Revenue from Contracts With Customers - Contract balances (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Contract with Customer, Asset and Liability [Abstract]
Contract Liabilities (Current)	$ 57	$ 45	$ 45
Contract Liabilities (Noncurrent)	10	8
Increase (decrease) current	12
Increase (decrease) noncurrent	2	$ 8
Increase (decrease) in contract liabilities	14
Cash received on contract liabilities	54
Revenue recognized included in contract liabilities current	40
Revenue recognized from opening balance of contract liabilities	40
Revenue recognized from obligations satisfied or partially satisfied in prior periods	$ 6

The amount of cash received against contract liabilities.

No definition available.

Name:	bll_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityCashReceived
Namespace Prefix:	bll_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized that was previously included in balance of obligation classified as current to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration from customer has been received or is due.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bll_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityRevenueRecognizedCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	bll_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized that was previously included in opening balance of obligation classified as current to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration from customer has been received or is due.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bll_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityRevenueRecognizedFromOpeningBalanceCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	bll_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized from obligations satisfied, or partially satisfied, in prior periods as a result of changes in the transaction price of the company's contracts with customers that was previously included in balance of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration from customer has been received or is due.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bll_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityRevenueRecognizedObligationsSatisfiedOrPartiallySatisfiedPriorPeriods
Namespace Prefix:	bll_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in the obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration has been received or is receivable.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bll_IncreaseDecreaseContractWithCustomerLiability
Namespace Prefix:	bll_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in the obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration has been received or is receivable, classified as current.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bll_IncreaseDecreaseContractWithCustomerLiabilityCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	bll_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in the obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration has been received or is receivable, classified as noncurrent.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bll_IncreaseDecreaseContractWithCustomerLiabilityNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	bll_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerAssetAndLiabilityAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration has been received or is receivable, classified as current.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130532-203044

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130531-203044

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130549-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration has been received or is receivable, classified as noncurrent.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130549-203045

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130532-203044

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130531-203044

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant