Dropping the ball

Occasionally, I hear someone point out a mistake by saying that someone "dropped the ball." While this gives the phrase a negative connotation, I can think of several examples of when it is absolutely appropriate (and necessary) to drop a ball.

Let's start with the person in charge of the ball drop on New Year's Eve in Times Square. Not only must that ball be dropped, it has to be done at a precise time. If that person doesn't drop that ball, it would cause all sorts of issues. In fact, that's never happened to my knowledge.

Another example is basketball. As everyone knows, once you take possession of the ball, you must drop it in order to move. This is called dribbling, and if you fail to drop the ball, you will be called for a traveling violation. Another sports example is golf. I suppose one could squat down and gently place the ball on the green after incurring a penalty, but this action is literally called a drop ball.  

Even animals have examples. Dogs should be trained that when playing fetch, they chase after the ball and must return it to the owner and drop the ball. You can't very well keep playing fetch if the dog doesn't drop the ball. That would be dogging it, which dogs are known for. 

So consider these examples the next time you cast aspersions against someone who dropped the ball.