Echar balones fuera
To kick balls out of play.
to dodge the question; **to dodge the question**; **to evade the issue**; **to pass the buck** (when responsibility is shifted); **to deflect**; **to avoid the issue**
Echar balones fuera means to avoid dealing with a difficult issue by changing the subject, giving evasive answers or shifting responsibility.
El ministro echó balones fuera durante toda la entrevista.
The minister dodged the questions throughout the interview.
No eches balones fuera y responde.
Don't avoid the issue. Just answer.
Siempre echa balones fuera cuando comete un error.
He always tries to shift responsibility when he makes a mistake.
The expression usually suggests that the speaker is deliberately avoiding the real problem.
A politician may echar balones fuera during a television interview.
A manager may echar balones fuera when asked about poor company results.
A student may echar balones fuera instead of admitting they forgot to do their homework.
The idiom implies avoidance rather than resolution.
- avoids answering a difficult question
- changes the subject
- refuses to accept responsibility
- gives vague or evasive explanations
- tries to escape criticism
The expression comes directly from football.
When a team is under pressure, a defender may kick the ball out of play to gain time and relieve the immediate danger.
Spanish speakers extended this image to conversations and debates.
Instead of facing the problem directly, the speaker metaphorically kicks the issue away.
Because football occupies such an important place in Spanish culture, the metaphor quickly became part of everyday language.
Football has contributed many expressions to modern Spanish.
Among the most widespread are:
- echar balones fuera
- jugar en casa
- marcar un gol
- meter un gol
- estar fuera de juego
Even people with little interest in football use these expressions naturally.
This illustrates how sporting metaphors have become part of everyday Spanish.
Football has become one of the richest sources of modern Spanish idioms.
Expressions born on the pitch now appear daily in newspapers, parliamentary debates, business meetings and family conversations.
Echar balones fuera is one of the clearest examples of how sport has shaped contemporary Spanish.
Do not translate the idiom literally.
English speakers would not normally say:
to kick the balls out.
Instead, choose an expression that reflects the communicative intention.
If someone avoids answering, to dodge the question works well.
If they avoid responsibility, to pass the buck may be a better choice.
The exact translation depends on what the speaker is trying to avoid.
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