In basketball, an air ball is an unblocked shot that misses the basket, rim, net, and backboard entirely.
Origin
The
Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...
cites earliest printed use of "air ball" in a 29 January 1967 article from the (Hayward, Calif.)
Daily Review
The ''Daily Review'' was a daily newspaper published in Hayward, California. Floyd L. Sparks was owner of the ''Review'' from 1944 to 1985, along with '' The Argus'' of Fremont and the ''Tri-Valley Herald''. It was last owned by Bay Area News Gro ...
, which reads: "Cal State, four times lofting air balls at an orange basket that may as well have been painted invisible."
An air ball by an opposing player during a competitive game will usually prompt fans (primarily in the
college game) present to
chant
A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes ...
“Aiiiir ball! Aiir ball!” repeatedly in a continuous drone to
humiliate
Humiliation is the abasement of pride, which creates mortification or leads to a state of being humbled or reduced to lowliness or submission. It is an emotion felt by a person whose social status, either by force or willingly, has just decr ...
the shooter. Since the 1980s, it has become common to restart the chant the next time the shooter touches the ball.
Crowd behavior and consequences
In collegiate basketball, home crowds were found to initially chant when the air ball shot was made from a distance and when it resulted in a lost possession. Home crowds were also more persistent in their chants when the shot was made farther from the basket. An archival exploration showed that away players who shot an air ball had a lower success rate in the shot immediately after, as compared to home players launching the same shot; however, this difference was unrelated to the chant.
See also
*
Brick (basketball)
This glossary of basketball terms is a list of definitions of terms used in the game of basketball. Like any other major sport, basketball features its own extensive vocabulary of unique words and phrases used by players, coaches, sports journ ...
References
Basketball terminology
{{basketball-stub
pl:Błędy w koszykówce#Air ball