play the ball and not the man

Language: en

1.
generalneutralformal
- To focus on the issue, action, or argument itself rather than attacking or criticizing the person who raised it.
- To address the relevant facts or objective matter at hand rather than engaging in personal insults, ad hominem attacks, or character assaults.
2.
generalneutralinstructional
- In sports, to concentrate on playing the ball (the object of play) rather than targeting the opposing player physically or unfairly.

Examples:

No examples available.

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Sourced from Wiktionary