The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word FOOTBALL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
F
O
O
T
B
A
L
L
More clues leading to the result FOOTBALL
- Kid holding bat awkwardly before start of league game
- Sports equipment bowled unduly leftwards in lapse
- Fellow bowled unreasonably, spinning the whole game
- Modified boot early in season for American sport
- Kicking game makes foal bolt
- Idiot clutching broken bat left game
- Pay for degree students’ game
- Sport fancy boot in season
- Dance after end of game
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "game" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case game = football.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does FOOTBALL mean?
FOOTBALL noun- (general) A sport played on foot in which teams attempt to get a ball into a goal or zone defended by the other team.
- Association football: a game in which two teams each contend to get a round ball into the other team's goal primarily by kicking the ball. Known as soccer in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
- American football: a game played on a field of 100 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide in which two teams of 11 players attempt to get an ovoid ball to the end of each other's territory.
- Canadian football: a game played on a played on a field of 110 yards long and 65 yards wide in which two teams of 12 players attempt to get an ovoid ball to the end of each other's territory.
- (Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory) Australian rules football.
- Gaelic football: a field game played with similar rules to hurling, but using hands and feet rather than a stick, and a ball, similar to, yet smaller than a soccer ball.
- (New South Wales) rugby league.
- Rugby union.
- The ball used in any game called "football".
- Practice of these particular games, or techniques used in them.
- An item of discussion, particularly in a back-and-forth manner
- The leather briefcase containing classified nuclear war plans which is always near the US President.
- To play football.