“Morinaga-san already sent the proposal to the customer. Now the ball is in their court.”Note: Also commonly used: the ball is in our court (we must make the next move)
Have a crystal ball
A magical ball in which the future is shown
“If only we had a crystal ball, we wouldn’t need to worry so much about the outcome of the negotiations.”
Drop the ball
To make a major mistake, or to fail to follow through on something
“We didn’t get the new client because Nishida-san dropped the ball; he completely missed the deadline.”
Have a ball
Have a great time
“We had a ball at the company barbecue and softball tournament.”
On the ball
Sharp, prepared
“Most of the team had jet lag; only Nishi-san was on the ball so she made the presentation.”