In this verbal odd-man-out question on sports-related words, you are given four terms: Football, Basketball, Cricket ball and Volleyball. Three of these words refer to complete team sports, while one mainly names the equipment used in a sport. Which word is the odd one out based on this distinction?

Introduction / Context:
This question is a verbal reasoning odd-man-out problem focusing on sports terminology. The four given options are Football, Basketball, Cricket ball and Volleyball. In aptitude exams, such questions test whether you can classify words based on the category they belong to, such as whether they name an activity, an object or a place. Here, three options are the names of sports themselves, whereas one primarily names a piece of sports equipment used in a particular game.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The options are Football, Basketball, Cricket ball and Volleyball.
Football is understood as the sport, not just the ball, in normal usage.
Basketball similarly refers to the sport played between two teams on a court.
Volleyball is also the name of a sport played across a net.
Cricket ball primarily refers to the ball used in the game of cricket, not the game itself.

Concept / Approach:
The key idea is to separate words that denote sports from those that denote sporting equipment. Football, Basketball and Volleyball are all names of popular team sports played at professional and amateur levels. While each of these sports indeed uses a ball, the word itself is conventionally used to denote the full game. In contrast, the term Cricket ball clearly points to the object, the ball used in cricket, and not to the game of cricket itself. This difference in category makes Cricket ball the odd word among the four.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider Football. In everyday language, Football refers to a complete sport played with two teams trying to score goals. Step 2: Consider Basketball. This term is widely recognized as the name of a sport in which teams score by throwing a ball into a basket. Step 3: Consider Volleyball. This is again the name of a sport where two teams hit a ball over a net. Step 4: Consider Cricket ball. This is not the name of a sport. Instead, it is the specific ball used when playing cricket. Step 5: Conclude that three options name sports, while one names only a piece of equipment. Therefore, Cricket ball is the odd one out.
Verification / Alternative check:
A quick verification is to ask which words you would use if someone asked, “What sport do you play?” You might answer Football, Basketball or Volleyball, but you would not answer Cricket ball. Instead, you would say that you play Cricket. This direct usage check confirms that Cricket ball does not belong to the same category as the other three options. Thus, it is the correct odd-man-out choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Football is the name of an entire sport played with a ball and teams, so it fits the main group and is not odd.
Basketball names another team sport and shares the same semantic category as Football and Volleyball, so it is not the odd one.
Volleyball is again a complete game, not just a piece of equipment, so it also belongs to the majority group.
Cricket ball stands out because it is the name of equipment used in cricket rather than the game itself.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may focus only on the presence of the word ball and get confused, because all four include the idea of a ball in some way. However, what matters is whether the word refers to a sport or only to an object. Another common mistake is to overthink and search for minor differences like indoor versus outdoor sports, but that is not consistent here. Always prioritize clear and fundamental category differences when solving odd-man-out questions.

Final Answer:
The term that refers primarily to sports equipment rather than a full sport and is therefore the odd one out is Cricket ball.