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. the ball is in their court The ball is in their court means it is their turn to respond, which fits the sent quote.
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. I answered the questions, so the ball is in your court. The idiom means it is the other person’s turn, so waiting for their answer fits; the others reverse or literalise it.
What does the ball is in your court mean?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. it is your turn to act or decide The idiom means the next move or decision belongs to you, from the rule that the player whose side the ball lands on must return it.
A client has received your offer and must now reply. What can you say?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. The ball is in their court. The client must decide next, so the ball is in their court.
Which situation fits the idiom?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. after sending an email that needs a reply The idiom is for waiting on someone else’s answer or decision, not for literal sport.
Choose the sentence with the same meaning: "The ball is in your court."
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. It is your turn to decide. The ball is in your court means the next decision or action belongs to you.
Which is correct?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. The ball is in her court now. The pattern uses a possessive adjective before court: her court, his court, your court.
The talks are waiting for the minister’s decision. What is the situation?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. The ball is in the minister’s court. The minister must decide next, so the ball is in the minister’s court.
Which sentence does NOT use the idiom correctly?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. The tennis player hit the ball in your court. The last sentence is literal tennis; the idiom is about whose turn it is to act.
A colleague says, "The ball is in your court now." What does the colleague mean?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. You need to make the next decision or reply. The idiom means the next action belongs to you, so a reply or decision is now expected from you.
Questions learners ask
Is the ball is in your court formal or informal?
It is neutral to informal. It works well in business emails, negotiation and conversation. For a formal contract, write "the next response is required from you" or "a reply is awaited".
Can I say the ball is in your court and mean it as a demand?
It is a statement about whose turn it is, not a command. If you need a quick answer, add a clear request: "The ball is in your court; could you reply by Friday?"
Can the idiom change person?
Yes. You can say the ball is in my court, his court, her court, our court or their court. The possessive pronoun shows whose turn it is.
More idioms
Cut corners
To cut corners is to do a job in a quicker or cheaper way by skipping the proper steps, usually with poor results.
Break the ice
To break the ice is to say or do something that ends the first awkward silence when people meet and do not know each other yet.
Piece of cake
A piece of cake is a task that is very easy to do, or a situation that gives you no trouble at all.
Browse all the idiom pages or take the free A1 to C2 level test to find your starting point.