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{{trope}}
[[File:IdiotBall.jpg|link=SpongeBob SquarePants
{{quote|'''Obi-Wan:''' Wait a minute. How did this happen? [[Lampshade Hanging|We're smarter than this.]]
'''Anakin:''' Apparently not.|''[[Star Wars]] [[Revenge of the Sith|Episode III: Revenge of the Sith]]''}}
A moment where a character's stupidity fuels an episode, or a small plot line. If multiple characters have the '''Idiot Ball''' it becomes an [[Idiot Plot]]. Temporary (or permanent) [[Genre Blindness]] is often a cause of this trope.
Coined by [[Hank Azaria]] on ''[[Herman's Head]]'': Azaria would ask the writing staff, "Who's carrying the idiot ball this week?" This is generally not a compliment on the writing because the person carrying the idiot ball is often acting [[Out of Character]], [[You Know What You Did|misunderstanding something that could be cleared up by asking a single reasonable question]] or performing a simple problem-solving action, but that he [[Just Eat Gilligan|isn't doing solely because the writers don't want him to.]] It's almost as if the character is being willfully stupid or obtuse.
Unsurprisingly, this provokes a [[What an Idiot!]] response from the audience. However, sometimes, the purpose is to ''help'' the audience. Sometimes, the holder of the idiot ball asks the dumb question to allow a certain amount of exposition to occur that wouldn't organically be talked about, but needs to be stated for the audience.
On the other hand, making stupid mistakes can be the hallmark of [[Character Development]] if the person recognizes it in the end. Seeing someone discarding the idiot ball can be a rewarding moment when they are [[Taught By Experience]].
See also [[Villain Ball]], [[Hero Ball]], [[Distress Ball]], [[Idiot Plot]], [[Forgot About His Powers]], [[Alcohol
This trope is the [[Opposite Tropes|Opposite Trope]] of [[Smart Ball]], and probably not closely related to [[Sanity Ball]], [[Happy Fun Ball]] or [[Advantage Ball]]. And not even ''remotely'' related to the [[Timey
{{Forgetfulness Tropes}}
{{examples on subpages|Examples of people carrying the Idiot Ball are listed on these subpages:}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:
[[Category:
[[Category:Ball Index]]
[[Category:Comedy Tropes]]
[[Category:Contrived Stupidity Tropes]]
[[Category:Improbable Behavior Tropes]]
[[Category:The Plot Demanded This Index]]
[[Category:Rule of Drama]]
[[Category:Stupidity Tropes]]
[[Category:
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