Are you suggesting the antecedent is "hand", being the closest noun, to "it" or the discretionary choice "ball"?
antecedent noun [ C ]
uk /ˌæn.tiˈsiː.dənt/ us /ˌæn.t̬əˈsiː.dənt/
"specialized language a word or phrase that a pronoun refers back to:
In the sentence:
"He picked a book off the shelf and handed it to Sally",
"book" is the antecedent of the "it" usage."
Book is the first noun in the sentence, shelf is the second noun. "It" refers to the "book", not the "shelf".
Or do you propose "he" handed the "shelf" to Sally?
From:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dic...ish/antecedent
The "original piece of paper" has, after being cut, an additional side and hence an additional corner.
The new "corner piece of paper" was not an individual "original piece of paper', prior to being cut away.
Due to the "corner piece of paper" being created/cut from the "original piece of paper", it now has three sides and it has three corners - (in this sentence the "it" refers to the "corner piece of paper" phrase.
:)