Why is it called a hat-trick and other football jargon - BBC Bitesize (2024)

Ever wondered why scoring three goals in one game is called a hat-trick? Or if players get an actual cap when they play internationally?

Wonder no more. BBC Bitesize is here to help you learn the origins of some of the best-known and most widely used football terminology.

1. Hat-trick

Why is it called a hat-trick and other football jargon - BBC Bitesize (1)

A player gets a hat-trick when they score three goals in one game, but the use of the term actually didn’t start on the football pitch. The phrase came from cricket, and was used when a bowler took three wickets from three consecutive balls. The club would give the bowler a hat to celebrate this achievement.

2. Nutmeg

Why is it called a hat-trick and other football jargon - BBC Bitesize (2)

If you’ve been nutmegged you might feel pretty foolish. Well, some argue, this was part of the reasoning behind using it to describe having the ball threaded between your legs. In the 1870s nutmeg was very valuable, so sneaky traders used to mix wooden replicas in with the real ones, tricking people who bought them.

3. Clean sheet

Why is it called a hat-trick and other football jargon - BBC Bitesize (3)

If your team wins without letting the other team score, you’ve kept a clean sheet. This is because sports reporters used to record scores on white sheets of paper - so if yours was clean at the end of the match, that would mean no goals had been scored against you.

4. Cap

Why is it called a hat-trick and other football jargon - BBC Bitesize (4)

When a player plays for their country’s team they’re said to receive a cap. As it turns out, players literally do get a cap! Years ago, these were used to distinguish teams from one another, before distinctly coloured football shirts became the norm.

5. Volley

The word volley as a sporting term is thought to have first been used in tennis around 1851, and comes from the French 'volée', which means ‘flight’. It originally was used to describe lots of arrows being fired by archers at the same time.

6. Derby

Why is it called a hat-trick and other football jargon - BBC Bitesize (6)

A derby is when two teams from a local area play against one another. There are a couple of different theories about the origins of this word; one is that it comes from a horse race started by the Earl of Derby in 1780. Others claim that it is named after the city of Derby, which was renowned for a wild and, frankly, dangerous game that everyone in the local area would take part in.

This article was published in September 2018

KS1 English

For more excellent English content, head to the KS1 English revision guides.

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How to pronounce new words. revision-guideHow to pronounce new words

Are some of these words new to you? Learn how to pronounce new words with this KS2 guide.

Why is it called a hat-trick and other football jargon - BBC Bitesize (8)

Association football factfile. revision-guideAssociation football factfile

Want to learn more about football? Have a look at this GCSE guide.

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Why is it called a hat-trick and other football jargon  - BBC Bitesize (2024)

FAQs

Why is it called a hat-trick and other football jargon - BBC Bitesize? ›

A player gets a hat-trick when they score three goals in one game, but the use of the term actually didn't start on the football pitch. The phrase came from cricket, and was used when a bowler took three wickets from three consecutive balls. The club would give the bowler a hat to celebrate this achievement.

Why is it called a hat-trick in football? ›

The term “hat trick” comes from cricket, not football. H.H. Stephenson was playing cricket and took three wickets one after the other. People collected money in a hat for him and the term hat trick has been used ever since.

What is the meaning of hat-trick hat? ›

A hat trick is three scores in a row or in the same game. It's most commonly used in hockey for when a player gets three goals in a single game. This term originally applied to the retiring of three batsmen with three consecutive balls by a bowler in cricket. This achievement was rewarded with a hat, thus the name.

What is a hat-trick in English slang? ›

Idioms and Phrases

An extremely clever or adroit maneuver, as in It looked as though the party was going to achieve a hat trick in this election . The term originated in cricket, where it refers to three wickets taken by a bowler in three consecutive balls, traditionally rewarded with the presentation of a hat.

Who invented the term hat trick? ›

Origin. The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wickets with three consecutive deliveries. Fans held a collection for Stephenson, and presented him with a hat bought with the proceeds. The term was used in print for the first time in 1865 in the Chelmsford Chronicle.

What are 7 goals called in football? ›

7 goals is a haul-trick. In addition to this is a special term known as the perfect hat-trick in which 3 goals are scored one goal scored with the player's right foot, one with the left foot, and one with a header.

What is a golden hattrick? ›

In soccer, players can score a “natural” or “flawless” hat trick. That means their goals were consecutive and not interrupted by any other player scoring. There's also the “perfect” or “golden” hat trick. This happens when a player scores with the left foot, the right foot, and the head.

What are 5 goals called in football? ›

For reference: 2 = brace, 3 = hat-trick, 4 = haul, 5 = glut, 6 = double hat-trick, 7 = haul-trick.

Who has the most hat-tricks in football history? ›

Pelé scored 92 hat-tricks during his career for Santos, NY Cosmos and Brazil. As of 2023, Guinness World Records recognised Pelé as the footballer with the most hat-tricks.

What is the meaning of hat trick in Oxford dictionary? ›

/ˈhæt trɪk/ ​three points, goals, etc. scored by the same player in a particular match or game; three successes achieved by one person.

What is the meaning of hat trick in British English? ›

/ˈhæt ˌtrɪk/ an occasion when a player scores three times in the same game, especially in football, or when someone is successful at achieving something three times: Goal! Fowler makes it a hat trick! After two election victories the government clearly has hopes of a hat trick.

What is a super hattrick? ›

A hat-trick is when a player scores three goals in a game and a super hat-trick is when they score four goals in a single game. Simple! The goals don't have to be in any particular order and penalties during regular time count towards the total.

Why is a hat trick so called? ›

A player gets a hat-trick when they score three goals in one game, but the use of the term actually didn't start on the football pitch. The phrase came from cricket, and was used when a bowler took three wickets from three consecutive balls. The club would give the bowler a hat to celebrate this achievement.

What is a trick slang for a girl? ›

a child or young girl: a pretty little trick. Slang. a prostitute's customer. a sexual act between a prostitute and a customer.

What is British slang for hat? ›

titfer Add to list Share. Definitions of titfer. noun. a hat (co*ckney rhyming slang: `tit for tat' rhymes with `hat') type of: chapeau, hat, lid.

Why are two goals called a brace? ›

In the Anglo-French language, the phrase means a "pair of arms" so, similarly to Old English, the meaning of "brace" is derived from there being two things. This is why it is used to describe two goals being scored.

What is a golden hat trick in football? ›

an occasion when a football player scores one goal with their left foot, one goal with their right foot, and one goal with their head. (Definition of the perfect hat trick from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

What happens to the hats after a hat trick? ›

Some teams, like the Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers, and Washington Capitals, keep the hats and put them on display in a bin or case in their arena. A couple of teams give the hats to the player who scored the hat trick. The Calgary Flames apparently just toss the hats in the garbage.

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