Hattrick

A hat-trick is the achievement of scoring three goals in a single competitive match. The term originated in cricket in the 19th century, where a bowler who took three wickets with consecutive deliveries was traditionally awarded a hat. The expression later spread to other sports, most notably association football, where it is commonly used to describe three goals by one player in one game.

In football, a hat-trick is often celebrated as a marker of a standout performance. Common variants include the natural hat-trick, where a player scores three goals in succession within the same match, and the perfect hat-trick, where the three goals come with left foot, right foot, and head.

The term is also used in other sports such as ice hockey and field hockey, where a player who scores three goals in a game is said to have earned a hat trick. In cricket, hat-trick refers to three wickets taken by a bowler on consecutive deliveries, a usage that remains common in cricket terminology.

Hattrick is also the name of a long running online football management game and community. Launched in the late 1990s, hattrick.org invites users to run virtual football clubs. Managers handle squad selection, training and player development, transfers, finances, and stadium or facilities upgrades, and compete in national and international leagues with players from around the world. The game is online and asynchronous, supported by a global community with multiple language options.

Notable aspects of hat tricks include their rarity, their impact on a match, and their status in football lore. Records and appreciation vary by competition, era, and league.