What is a Hat-Trick in Soccer?
The term ‘hat trick‘ in soccer is used when an individual player scores three goals in a single game. There is no specific regulation to the goals being in order, when they are scored, whether it be in normal time or extra time, as long as an individual player scores three goals in a single match, that will be defined as a hat trick. The only goals that does not count towards a hat-trick are goals in penalty shootouts.
Where does the term Hat-Trick come from?
The expression ‘hat trick” is used in a vast number of sports. Originally it came from cricket, where an individual player would take three wickets in a single game, but the term has now come over to soccer and it is soccer that has made the expression famous.
As mentioned, the expression comes from British cricket. When a bowler used three balls to retire three batsmen he would get a new hat from the club to remember his achievement. In other words, he did a trick and got a hat for it. There are other theories as to where the expression originates from.
The term “hat trick” is known as a “tripletta” in Italian and “coup du chapeau” or “triplé” in French. Both Spain, Germany and most other countries use the British term.
Hat tricks are a prestigious feat for an individual player at any point in their career. A hat trick is considered to be one of the biggest single game achievement a player can receive. It usually implies that the team that has the hat trick scorer, wins, as three goals from just one player should be enough to win the game in most cases.
What is a Perfect Hat-Trick?
In soccer, there are two special types of hat tricks. There is the regular hat trick that consists of three goals of any kind. They could be with any foot or could be from headers. There is another type of hat trick which is very rare and not seen as often as ordinary hat tricks. This is known as the ‘perfect hat trick’. The perfect hat trick consists of one goal scored with a player’s right foot, one goal with the left foot, and a header. This is, of course, very rare and not seen often, especially at the elite levels.
What is a Flawless or Natural Hat-Trick?
A natural or flawless hat trick is when a player scores three goals without anyone else scoring between the goals.
So, the best type that a player can achieve is a natural perfect hat trick. As you can imagine, that does not happen very often!
Hat-Tricks Gets the Matchball
Hat tricks and perfect hat tricks are very impressive feats for any player at any level. When a player completes a hat trick, they will be awarded the match ball at the end of the game as a token of their achievement. Players will collect these match balls as a reminder of the game and they will often be signed by teammates to show the extent of the achievement.
Players always want to score hat tricks. When players are on a brace, which is two goals, they will be pushing towards getting a third goal to complete a hat trick. A hat trick can mean a lot to an individual. It helps the team immensely in winning the game, and it will also contribute to the player’s individual stats massively.
When a player has scored two goals, they may become more direct and driven to score the third goal. This could be seen as a positive or a negative. The positive is that the player may complete the hat trick and score another goal for the team due to their drive and hunger for a third goal. The disadvantage is that this player may become greedy and go to great lengths to achieve their hat trick goal.
Hat-Trick Records
Hat tricks are seen quite often in the elite tiers of soccer. The timing of of course varies. Some may be spread out during a game and some may go into extra time. But the quickest ever hat trick at top level was recorded at under three minutes. Sadio Mane, when playing for Southampton, recorded a hat trick time of two minutes and thirty-five seconds against Aston Villa in 2015. To record a hat trick in that time is remarkable and shouldn’t be possible, especially at one of the highest levels of soccer, the Premier League.
This is not the fastest one though. In a Sheffield Sunday League game in 2013, Alex Torr recorded a hat trick in just 1 minute and 10 seconds. I can’t even understand how they got the ball back to the kick of spot between the goals.
As you may predict, the top goal scorers world-wide rank highest among the top hat trick scorers. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi top the charts for the most hat tricks in La Liga and the Champions League. Cristiano Ronaldo has a staggering 34 hat tricks in La Liga with Real Madrid, while his former Barcelona and Argentine rival, Lionel Messi, leads Cristiano Ronaldo by one in the Champions League rankings, with eight. Whilst Alan Shearer’s record of eleven still stands, it may be broken by Tottenham’s Harry Kane, who sits on eight hat tricks in his Premier League career already.
What if a Player Scores More Than Three Goals?
What is Four Goals in a Match Called?
Four goals in a soccer match is called a haul.
In 2013, Robert Lewandowski scored a haul against Real Madrid in the Champions League. This might be the most memorable haul in recent times. Or ever for that matter.
What is Five Goals in a Match Called?
Five goals in a soccer match is called a glut.
It is fitting that the most memorable glut in modern soccer belongs to Lionel Messi. In 2012 he score a glut against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
What is Six Goals in a Match Called?
Six goals in a soccer match is called a double hat trick.
This happens so rarely that there are no particular instances in modern soccer to talk about.
Conclusion
To repeat: A hat trick is when a single player scores three goals in a single match.
Hat tricks have become a massive part of soccer. It may be one of the most recognized achievements in the game as the term has stood for so long. The rate of hat tricks will only improve with the much more open style of play that modern soccer brings. Top goal scorers in leagues are expected to accumulate hat tricks during games, helping their teams to victory, which can also be seen as a brilliant achievement for the individual to score three goals in a single match.
Now the question is: how do you as a player score hat tricks more often?
It all comes down to practice, as with everything else. Becoming a great goal scorer requires countless hours of repetitive training. Ruud Van Nistelrooy once said that the reason that he scored so many goals was that he could recognize the situation every time he got the ball within the box. He had practiced every possible scenario in training and knew how he could score in every one of them. That is what it takes to become one of the best.
If you are a beginner, or a parent training your child, I would recommend reading my article about the 3 basic soccer skills that every player should learn first.
I hope you enjoyed this post, and I would love any feedback in the comment section.
