leave the ball in someone's court

English

Verb

leave the ball in someone's court (third-person singular simple present leaves the ball in someone's court, present participle leaving the ball in someone's court, simple past and past participle left the ball in someone's court)

1. (idiomatic) To hand over the responsibility or choice to someone to make a decision or take action about something.
   • 2016 June 22, Somini Sengupta, “Saudis Question U.N. Leader Over Report on Rights Violators”, in The New York Times‎:

     His statement also left the ball in the Security Council’s court, for it is scheduled to discuss the report in August. Saudi Arabia has powerful backers on the Council, including the United States.

   • 2022 June 21, Michael Hogan, “Sherwood recap: episode four – have we found our Keats?”, in The Guardian‎:

     The no-nonsense matriarch paid a visit to Cindy’s grandmother Julie (Lesley Manville), alluding to how they had once been friends and noting that both families were misfits – the shady crooks and “the angry strikers in a town full of scabs”. After giving her blessing to the young couple, she left the ball in a shellshocked Julie’s court.

   • 2023 August 12, “Harry Kane joins Bayern Munich and leaves door open for Spurs return”, in The Guardian‎:

     Postecoglou had revealed on Friday that Kane’s move was “imminent” after a breakthrough in negotiations between the clubs was reached on Wednesday night. It left the ball in Kane’s court and he decided on Thursday to leave his boyhood club for Bayern, who will pay an initial £100m with add-ons potentially taking the deal up to an overall fee of £120m.