carry the ball

Idioms  

1. Take charge, advance a cause, as in In our lab any of the assistants can carry the ball. This usage comes from such sports as football, where the ball-carrying player gives the team yardage or a touchdown. By the early 1900s it was being transferred to other endeavors.

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Example Sentences

With City's attackers waiting before dropping deep, City's defenders are able to carry the ball into the space that opens up.

From BBC

But failure to take their chances, a hesitant attacking style – carry the ball to 10 metres out, then hope for the best – and regular individual errors in defence cost them dear.

From BBC

With his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname 'the Guernsey Grealish', a nod to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.

From BBC

“I might have to carry the ball some,” Riley quipped during NBC’s broadcast.

From Los Angeles Times

When USC was without its top two backs for the Las Vegas Bowl in December, Jackson stepped in to carry the ball 16 times for 66 yards and a touchdown.

From Los Angeles Times