From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishball gameˈball game noun [countable] 1 American EnglishDSB a game of baseball, football, or basketball2 British EnglishDS any game played with a ball3 → a whole new ball game
Examples from the Corpus
ball game• There is a strong argument for insisting that he is the outstanding performer in any ball game.• Although not my cup of tea, I must admit Manchester United is a whole new ball game.• Dad was watching the ball game on TV. 