UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                    FORM 8-K
                                 CURRENT REPORT

                         PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                                  March 6, 2000
                                  -------------
                        (Date of earliest event reported)

                          Commission file number 1-7349

                                BALL CORPORATION
                                ----------------
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

         Indiana                    1-7349                  35-0160610
         -------                    ------                  ----------
        (State of                 Commission               IRS Employer
      Incorporation)               File No.)            Identification No.)

          10 Longs Peak Drive, P.O. Box 5000, Broomfield, CO 80021-2510
          -------------------------------------------------------------
          (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

                                 (303) 469-5511
                                 --------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                 Not Applicable
                                 --------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)




                                Ball Corporation
                           Current Report on Form 8-K
                               Dated March 6, 2000

Item 2. Disposition of Assets

Ball Corporation and ConAgra Grocery Products Company, a unit of ConAgra,  Inc.,
announced on February 24, 2000, that they have signed a definitive  agreement to
form a  strategic  alliance  for  the  manufacture  and  supply  of  metal  food
containers for ConAgra Grocery Products.

The two companies agreed to form a joint venture company called Ball Western Can
Company  to  acquire  and  operate   certain   ConAgra   Grocery   Products  can
manufacturing assets in California. Additionally, Ball will purchase certain can
manufacturing assets now owned and used by the ConAgra Grocery Products plant in
Newport,  Tennessee.  The new joint  venture  company  and Ball will then supply
metal food cans and ends under long-term agreements to ConAgra Grocery Products,
whose requirements are currently about one billion cans and ends per year.

Ball and ConAgra Grocery Products believe that the transaction will be finalized
by the end of March 2000.

The text of the press release  disseminated by the Company on February 24, 2000,
is filed with this report as Exhibit 99.1.





                                Ball Corporation

                           Current Report on Form 8-K

                               Dated March 6, 2000

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

                               Description Exhibit

Text of Press Release Disseminated by the Registrant on
   February 24, 2000 (Filed herewith)                                    EX-99.1








                                    SIGNATURE

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Ball Corporation
(Registrant)


By:     /s/ R. David Hoover
        ---------------------------------------
        Name:   R. David Hoover
        Title:  Vice Chairman, President
                  and Chief Financial Officer

Date:   March 6, 2000