https://www.quora.com/What-does-it-mean-to-call-the-ball?share=1
"Call the ball" is a request for information to be delivered to the Landing Signal Officer (LSO). This is normally heard during night or low weather operations when being directed to the carrier by the air traffic controllers deep in the ship, watching the radar display and getting the planes to a stable position behind the ship. They've been directing and refining the aircraft position for about 20 miles and hand the plane off to LSO control when they get within a mile. Here's how the cadence goes:
Controller: "403, 3/4 of a mile, on and on, call the ball."